Country Life 16-Mar-2022

ONLY one subject dominates the news as the appalling humanitarian catastrophe of Ukraine unfolds on our screens. All wars are brutal, but the fact that this one is happening on the edge of Europe gives it an immediacy not felt since 1945. There are few Second World War veterans still alive and subsequent generations have come to think of that war as a distant episode of history, which could never be repeated. Peace and prosperity no longer seem so assured. Not only will Britain receive large numbers of Ukrainian refugees, whose reception must be as generous as possible, but the conflict will have obvious consequences for our comparatively feather-bedded living standards. Fuel costs are likely to cause an unwelcome economic shock after the billions spent on Covid. The oil crisis of…

THESE eight cherry-blossom prints are named after the ‘eight Virtues of Bushidō according to Nitobe Inazō’: Honour, Mercy, Politeness, Control, Justice, Courage, Honesty and Loyalty’. Created by Damien Hirst, The Virtues is a complete set of laminated giclée prints, dated 2021, with matching edition numbers —it will go under the hammer with Forum Auctions, London SW8, tomorrow (£80,000–£120,000; www.forumauctions.co.uk). On the subject of spring, the National Trust’s annual #blossomwatch campaign is kicking off, for which the public is invited to share images of blossom, from apple in March to hawthorn in May—and not only at Trust properties—on social media, in a kind of British version of the Japanese hanami tradition. Over the coming weeks, most of the charity’s 40 or so ‘Project Blossom’ plantings will be completed. This includes orchards at Stourhead…

With future springs in mind, the National Trust’s expert gardeners recommend blossom trees to plant this month Cercis siliquastrum (Judas tree; right) Flowers in May, when ‘deep-pink blossoms erupt straight from the main stem and branches… followed by pea-like fruits,' Neil Cook, Han-bury Hall, Worcestershire Malus baccata var. mandshurica (Manchurian Siberian crab apple) ‘Pure-white blossom makes way for an abundance of cherry-like deep-red apples that take centre stage in our autumnal and Christmas displays,' Jamie Leslie, Ightham Mote, Kent Malus domestica ‘Discovery’ ‘This early dessert apple dates from 1949 and is a cross between Worcester Pearmain and (possibly) Beauty of Bath… tastes as good as it looks,' Vicky Cody, Snowshill Manor, Gloucestershire Prunus ‘Kanzan’ ‘One of the most popular double-flowering cherry trees. In spring, it has floriferous double pink flowers, followed by lovely bronze leaves turning green…

BADMINTON HORSE TRIALS (May 4–8) is back after a three-year absence—welcome news not only to competitors, for whom it is the most prestigious competition of the year with the biggest prize fund, but also the legions of spectators, for whom it is a much-loved annual gathering. There are some changes, however, that regulars need to clock. There will be no ticket sales on the gate: these must be bought in advance (available up to midnight before each day). This process should speed up entry, especially for Saturday’s cross-country. For those who prefer to watch on television, the cross-country phase is no longer available on the BBC’s Red Button. Instead, there’s a new live-streaming service, Badminton TV: it costs £14.99 (before April 1), lasts for 12 months and includes archive material. A…

THE Scottish Government’s move to tighten hunting laws has been met with disappointment and anger on both sides of the argument. Pro-hunting campaigners are perplexed that new proposals ignore two key findings of the government’s own review of the Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Act 2002, published in 2016. This concluded that using a pack of hounds to flush foxes to a gun remained ‘a significant pest-control measure’ and that reducing the number of hounds would be less effective. The Scottish Greens, the SNP’s partners in government, condemn the proposed measures as ‘tinkering around the edges’ and will only support the bill if it delivers an outright ban. Current laws on hunting in Scotland dictate that a pack of hounds can be used to flush a fox to a gun. The…

Achieving the impossible An has ended in triumph with the discovery of Shackleton's lost ship, Endurance, 107 years after it sank in the treacherous Weddell Sea in Antarctica (page 52) Preventing wildfire Waitrose and Aldi are halting the sale of disposable barbecues, the use of which can cause wildfires in heathland areas in dry conditions A window on the past Arundells, Wiltshire, the beautifully presented Salisbury house once home to former Prime Minister Edward Heath, which is stuffed with treasures, re-opens this week with a series of cultural activities Marking time A new study by a Bournemouth University prehistorian suggests that Stonehenge was actually built as a calendar based on a tropical solar year of 365.25 days…