Blackthorn Hedgerow
I don’t know if it’s just me, or if anyone else has noticed, but the Blackthorn flowers seem particularly splendid this year. The blossoms appeared early but they’ve been in full flower for a good few weeks now, lining the hedgerows in white while the other trees are just coming into bud. The Blackthorn is, of course, the plant that gives us sloes (and last year’s sloe gin has been particularly fine, incidentally). There’s a lot of folklore attached to it: it’s wood is hard and dense and traditionally used for shillelaghs and cudgels. My tracking stick is made out of Blackthorn, and a good sturdy stick it is too. Now, the flowering of the Blackthorn means that we should be in the ‘Blackthorn Winter’, the cold snap that traditionally accompanies the flowering. And today it’s certainly felt like it.
Helping in the Vegetable Garden
Steaming manure on the vegetable garden
The weather today has certainly been changeable. The day started with a frost and a thick coating of ice on the car, but has been mostly sunny and bright, apart from sporadic squalls of hail and cold rain that have sent us scurrying for shelter. And the wind has been bitingly cold. Looking out of the window it’s been a lovely spring day, but at times I was secretly glad to be next to the warmth of a steaming dungheap. The Blackthorn Winter indeed…
Luckily this was before the manure was put on, but I'm sure Mummy won't be impressed when she gets home from work...
Tales from the Wood - The Diary of a Badger Watching Man 
I found your blog today and then just tonight read a story to my daughter that happened to have a badger in it. 🙂 I enjoyed reading about the Blackthorns because I never knew much about them. Now I know where my sloe gin comes from! 😉
Hi there ariadnesdaughter – thanks for writing in, and glad to hear of the badger synchronicity!
I take it you’re from Pennsylvania? Do you have Blackthorn over there in the US? I think of it as a British tree, but I may be just thinking too locally. Mind you, sloe gin is good wherever you are. I’ve made it for a couple of years but only just started drinking it – just the thing to keep out the cold on a chill evening!
All the best
BWM
I grew up in PA, but live in NY state now. I looked up Blackthorn and you are right that it’s not native to the US, but apparently it has been naturalized here in the northeast. I’m going to keep my eyes open for it and maybe ask some people who may know more about them.