Black Poplar with red flowers



      There's blossom appearing on some of the early plum plum trees the orchards and the Blackthorn bushes are covered in white blossom. Hawthorn leaves are showing a bright green and Poplars are showing a rusty red colour as their strange catkin-like flowers burst open. It's almost an autumnal show.
      This particular stand of Poplars is like a windbreak at one end of the orchard and a fine show they are putting on too. I don't know much about Poplars so a bit of reading up needs to take place and perhaps I'll find out if these flowers produce any kind of seed, a bit like Horse Chestnut.