Following on from the spring bulbs of March and the apple blossom of April, the hedgerows and verges around Fairfield came to life in May with the arrival of the warmer weather. The grasses in the orchards grew tall, daisies, dandelions and clover covered any un-mown areas of lawn, and the field margins were suddenly filled with flowers. First came the delicate whites of the hawthorn and blackthorn blossoms, then the lilac – we couldn’t resist including the picture of a speckled wood butterfly enjoying it in early May.

Then the trees between Gaskell and Doyle filled the air with their scent, the elderflowers did the same, wild roses rambled through the trees around the perimeter path and out towards the green and blue lagoons, and purple comfrey popped up in the corners of fields – all of which kept the pollinators happy until a wider variety of wildflowers began to bloom in the orchards, community garden and urban park in June. Amongst all this life and colour, it is sadly becoming more and more obvious where box trees once thrived. Almost every untreated specimen has now fallen victim to the box tree caterpillar.