Winter’s not over yet, but the natural world is beginning to wake ahead of spring, says Oakwell Hall and Country Park ranger Les Hughes

WE may be experiencing a lot of wet and windy weather, but between the showers and the grey skies, there’s lots to celebrate as the natural world begins to wake after its winter dormancy.

For some weeks now, walking around Oakwell Hall and its beautiful walled gardens, arboretum and by the door to our office near the Oaktree Cafe, tiny perfumed flowers have provided a subtle hint of colour and scent as they discretely blossomed on their leafless branches.

The sweetly-perfumed, pink-tinged white blooms of Viburnum farreri have been a joyous sight for anyone taking the time and care to have a closer look.

Originating from northern China, this lovely shrub is not a native plant but is well-suited to a historic country house setting such as here at Oakwell.

It puts on a dainty floral show from late autumn to early spring, its dark green leaves develop a little later and are bronze when young, turning brilliant shades of red-purple in autumn.

Elsewhere, the shoots of snowdrops and daffodils are forcing their way towards the light and the spiky clumps on the lawns and around the trees bring a promise of better things to come.

As more flowers come into bloom, we’ll start to see ever increasing numbers of insects, beetles, moths and butterflies feasting on all the emerging goodies.

And we have exciting plans to take advantage of nature’s bounty and help improve the pollination prospects of our plants, trees and shrubs.

Our country park officer Amanda Walker has been meeting with Leeds-based Wild Yorkshire Honey to see if they can site some hives around the park, allowing the bees to take advantage of our wildlife meadows and woodlands and – who knows – perhaps we may soon be selling Oakwell honey in our courtyard shop!

Events

• Our annual exhibition and sale of the work be local artists is proving a big attraction. Art in the Barn is open to the public Wednesday to Sunday, 10am to 4pm, until Sunday February 2

The event will be followed by the equally popular Photography and Craft Exhibition, which runs from Saturday February 8 until Sunday March 8. Both events are being held in the barn opposite the courtyard shop at Oakwell Hall.

For details, email oakwell.hall@kirklees.gov.uk or visit our web or Facebook pages.

• Oakwell Hall is also celebrating being given Country Parks Accreditation from Natural England, the government’s natural environment adviser. It is one of only two sites in the region to be given the accolade.

Oakwell Hall and Country Park is in Nutter Lane, Birstall, WF17 9LG