Soft Green Leaves

When I lived in Dollar there was a substantial beech hedge between our house and our neighbours. And I mean substantial! It had been grown above a wall, on a slope and must have reached at least 4metres in some places. It was a buggar to cut and come Autumn, the bane of my life as beech seeds and leaves nestled in among the flower pots on the patio, clogged up the gutters and swirled around in wind eddies before settling on a recently swept driveway.

However, it did act as a source of security from our slightly bonkers neighbours, who in fact were housekeeping as it belonged to a religious cult. Cult members would gather several times a year to clean, cook, sing and pray. The garden was immaculate and they would even wash the white painted stones on the driveway. One of the stones declared in black paint: ‘The Lord is Your Rock’ to which Emma announced ‘…Yeah and Roll!’

We were not always prompt with pruning, much to their somewhat restrained tutting and judging and so after a year or so they offered to do it for us for a small donation to their church! We were more than happy to give them £10 for such a time consuming task.

We have a beech tree in our garden here which has a rich red leaf and is home to two cheeky and greedy squirrels. In the evening sun just now the tree is stunning and I will just forget about the workout required to clear the garden later in the year.

All along the roads, avenues and streets of North Berwick the beech hedges are coming into leaf and these leaves are so soft I cannot resist running my hands along them. Soft as feathers they are and vibrant green.

Soft Green Leaves – a poem

Dancing and glistening flicking in the sun,

the Spring warmth has unfurled the glorious green leaves,

along streets and avenues.

Ferns begin to uncurl, extending frond like fingers,

always searching, turning around and baring all.

Bluebells create lilac carpets in woods and dells,

heralding the way for blossom.