This is not a facetious question!
For the last couple of months, I have walked along Crag Lane to the carpark and down and back up the steps down to the stream, and in May, as I started down the steps or reached the top on the way back, up I would smell a beautiful fragrance. I did a quick recce, but was unable to find out where it was coming from.
Then, on 28th May, Steve Joul sent me a WhatsApp message about a yellow Azalea (rhododendron luteum) a short way along the path which goes to left, about five steps down from the top of the steps. It is a plant which Steve has been looking after since 1984.
I went and had a look, and there it was – complete with beautiful fragrance.
The azalea is not native to Adel Woods and it is believed that it was planted as a memorial tree.
As well as having an intoxicating fragrance, the azalea also has beautiful yellow flowers. They are no longer there now, but it is well worth making a note to pay a visit to this wonderful plant next May.
Then earlier this month, as I walked along Crag Lane and reached Stairfoot Lane carpark, I noticed another wonderful scent. This time I recognised it as a lime tree and realised that there is a very large lime tree on the west side of the carpark.
If you have never smelt a lime tree, it is well worth making a note to do so. They are a common tree in the UK, and come into flower in June or July. By the way, although they are called lime trees, they have nothing to do with lime fruits.
When in flower, they are very easy to recognise – partly because of the fragrance, but also because they are covered in flowers as shown below.
Each set of flowers is accompanied by a pale odd shaped leaf called a bract – you can see a couple in the photo above.
Again this is a tree which is well worth visiting when in flower – it is probably coming to an end by now (25th July).
Friends of Adel Woods 