April 20 -May 04

Gu yu is the last solar term of spring & marks the beginning of warmer temperatures and the onset of the rainy season, marking the time when rainfall becomes sufficient to nourish crops, allowing growth to take root and develop more fully. It is therefore an important period for farmers to ensure a satisfactory harvest for the rest of the year.

China

• First pentad: 萍始生, ‘Duckweed begins to sprout’.
• Second pentad: 鳴鳩拂其羽, ‘Cuckoo shakes off wings’.
• Last pentad: 戴勝降于桑, ‘Hoopoe perches in mulberry trees’.

Japan.

• First pentad: Ashi hajimete shōzu (葭始生), ‘Reed begins to bud’.
• Second pentad: Shimo yamite nae izuru (霜止出苗), ‘Frost ends and rice seedlings grow’
• Last pentad: Botan hanasaku (牡丹華), ‘Peony blooms’.

Uk
Llygad Ebrill April’s eye – the celandine pops open

Bluebells blanket the woods

May Day Gorse crowns