My drive to work takes me along a narrow winding country road and over a little hump back bridge which is one of the few routes that guarantee I won’t sit waiting at a level crossing. I have become very familiar with this four miles of West Sussex countryside and accustomed to noting the subtle changes in the landscape.
One striking feature is a section of lane alongside a field that is bounded by poplars. In the spring the foliage emerges a striking coppery orange colour, similar, but more vivid than the tones in our young native oak leaves which tend.
This year they have been particularly striking and with the early morning and late afternoon sunshine making them glow in the landscape brilliantly. The farmer must feel the same as a few years back he planted a new row of perhaps a dozen young trees along the road side of the next field, so I look forward to this spectacle becoming even more dramatic in coming years.
Click to view the following in a full size gallery:
I’m not sure what the species is, so if you have any ideas, please leave them in the comments section. The one close up of the leaves might help, but the wind prevented me getting a better shot!