"Scottish Snippets"

"Colour Supplement"

17 March 2007

Each week the Rampant Scotland Newsletter includes a number of photographs which illustrate the weather and the seasons, plus the flora and fauna of the current week around Scotland. There are often so many such graphics of Scottish subjects worth including that this separate "colour supplement" is created where some of the best pictures can be displayed in a larger format. Here is this week's crop of Scottish views!


Polyanthus plants were originally created by crossing Primroses with Cowslips - a taller variety the Primrose. Over the years plant breeders have created a huge variety of colours. Although they are spring flowering (and autumn/fall flowering too), these ones beside a country church north of Glasgow, were probably brought on under glass to make them available outside so early in the year.


Every time I see raindrops on flowers such as this Crocus, I am tempted to add a water spray to my camera equipment, so that the effect can be created at any time! So far, the temptation has been resisted - after all, there is so much natural rain around, who needs to create it artificially?


The large cup-shaped flowers of the Helleborus can appear from mid-winter to late spring. From a photography point of view, they can be most frustrating as many varieties produce their flowers pointing down to the ground - and they prefer partial shade. This one in Finlaystone Country Estate in Renfrewshire was more co-operative!


While the 20X lens on my camera was bought because of an interest in bird-watching (the feathered kind), it also comes in handy for another hobby - aviation. This budget airline easyJet Airbus A319 was on its approach to Glasgow airport when this picture was taken - with the sun glinting on its nose. But it was still a few thousand feet high, with another eight miles to go before touchdown.


March is not really a month associated with rhododendron flowers, but a few varieties like this one flower very early, creating a promise of much more to come in April and May.


This is another early flowering variety - this time one of the many types of prunus. It could be cherry, almond, plum or peach etc. But as they are usually grown for their attractive spring flowers, we don't often see any fruit being produced later in the season.

If you want to look back at earlier editions of this Colour Supplement, there is an Index Page





Where else would you like to go in Scotland?








Separator line