Snowdrops
The snowdrop (Galanthus nivalis) emerges from the frozen ground to announce the end of the British wintertime. It is one of the first flowers of spring, symbolising purity and the cleansing of the earth after winter.

Snowdrops and white candles are used at Imbolc (Gwyl Ffraed) to represent purification. Imbolc refers to the return of the life forces of spring. Later, the Catholic Church replaced this festival with Candlemas Day on February 2, dedicated to the Virgin Mary and features candlelight processions.

In folklore, the snowdrop is meant to represent 'the passing of sorrow'.

Yew
Known for its incredible longevity (estimated to be well over 1,000 years), the Yew can be commonly found growing on ancient sacred sites, that often predate the construction of its neighbouring church. The Yew is meant to protect the living from evil spirits and protect the dead on their journey to the other world, it also represents eternal life, death and rebirth.

Simply being in the presence of an old Yew can fill a person with a sense of timeless awe and it is easy to see why pre-Christian Pagans worshipped these magnificent trees.

Carline Thistle

Much like the features of Everlasting Flowers; the Carline Thistle flowers, once dead, hardly alter their appearance. The whole plant is remarkably durable.

The golden, dried flowers respond to the amount of humidity in the air and can be used as rustic hygrometers, being often seen nailed over European cottage doors either for this purpose, or to ward off evil spirits and bad luck.

Ash

The Ash tree, breaks into flower weeks before its leaves appear, around Beltane. The flowers are clusters of spring-green with deep purple stamens, devoid of petals or sepals.

Ash is an ancient, respected wood, being named after the Anglo Saxon word 'æsc' meaning spear and also adopted by the Romans under the Latin name Fraxinus.

British folklore speaks of its protective and healing qualities, particularly during childhood.

Ancient wisdom also speculated a mid-range weather forecast by comparing oak and ash buds in Spring. When the oak buds open before the ash, a dry Summer will follow, but if ash buds open first, the weather will be wet.

Cleavers

Covered in tiny hooked bristles, the leaves, stems and seeds of Cleavers or Goosegrass, make their presence known by clinging on to passing objects such as animals and humans.

Sprawling through hedgerows, this common straggly herb has been extolled for its healing and detoxifying properties, with the fresh new tops being used as an ingredient in rural 'spring drinks.'

Greater Stitchwort

Greater Stitchwort is well-associated with pixies, and is a flower favoured in fairy garlands.  According to folklore tales, those that pick Greater Stitchwort would be ‘Pixie led’ - in other words enchanted by the bitter- sweet fairy-realm and left forever distracted.   Stitchwort is also known as ‘Pixie’ across most of the West Country.

May

Cowslip

The Cowslip is known by many names: Buckles, Key Flower, Mayflower, Paigles, Palsywort, Petty Mulleins and Plumrocks - to name a few!

Cowslips at Oxwich

Also known as the Fairycup, stories told of fairies taking shelter from rain storms, beneath the plants' parasol-shaped blooms. Edmund Canterbell wrote: "That they do dwell within the cowslips hollow is truth, for I have seen them fly out in intoxicated abandon."

The flowers are also supposed to be the keys which reveal and unlock fairy treasure. 

Once abundant in Britain, the Cowslip was traditionally collected by the basketful, to flavour Cowslip wine. Meanwhile, children created Cowslip-balls for a number of customary games and superstitions, from the tightly packed flowerheads, tied by ribbon or string.  As the traditional flower of Beltane (May Day), Cowslips were also used as maypole garlands.

In Wales, long stalks on cowslips mean a wet summer is forecast, and short stalks, a dry one.