Wildflowers

[Bryn]

Yes I know they're not wildflowers but this was the closest I could get to an appropriate slot...
I read this with interest https://www.theguardian.com/commenti...oulds-darkness and then followed the slime mould link and got transfixed https://www.barrywebbimages.co.uk/Im...s-Myxomycetes/

https://pictures.abebooks.com/isbn/9781783786855-uk.jpg

and

https://hive.dmmserver.com/media/640/97817847/9781784708276.jpg

are both well worth reading, especially the latter. Merlin appears to be far more down to earth than his father, though there can b no doubt that Rupert provided a great environment in which Merlin was able to develop his deep involvement with nature.

[oddoneout]

https://pictures.abebooks.com/isbn/9781783786855-uk.jpg
and

https://hive.dmmserver.com/media/640/97817847/9781784708276.jpg

are both well worth reading, especially the latter. Merlin appears to be far more down to earth than his father, though there can b no doubt that Rupert provided a great environment in which Merlin was able to develop his deep involvement with nature.

Thanks for that Bryn. I'm pretty certain I've seen the first of those books in the library so I'll make a note of both for when it opens again.

[french frank]

Hadn't been on the Common for a few days - no wildflowers that I could see, only specially planted narcissus and crocus. This afternoon with the sun out, temperature 14ºC, the first few sightings. Nothing exciting yet, but still good to see them: common daisy (bellis perennis), dandelion (taraxacum officinale), red deadnettle (lamium purpureum) and, 'Down in a deep dark ditch', a patch of lesser celandines (ficaria verna). Wolcom spring!

[gradus]

Wolcom indeed, the wild primroses are flowering on the sides of ditches and other places that suit them.

[french frank]

Wolcom indeed, the wild primroses are flowering on the sides of ditches and other places that suit them.

Interesting that the Common, being right in the middle of a city, mainly has "weeds" though a few unusual ones. But no primroses, violets, cowslips and, as mentioned last year, only one tiny patch of red clover. But weeds matter too! And they all herald the coming of spring.

[cloughie]

Wolcom indeed, the wild primroses are flowering on the sides of ditches and other places that suit them.

Primroses and verges bursting into life - must check out the wild garlic!

[gradus]

Wild garlic imminent, ditto bluebells. We also get loads of three-sided wild onion plants in the garden with their pretty white flowers.

[Serial_Apologist]

Interesting that the Common, being right in the middle of a city, mainly has "weeds" though a few unusual ones. But no primroses, violets, cowslips and, as mentioned last year, only one tiny patch of red clover. But weeds matter too! And they all herald the coming of spring.

One of our lecturers mentioned a saying to the effect that a weed is defined as the right plant in the wrong place.

[smittims]

My father said, 'pull them all up , and the ones that grow again are weeds.'

I had to plead with my builder not to dig up a beloved sycamore tree. 'That is classed as a weed!' he pronounced. It's still there, the haunt of sparrows and pigeons.

[cloughie]

My father said, 'pull them all up , and the ones that grow again are weeds.'

I had to plead with my builder not to dig up a beloved sycamore tree. 'That is classed as a weed!' he pronounced. It's still there, the haunt of sparrows and pigeons.

The problem with sycamores is the autumnal dropping of keys - however many are collected and disposed of there seems to be a large number which come spring have seeded themselves in the lawn or any bit of available soil in the garden. The offending trees aren’t even mine but two doors away.

[french frank]

Wild garlic imminent, ditto bluebells. We also get loads of three-sided wild onion plants in the garden with their pretty white flowers.

Yep, saw my first allium triquetrum (or three-cornered leek/onion/garlic) this morning, and declined to get into an online debate on ramsons, rewilding v. invasive species. I do try to keep my small colony of native bluebells protected from garden bluebells for nostalgic reasons; and also hold the view that human beings are an invasive species - but where would that lead?

This morning's collection also included a butterbur/petasites, don't think it can be the winter heliotrope rather than the ordinary butterbur because there's a huge patch of leaves but the flowers have only just started appearing whereas they would be dying out by March. OTOH petasites hybridus flowers appear before leaves??? Petasites pyrenaicus?
Some confusion over names here, but this blog may help sort them out.

Also plenty of prunus spinosa, the blackthorn.

[gradus]

Yep, saw my first allium triquetrum (or three-cornered leek/onion/garlic) this morning, and declined to get into an online debate on ramsons, rewilding v. invasive species. I do try to keep my small colony of native bluebells protected from garden bluebells for nostalgic reasons; and also hold the view that human beings are an invasive species - but where would that lead?

This morning's collection also included a butterbur/petasites, don't think it can be the winter heliotrope rather than the ordinary butterbur because there's a huge patch of leaves but the flowers have only just started appearing whereas they would be dying out by March. OTOH petasites hybridus flowers appear before leaves??? Petasites pyrenaicus?
Some confusion over names here, but this blog may help sort them out.

Also plenty of prunus spinosa, the blackthorn.

Thanks for posting the blog, very informative and essential for someone like me who is poorly aware of the wild plants around me.

[oddoneout]

Yep, saw my first allium triquetrum (or three-cornered leek/onion/garlic) this morning, and declined to get into an online debate on ramsons, rewilding v. invasive species. I do try to keep my small colony of native bluebells protected from garden bluebells for nostalgic reasons; and also hold the view that human beings are an invasive species - but where would that lead?

This morning's collection also included a butterbur/petasites, don't think it can be the winter heliotrope rather than the ordinary butterbur because there's a huge patch of leaves but the flowers have only just started appearing whereas they would be dying out by March. OTOH petasites hybridus flowers appear before leaves??? Petasites pyrenaicus?
Some confusion over names here, but this blog may help sort them out.

Also plenty of prunus spinosa, the blackthorn.

The winter heliotrope at work has only had a very few, late, spikes of flowers and the leaves came through earlier than usual. It is free from risk of hybridising, and I'm wonder if the anomaly is the result of the excessive heat and drought last season, which didn't suit it; not all bad as it is horrendously invasive and gets into places where it causes problems, so a knock to its vigour is welcome.

[french frank]

The winter heliotrope at work has only had a very few, late, spikes of flowers and the leaves came through earlier than usual. It is free from risk of hybridising, and I'm wonder if the anomaly is the result of the excessive heat and drought last season, which didn't suit it; not all bad as it is horrendously invasive and gets into places where it causes problems, so a knock to its vigour is welcome.

Just going up to photograph again and consult a second app. This one is certainly invasive - its leaves are everywhere in that corner, but only about three flower spikes.

[french frank]

The wildlife pond had a good display of what, as children, we called 'kingcups'. I wondered if these were marsh marigolds and - what a surprise! - kingcups are marsh marigolds, Caltha palustris, a buttercup cousin of the lesser celandine and nearly as prolific in the marshier areas.