New life seen in everything after heavy rain: Country diary 100 years ago

Originally published in the Manchester Guardian on 27 May 1916

Surrey
In one of our valleys, where a narrow river eats its way through rich, deep soil and yet runs over a gravel bed, the heavy rain this morning sent down small cascades from the extended boughs of trees that are all in full leaf: elms, chestnuts, lime, sycamore, and, in the middle of the meadows, beeches and oaks. The big tassels of the sycamores, green and gold, held the water almost like a sponge. Along the banks the nettles, thickly together in a bush, fell over as wheat does in a thunderstorm, carrying with them thistles and tall docks. The lane was littered with bloom of all kinds that a few days ago was beautiful.

Then came a break in the clouds, the sun with it, and as if by some marvellous inner process a new life was to be seen in everything. The nettles stood breast-high; the tall grasses, nearly ripe and very sweet in scent, waved lightly in the west wind; lady's-smock, orchid, snake's-head, foxgloves about the hedgerows seemed to open or grow before your eyes.