Bridal Veil Broom blooming everywhere, Spring is really here!

Spring has arrived with a big bang.  Cuckoos have been calling for the last few weeks (they are always very early here), the Scops owl is competing with the crickets at night and wild flowers are everywhere.  For the past two weeks we have been experiencing very warm and sunny weather (30 degrees yesterday) and the spring flowers and blossom have responded.  The most exuberant is the white Lygos/Retama monosperma or Heywood Broom and for me it is the absolute stamp of spring proper.  

It the most outrageous, opulent and over-the-top plant ever and is also very beautiful even though its incredibly invasive and takes over all other plant life trying to compete with it.  Taking an evening dog walk is amazing, pushing your way through the stuff that grows well over head hight is quite a feat, the small white flowers, born on a shrub with a weeping characteristic, slim branches and very few leaves, have a strong, almost overwhelming perfume a little like sweet honey.  These shrubs are absolutely covered (and I mean covered) in an almost dizzy, riotous, frothing cascade of white that is difficult to believe.

Ella popping up amongst the Broom.

Springs greatest gift here is it's enduring perfection, always full of promise and beauty.  In Central Portugal the transition from winter to spring is often surprisingly quick.  Cold, sub zero nights quickly change, sometimes in a matter of days, to warmer, balmy evenings, the first BBQ's fire up and outdoor eating begins again.  Evening dog walks are suffused with wonderful light and long shadows with the ever present intense scent of the white Bridal Veil Broom.  It is easy to see why it was given this common name, at this moment in time it would be the perfect place for a spectacular bridal photo shoot!  I love the spring in Portugal, I hope you enjoy these photos and think about coming to visit us at this lovely time of the year.