Cornus kousa in Penlee Park, Penzance
The Cornus kousa isn’t looking much different this month. Leaves are still clinging on, despite rain and gale force winds and thunder and hail. There has been a little bit of sunshine though.

The yellow fringed leaves of these palms look splendid with the light behind them.
You can see how wet it’s been:


The leaves of the other Cornus, in the sheltered walled Memorial Garden, are still completely green.
By the gate of the garden, there’s a stone mushroom.
Not a seat for the gnomes or pixies. These were used, I think, to hold up granaries to stop rodents climbing up. Not sure how this one ended up in the kitchen garden of Penlee House.
In front of Penlee House the daffodils (or are they narcissi?) are finally coming out.
In the top left corner you can just see, behind the tree, someone holding something.

And here he is from the front. It’s The Broccoli Juggler, given to Penlee House in 2015 by the artist, Kurt Jackson. He is better known for his landscape painting, but also makes sculpture and writes poetry. With this sculpture, he was highlighting the difficulties faced by Cornish farmers.

More about it here:
https://www.museumsincornwall.org.uk/Kurt-Jackson%27s-%27The-Broccoli-Juggler%27/Latest-News/3/
Not just narcissi and daffodils out now. Here’s the first celandine I spotted by the path:
More info here:
https://squirrelbasket.wordpress.com/tree-following/
You have such wonderfully mild weather down there in the South West!
I love all your observations this month – and The Broccoli Juggler is hilarious, even if with a serious message.
Looking forward to your posts throughout the year – best wishes 🙂
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Thanks Pat. Yes it’s mild (but you should have seen the hail piled up in our back yard the other day!)
I always enjoy reading the Tree Followers every month.
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Good to see the signs of spring on this page while Storm Dennis is battering the trees outside my window!
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Yes, it’s been quite persistent hasn’t it? Then a sudden splash of sunshine yesterday afternoon!
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With the palms, your park looks tropical! Amazing for this time of year. I too love the “Broccoli Juggler”–the name made me smile this morning 🙂
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