Fields of oilseed rape are in full bloom right now.
Oilseed rape is not a subtle crop. Each Spring it blazes out its presence in the English countryside, briefly turning this ‘green and pleasant land’ into something far more extroverted.
I took the opportunity to capture some of its moods twice last week, near Wisley in Surrey and the village of Northchapel in West Sussex. It was interesting how the colour changed with the light, from acid yellow to something far more mellow, with a hint of amber.
The farmer of this field has sown his crop right over one of the many public rights of way that criss-cross the meadows here.
What footpath?
If you are not a fan of swathes of yellow in the countryside, you might be interested in this news item from last year, although after seeing the artist’s impression of how the future of oilseed rape farming could appear, you might feel that yellow is not so bad!
Focused Moments 
I foresee a time when artists will be consulted during planting to create pictures in the fields.
Interesting idea. 😉
LOOKS LIKE GOLD TOO!
NICE
Thank you.
I don’t mind the oilseed rape fields. You don’t see them so much in Cornwall although swathes of yellow can still be seen. The yellow of these fields however comes from the daffodils also in full bloom at the moment. Lovely photos Rachael.
Thanks. Yes, I noticed on our way down here that your daffs are still going strong. Ours have pretty much finished in Surrey.
Beautiful.. they are hard to resist aren’t they Rachael 🙂
They are indeed. Thanks, Helen.
I saw some fields like this near Salem and thought they might have been mustard, but you make me realize it could have been rapeseed or canola. The swatches of yellow are beautiful and your shots show them off nicely.
Thanks, Gunta. They are certainly a very striking sight at the moment.
Your shots of oildseed rape are stunning 😀
Thank you!
Looks absolutely stunning. Fab photos. But, how could you stand the smell? I don’t know what it is, but I absolutely loathe the smell of these flowers!
Oh, the smell’s ok right now. It’s when they start to go over that the smell gets manky.
Great shots with the yellow fields and the grey/blue sky’s
Thank you very much.
Thank you. Yellow and blue/grey is always a good colour combination.
Pingback: On Art and Self Doubt: Naked Morning | curvylou