We’ve been worrying that our ash trees, which give character as well as protection to the garden, might be afflicted with Hymenoscythus fraxineus, otherwise known ash dieback, which is causing the death of ash trees all over Europe, first spotted in the UK in 2012.
But I have been told that it may be merely that they’re late, following what is apparently an old country saying:-
Oak before ash, we’re in for a splash,
Ash before oak, we’re in for a soak
I know nothing of these things:-
| Charles | Saumarez | Smith | 
Here too our ash is v late – hard to tell if they’re ill without leaves – look for dark spots on bark that ‘weep’, even then sometimes they recover. Mysteriously some have robust qualities in defeating the disease.
Happy Easter to you and Romilly & love,
Daphne
And to you both ! Charles