Ilkeston - Fighting Back
w/e 18 March 2018
All of this week's pictures were
taken with a Kodak DX6490
The so called "Beast from the East" weather
returned this weekend but since its last visit Mother Nature
and spring have been fighting back and plants have started to
blossom and bloom. that called for a visit to some of our usual
haunts to monitor the progress.
We began at Stanton Road Cemetery and we were quite apprehensive
when seeing the daffodils near the entrance still tightly in
bud. At the far end of the cemetery however crocuses were more
advanced although not as proficient as in previous years.
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In the shelter between two graves two rows of daffodils were
only slightly more advanced than those at the entrance.
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Our next port of call was Victoria Park where we found some of
the trees starting to blossom.
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One bed of daffodils planted on the bank below the bandstand
by the Council's Green Space Team aided and abetted by Chaucer
Junior School's Gardening Club a few years ago are coming into
flower but those in another bed further to the right are still
to put in an appearance.
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The crocuses along the edge of the park by Bristol Road are doing
their best to brighten up the area although we have seen better
displays at this time of year.
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As if to reinforce the fact that things are not as well advanced
this year as in some previous years, snowdrops are also still
flowering alongside the crocuses.
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Miniature daffodils are braving the conditions by the steps to
the Remembrance Garden and Cantelupe Centre in the Market Place
even though some do look a little bedraggled blown by the cold
wind.
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Those sheltered by the large memorial in St Mary's Churchyard
are faring better.
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As are those on the mound near the Derby College Ilkeston Campus
at the junction of Pimlico and New Lawn Road. The building in
the background is the large town centre water pumping station.
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Our final visit on this whistle stop tour around the town centre
was 'Illy 'Oleys where the islands of colour by Cantelupe Road
look good from this distance but even here a closer view reveals
that there are some significant gaps.
The cold weather and water saturated ground has certainly had
an impact this year but as the days progress and warmer weather
returns we can only hope that nature will do its wonderful work
and produce some beautiful displays come the summer. How the
flowers will cope with this weekend's weather though as seen
in these two pictures of the snow covered daffodils in St Mary's
Churchyard on Sunday morning, only time will tell.
The "Beast" is back!
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