CABINET OF CURIOSITIES

  The curse of the black spot! Tar spot fungus  Rhytisma acerinum , that disfigures sycamore leaves in summer, continues to develop on its d...

  A weeping willow on the bank of the river Wear below Durham cathedral, glowing in early afternoon winter sunshine. An idyllic spot for a r...

  Edwardian publishers certainly knew how to produce exquisite book covers. I found this charming, gilded, art nouveau example in a second-h...

  Autumn is the main toadstool season but some hardy fungi produce theirs in the depths of winter, even during periods of frost and snow. Th...

  These cowslips have been flowering in my garden since mid-December. This particular plant often flowers in late winter, but I can’t recall...