Folklore tells us "if the Ash before the Oak then a year of splash and crash, if the Oak before the Ash then a year of smoke and choke". I had given up on this piece of lore as been stupid, because I never saw the Ash tree to bud before the mighty Oak. But low and behold I have seen two Ash trees bud out this week and not an oak leaf to be seen. So is this year going to be a year of splash and crash, that is rain, thunder and lightning.
The British Woodland Trust in an interesting article in the Telegraph tell us that "---The spectacle of the ash leafing before the oak has occurred only four times in the last 44 years,---. The last time the ash came first was 1986." They claim this is because of global warming and milder springs. So keep your eye open to see if your Ash buds before the Oak and then we shall see how correct the piece of weather lore is.
The Nire Valley
The Heart of the Comeragh Mountains.
