Celebrating the Beautiful Seasons of England

Matt Johnson

One of England’s unique charms are its seasons, each one heralding either the rebirth of nature to the crisp beauty of winter.

• Autumn’s golden glow paints the landscape in hues of gold and russet. And is ideal for walks to soothe the soul, and inspire the senses. Due to the crunch of leaves underfoot, and the invigorating crisp air.
• England is a winter wonderland. Short days and cold air give way to mulled wine and (sometimes) snowy walks.
• Spring is a breath of fresh air, with vibrant colours and a season of growth as flowers bloom, and hibernating creatures wake up, to enjoy the warmer weather.
• Summer means long days and warm evenings, and a summer coast heaving with visitors. Gardens are a riot of colour and scent.

A British Year Through Japan’s 72 Seasons

Light Rains, Sometimes Fall is a beautifully written book influenced by the prisom of Japan’s 72 ancient microseasons. Across 12 months, the writer charges changes that each of these ancient microseasons (just a few days each) brings to his local patch – garden, streets, parks and wild cemetery. From the birth of spring in early February to ‘the greater cold’ in late January, he draws out eye to the beauty of the outside world, day-to-day.

• Rain sometimes turns to hail
• Dunnock song defies traffic noise
• Woodpeckers start drumming
• Blackthorn sheds blossom
• Crows start building nests
• First chiffchaff sings
• Spring butterflies add colour
• Fox cubs start to play
• Swifts fly home
• Fruit falls to the ground
• Dragonflies lay eggs on water
• Some leaves turn yellow
• Spiders appear in sheds
• Mud all over the place!
• Magnolia shows first buds

Instead of Japan’s lotus blossom, praying mantis and bear – he watches bramble, woodlouse and urban fox, hawthorn, dragonfly and peregrine. But the seasonal rhythms and power of nature to enhance our mood remain. Both a nature diary and a revelation of the beauty of small subtle changes in nature, this book allows us to ‘look, look again, look better’:

Lev Parikian is a writer and conductor who lives in West London. As a birdwatcher, his most prized sightings are a golden oriole in the Alpujarras (and a black redstart at Dungeness Power Station).

Reconnect With Nature Through Every Season

The Wildlife Year is a beautifully written book to help you take a walk on the wild side. Nature is right on your doorstep – whether you live in the countryside or city, or somewhere inbetween. And although it’s trickier to find wildlife in some places, it can thrive in the most surprising spaces.

This book is a gentle introduction to the events that mark the natural cycle of the year. Discover and observe nature in all its glory. And from afar, enjoy observing the wildlife around you. Explore the unique properties of the seasons, and learn more about weather events and cloud formations. And also learn about how the moon and its cycle affect our natural world.

This glorious celebration of seasonal wildlife will help you identify our best-loved (and most misunderstood) plants, birds, mammals, amphibians and insects, with helpful information on where they are found. With wonderful illustrations, this guide will encourage you to get outdoors in nature.In England, we have more than four seasons (and sometimes due to our unique weather – four seasons in one day!) But that’s for another day. What we can learn is to learn to balance our lifestyle, and live in harmony with the seasons. Be inspired by the natural world – trees drop their leaves in winter, flowers known when to bloom and when to let petals fly away. Our three  hibernating mammals (hedgehogs, dormice and bats) know it’s time for a long winter sleep, and in nature, even domestic dogs would go to bed nearer a natural time (ie. when the light falls!)But now our lives are all over the place, and a good many of our health problems (physical and mental) are due to living ‘the same life’ all year round. And harms wildlife too. Light pollution causes birds to wake up at midnight to sing, and sea turtles follow ‘the moon’ (multi-storey car park lights) to lay eggs. Ripping out old building facades to replace with lit glass buildings has caused increase bird strikes (learn how to help stop birds flying into windows).

Sally Coulthard is one of England’s best writers on nature and wildlife. She studied at university before returning to her first love of writing. She has written books on everything from owls to earthworms, and from hedgehogs to how to build your own luxury shed! She lives in Yorkshire.