By Bernie Bell

Our biggest Balfour Willow – with its ‘Pussies’…

Why ‘Balfour’ willow? I don’t know – I tried to find the origin of the name, but couldn’t!  All I could find, is that coastal willow or Hooker’s willow is sometimes wrongly identified as Balfour willow.  Do any Orkney News readers know more?

Catkins on our oldest Alder…

This Alder is at least fifteen years old, but it’s only about four feet tall. The prevailing Westerly winds, mean that it’s grown sideways, and the catkins are right on the ends of the farthest branches, presumably because they are, to some extent, protected from the wind, by the rest of the tree?

The fresh green of the Rosa Rugosa buds – they almost look good enough to eat………..

A modest little Spirea – catching the light….

A wire fence, becomes a Honeysuckle hedge – with time and patience…..

Our dark Elder, manages to survive the Orkney winters, in a sheltered corner by the compost bins…..