Snowdrops at Cambo

Took advantage of the warm weather last week to visit the Snowdrop Festival at Cambo.

Snowdrops lined both sides of the path that leads to the beach.

A solitary clump of daffodils amongst the snowdrops.

The burn that flows down to the sea.

Cambo in February

 One of the delights of February in Fife is the display of snowdrops at Cambo.

 Snowdrops line the banks of the Cambo burn pushing their way through the fallen leaves.

A clump of primroses.

Pale blue scilla.

 Brightly coloured aconite.

Snowdrops against a background of the strap-like leaves of black mondo.

 The exposed roots of a tree in the woodland.

 Horseshoe fungus (Fomes fomentarius).

White Butterbur

 White butterbur (Petasites albus) growing amongst the snowdrops at Cambo.

Yesterday was one of the sunniest days of the year so far and a good day to visit Cambo to see the snowdrops. However, snowdrops were not the only white flower in bloom and the Cambo Estate had put up an interesting information board about white butterbur, which is a native of the mountains of Europe and South West Asia. It was first introduced in1683 but did not get recorded in the wild until 1843. It has now spread throughout but is more common in the North particularly in Eastern Scotland.

Information board. (To read click on photo to enlarge)

Meanwhile in the Serpentine Walk in Largo, the more common pink-flowered butterbur (Petasites hybridus) which is native to Britain is also in flower. In past times its large leaves were used for wrapping butter, hence its common English name. The genus name Petasites comes from the Greek petusos - a broad brimmed hat. The leaves can grow to almost 36 inches across.

In the above picture taken last July the butterbur leaves are flourishing on one side of the path in the Serpentine Walk. Later on in the summer they grew so large that they virtually blocked the path in places.

A Rainy Day at Cambo

Would normally wait for a sunny day to visit Cambo but Friday was the first day of the Fife Diamond Garden Festival and had tickets to collect from Cambo for the other two days.

Whatever the weather, there is always something to see - the woodland provided shelter from the drizzle and was dominated by wild garlic on both sides of the path.

Missed the tulip festival this year and most of the tulips had gone over, but this border still looked good.

On previous visits the Cambo Burn had been flowing gently to the sea, however, on this occasion, after three days onf heavy rain, it was rushing downstream.

From the Cambo Burn to the Sea

 The Cambo Burn runs through the walled garden.

 Ornamental bridge across the burn

 The burn runs through the woodland to the sea. Snowdrops blooming on the bank.

The rocky shore at Cambo.

Looking towards Crail.

In Bloom at Cambo

A beautiful day to go to Cambo to enjoy the snowdrops, one of the highlights of the early spring in Fife. Snowdrops line both sides of the path down to the sea.

A mixture of aconites and snowdrops

A colourul patch of crocus.

 Crocus bulbs naturalised in the grass.

A witch hazel in flower in the Winter garden.

Cambo Tulip Festival

 Tulip display in the walled garden at Cambo.

 Female mallard with thirteen ducklings in the Cambo Burn which flows through the walled garden.

Dryad's saddle fungi on a fallen tree trunk in the woodland at Cambo.

Tulip Festival at Cambo

Cambo Estate (between St Andrews and Crail) was running a Tulip Festival at the weekend. The potager in the walled garden had been planted exclusively with tulips of differing varieties. There was also a display of cut tulips in the cafe.

No tulips here but I thought the intense blue of the grape hyacinths was stunning.

One of my favourite views along the burn in the walled garden. Lovely willow tree and trees in blossom.