After the cold and greyness of winter, it has been uplifting to see some splashes of colour return to the natural landscape over the last few weeks. None more so than along the Southend Avenue walkway in Darlington where over the last few days crocuses have risen from the soil to form a beautiful purple, white and yellow carpet.
From a browse of the internet, it was interesting to learn that the bulbs were originally planted in the autumn of 1980 by a Douglas Chilton in memory of his wife Maude who had died that spring aged 81 years. The couple had lived in Southend Avenue for many years and were married for 57 years.
Originally 15,000 bulbs were sown and when they flowered the following year, a further 15,000 were planted alongside them.
It's an impressive visual and certainly perks me up when seeing them, marking the change of season and longer, warmer days ahead.
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