Thirteen of us set out today for a four hour walk round the woods on a cold, bright afternoon.
The excitement was all too much for the little dog.
There were a few early flowers out: primroses, barren strawberry, one wood anemone.
A highlight was the green hellebore (Helleborus viridis), now at its best. Their colour has a great intensity as I imagine Robin Hood's Lincoln green must have been.
The plant reminds me of a rule-breaking section from Elizabeth Barrett Browning's Aurora Leigh:
the walls
Were green, the carpet was pure green, the straight
Small bed was curtained greenly, and the folds
Hung green about the window, which let in
The out-door world with all its greenery.
