Devoid of leaf cover this Sycamore sapling at Mereway Nature Park stretches towards the December sun and presents its newly forming buds to the weak winter sun.

December is often our crispest month. The first sugary frosts grip the Crane Valley and life beds down to see the winter through. Our year comes to an end, but the new one has already begun.

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Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk) > A ghostly icy fog smothers the pitches of Kneller Gardens just before dusk on a cold December afternoon.

Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk) > Even in December it is possible to find wild flowers along the Crane. This Lesser Periwinkle is flowering in the protective shade of a hawthorn hedge in Mereway Nature Park.

Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk) > Much of the December flora resembles a botanical graveyard as the season's growth shrivels and dies. This looks like the end of a Michaelmas Daisy at Mereway Nature Park.

Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk) > Devoid of leaf cover this Sycamore sapling at Mereway Nature Park stretches towards the December sun and presents its newly forming buds to the weak winter sun.

Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk) > Feast a close eye on the gnarled bark of an ancient Elder, warmly lit by the fresh light of a December afternoon.

Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk) > Tansy is one of the few flowers in bloom in some of the open areas of Crane Park in December. The bright yellow flowers are a very welcome sight at this time of year.

Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk) > December skies can be moody at best, providing an atmospheric background for the intricate geometry of the silhouettes of deciduous trees.

Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk) > The leaf mulch is deep in Crane Park this month, with multicoloured leaves from several different species of tree forming a blanket of decomposing organic matter.

Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk) > A sharp December frost sprinkles and bows the leaves of a Tansy in Crane Park.

Devoid of leaf cover this Sycamore sapling at Mereway Nature Park stretches towards the December sun and presents its newly forming buds to the weak winter sun.