In the bleak midwinter...

摘要

“Winter... when you feel the bone structure in a landscape - the loneliness of it - the dead feeling..." (Andrew Wyeth - 20th Century American artist). The bare branches of the deciduous trees and brown, decaying plant matter make midwinter feel very bleak, but there are still plants growing, including one that is purported to be the most abundant organism on the planet. The tiny green alga, Pleurococcus, grows all year round - you may even find some established on your narrowboat (it certainly likes my drainpipes). A single-celled alga, Pleurococcus thrives in moist situations and is commonly found on the bark of deciduous trees, more abundantly near the ground on the north side. It spreads upwards in the wan winter sunlight to dust the bare limbs with a thin emerald sheen. The more acidic surfaces of conifers are avoided, but you will also find it growing on stones, fences and lock gates.