March, Sallow.
It seemed to me to be a co-incidence that as I was heading off to draw pussy willow, aspirin was making the news. Willow, the mother of aspirin has been treating man’s aches and pains for thousands of years, and new scientific studies suggest it could also prevent some cancers, even cure them. The forester claims that deer will self medicate on sallow coppice - I doubt he has scientific proof for this, but if amount of time spent watching deer in woodland counts for anything, then by rights there should be a seed of truth in it.
So, this week, all hail the sweet sallow. Humble member of the graceful salix family. Cheerfully brightening our dull March days with it’s pussy willow. Tight downy chrysalis’ unfurling into elaborate oval pompoms. Each see through hair holding it’s pollen laden head out to the world. Exquisite lemon yellow halos, faint with the first nectar of spring. Mild recuperative tonic, gently bringing bees back to life. These small trees, blousey in a hedge or glowing in the under story of a wood, transform light into pure joy. This is their moment.
