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On a very cold day yesterday, I was able to observe some plants in and around a local car park.

Crepis vesicaria possibly to the left, bristly oxtongue to the right

another Crepis vesicaria possibly

hoary mustard (Hirschfeldia incana)

wintercress possibly, I don't see this very often so I don't know it very well

ragwort seedling rosette, catsear to the left, tiny common whitlowgrass seedlings around, forget-me-not seedlings, some tiny hairy bittercress seedlings

dandelion

common whitlowgrass

Geranium lucidum

stone parsley

creeping potentilla

bristly oxtongue

another bristly oxtongue

Crepis capillaris or autumn hawkbit

a couple I wasn't sure about

maybe evening primrose?

dandelion maybe?

mid-January

hellebore in bloom

scabious in bud and bloom

Danish scurvygrass (Cochlearia danica) rosette

buck's-horn plantain (Plantago coronopus) with tiny Danish scurvygrass and common whitlowgrass rosettes to the right and Danish scurvygrass growing through it

Frankenstein plant (dandelion and Geranium molle)

beginning of January lots of rosettes

dandelions

are these beaked hawk's-beard (Crepis vesicaria)? I worry the verge and other locations where they are will be mown down in the spring before I get to see them in bloom

shepherd's purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris) on the right, not sure on the left

another shepherds purse

bristly oxtongue (Helminthotheca echioides)

I think these next two are the same but not sure what they are, they do look like dandelions but not exactly right for dandelion

pineappleweed (Matricaria discoidea), it's made itself into a rosette but not the usual basal plant rosette but and aged weathered rosette

spear thistle

thale cress rosette

thale cress rosettes

stone parsley

dock

bristly oxtongue

Danish scurvygrass (Cochlearia danica)

I saw a lot of this locally earlier this year in bloom. Now there are lots of seedlings.

mayweed (scented or unscented)

18-11-2024 lots of rosettes on a walk yesterday

dandelions

autumn hawkbit (Scorzoneroides autumnalis)

I think this is smooth hawk's-beard but not certain at this stage.

smooth hawk's-beard (Crepis capillaris)

catsear (Hypochaeris radicata)

teasel

shepherd's purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris) in bloom

hoary mustard (Hirschfeldia incana)

and not exactly a rosette but some stone parsley (Sison amomum) new small plants, possibly overlapping rosettes

13-11-2024

poppy rosette, Cotoneaster horizontalis above, common whitlowgrass rosettes to the left

dandelion rosette with buds

close-up of the dandelion buds

another dandelion

I also saw some dandelions in bloom

shepherd's purse rosette

autumn hawkbit

I love cosmos buds

I also love rosettes. Some I saw recently:

shepherd's purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris)

autumn hawkbit (Scorzoneroides autumnalis)

dandelions (Taraxacum)

30-10-2024

I saw this Japanese knotweed in a front garden. In bloom, they seem to floweer pretty late in the season.

view of the entire plant

see more Japanese knotweed at my Japanese knotweed page.

28-10-2024

winter jasmine in flower

self-seeded foxgloves

this one took over my agapanthus pot and a water figwort joined it

this foxglove self-seeded in the pot with the poppy and is joined by lots of other plants: verbena bonariensis, foget-me-nots and more

houndstongue seedlings

I threw every houndstongue seed I found - and I found a lot - every time I came in from the garden I seemed to have some stuck to my clothes - into these pots. They seemed to take a while to do something and next thing I knew I had a pot full of seedlings - as many as I need, assuming they all grow into reasonable plants. Also primula seedlings amongst them.

houndstongue on the left, primulas on the right

Geranium molle and robertium seedlings

26-10-2024

 

18-10-2024

my visiting white cat, loving the catnip plants

Livingstone daisies, still going strong - if the sun comes out - they only open in the sun and it's rained so much recently haven't seen them every day

I bought 4 huge perennials from Plants Direct (in Roundbush near Aldenham), Lamium maculatum Roseum

Tradescantia virginiana

Stachys byzantina

Primula denticulata

Of these 4 plants 2 have the Perfect for Pollinators seal (Lamium Roseum and Stachys Lanata (synonym of byzantina)) but in researching online, both Tradescatia and Primula denticulata are mentioned as being good for pollinators so I will observe in the spring / summer if pollinators visit.

16-10-2024

another green alkanet I have which is still getting established - it didn't bloom yet, common hogweed above it, teasel to the left in the pot

finally planted some more bulbs, Urginea maritima, as recommended half the bulb above the soil and I added pebbles / grit for more drainage, I've not grown these before so not sure best methods but I'll see how they do in pots, I understand they don't like the wet so hoping the pots give a drier environment

ranunculus, which I love but have not figured out best methods, I put a layer of grit and put the (soaked) corms on top of the grit and covered with compost, I understand they need protection so if it gets very cold I can put the pots in a more protected place

I also planted 3 pots of daffodils

3 pot of crocus

Little Princess tulips (in only a few days they're been covered with the beginnings of spider webs

 

I planted the trough up with Sainsburys daffodils and topped with pansies from Plants Direct

30 daffodil bulbs for £3 is a bargain I couldn't resist

before I could plant up the trough I had to remove the self-seeders I wanted to save, water figwort and primulas

those primula seedlings potted up

the water figwort seedling potted up

11-10-2024  The speckled petunias are still going strong, amazing and I even saw a bee on one the other day.

I love green alkanet. I had one or two green alkanet blooming in a pot this year unlike my last garden where I had lots. The 2nd photo shows a large green alkanet I planted out as a seedling which I brought with me. I hope for flowers in the spring.

These are plants I have in my patio cracks (green alkanet, spear thistle, moth mullein). It's always difficult to decide if I should transplant them in hope of flowers or leave them to sort it out. I tried removing a verbena bonariensis thinking they were tough and would survive but it died. I had a moth mullein (Verbascum blattaria) bloom on the patio quite happily this year. I am sure I cannot move the green alkanet and spear thistle now so will leave them and see how they do.

4-10-2024

I love what's growing in this tray!

So many of my pots have self-seeders, it's time to repot some of them. This pot started with baptsia seedlings which don't seem to be doing well, one has died. If I want the remaining two baptisia seedlings to survive, thought I should remove the self-seedeers, esp top centre verbascum blattaria, below that fox-and-cubs and a few small primulas.

the seedlings repotted, clockwise from left, primulas, fox-and-cubs, verbascum, unknown

primula seedlings from other pots

the baptisia seedlings with lots of room now and no competition - for now, I read that baptisia dies back in winter but starts growing again in spring but not sure if the seedlings will revive but on their on in that pot will make it possible, now I just need to label

this pot is the next to tackle

and this pot of aquilegia seedlings looks like it has some primula seedlings as well

one of the great things about my new garden are all the hardy geraniums,

verbascum Arctic Summer well-established with enormous leaves

the navelwort is surviving despite being a bit crowded out by the fox-and-cubs spreading

a green alkanet seedling I brought with me and planted in the ground, getting established, hope it flowers early next spring

There was a lawn when I moved here last Dec 2023. I hadn't had a lawn for 30 years and wasn't about to again so started planting into it and letting it grow. Amongst the grass were lots of self-seeders even though it appeared to be quite a manicured lawn. I got bristly oxtongue, hawkweed oxtongue, ragwort, selfheal, speedwell, prickly sow thistle, willowherbs, smooth hawk's-beard, dandelions (Taraxacum) and what appeared to be beaked hawk's-beard (Crepis vesicaria) although it did not bloom this spring / summer. The beaked hawk's-beard I have seen are annuals (I think) so that confused me. When I am confused I observe, organise, document and photograph (and blog). I numbered each Taraxacum vs Cepis plant I have in my garden and photographed them. I had a stab at identifying them but I don't think some of my IDs were correct - I thought dandelions were hairless and Crepis hairy but I don't think that is correct. Will try to take photos of them monthly to see how they're changing. I am going to try to be patient and await developments and flowers in the spring.

1.   1-8-2024

closer view of the centre

4-8-2024

1 is on the right, 6-8-2024 (2 is on the left)

14-8-2024

18-8-2024

8-9-2024 this has changed a lot over the past month or so, looks quite tatty, from being walked on? I think this is a dandelion

10-9-2024 left to right, 2, 1, 23

12-10-2024 this went from being a magnificent rosette to pretty much destroyed, not sure why

2.   3-8-2024

2-9-2024

8-9-2024 50 cm across, doing well, unlike the one above next to it

closer views showing the hairs

14-8-2024

30-9-2024

centre

12-10-2024

centre close-up, hairy

12-11-2024

14-12-2024

3.  dandelion  23-8-2024

2-9-2024

8-9-2024 dandelion

12-10-2024 month later, enormous

12-11-2024

I was surprised to see a bud when I examined the centre, this is the first bud on the rosettes on this page

5-12-2024

14-12-2024

the first flower stem was damaged but there are at least 4 buds

4.  19-8-2024 looking Crepis-like at this point

28-8-2024

2-9-2024

8-9-2024  Crepis vesicaria ?, 60 cm across

closer view of the centre

21-9-2024

24-9-2024

30-9-2024

centre

12-10-2024 this is enormous, centre leaves looking crepis?

centre close-up

12-11-2024

centre close-up

15-12-2024

5.  14-8-2024

8-9-2024  dandelion

12-10-2024 dandelion below another plant above

12-11-2024 the dandelion is under the leaves of the larger plant above

16-12-2024

6.  14-8-2024

21-8-2024

2-9-2024

8-9-2024  Crepis vesicaria?

7-10-2024

12-10-2024

12-11-2024

15-12-2024

7.  14-8-2024

18-8-2024

21-8-2024

2-9-2024

8-9-2024  60 cm across

5-10-2024

7-10-2024

centre closer view 5-10-2024

12-10-2024

centre close-up

12-11-2024

15-12-2024

8.  1-8-2024

19-8-2024

8-9-2024  dandelion

12-10-2024

12-11-2024

15-12-2024

18-12-2024 looking at this dandelion again, I see there are two next to each other and I'm not really sure which is 8

 

9.  21-8-2024 at this point looking Crepis vesicaria-like

25-8-2024

2-9-2024

8-9-2024 just over 50 cm across

21-9-2024

24-9-2024

12-10-2024

12-11-2024

14-12-2024

10.  23-8-2024

2-9-2024

8-9-2024  dandelion 60 cm across

12-10-2024

12-11-2024

19-12-2024 looked dead above but I see it's coming back to life although the leaves are broken off and there are actually 2 rosettes there

11. and 13.  12-10-2024

12-11-2024

11.

12.  dandelion 23-8-2024

2-9-2024

8-9-2024

9-10-2024

12-10-2024 there are now a few dandelions there

12-11-2024

13.  23-8-2023 dandelion

12-11-2024

16-12-2024 I have a lot of dandelions around 11 to 13 of the numbered rosettes

14.  2-9-2024

8-9-2024  Crepis vesicaria

24-9-2024

12-10-2024

12-11-2024

14-12-2024

15.   6-8-2024

23-8-2024

2-9-2024

8-9-2024  Crepis vesicaria

30-9-2024

centre

12-10-2024

centre closer view

12-11-2024

14-12-2024

16 to 19 lots of plants close together, they didn't start out that way but as they grew got rather confused, these were two of them from the beginning of August

2-8-2024

2-8-2024

23-8-2024

23-8-2024

23-8-2024

23-8-2024

3-9-2024

24-9-2024

14-12-2024

 

16.   2-9-2024

8-9-2024  Crepis vesicaria ?

12-10-2024

I have this marked 16 or 19

17. Crepis vesicaria  17-8-2024

closer view of the centre

2-9-2024

12-10-2024

18.  2-9-2024

18-9-2024  Crepis vesicaria

12-10-2024

centre closer view

12-11-2024

15-12-2024

19.  2-9-2024

18-9-2024  Crepis vesicaria

15-12-2024

20.   dandelion  25-8-2024

2-9-2024

8-9-2024  

12-10-2024

12-11-2024

21.   25-8-2024

2-9-2024

8-9-2024

5-10-2024

centre closer view

9-10-2024

12-10-2024

centre closer view

12-11-2024

15-12-2024

22.   28-8-2024

2-9-2024

8-9-2024  Crepis vesicaria ?

5-10-2024

centre closer view

9-10-2024

12-10-2024

12-11-2024

15-12-2024

18-12-2024 I was noticing this rosette while in the garden and took a photo, although I see the photo above is very very similar

23.  8-9-2024

dandelion? very hairy  7-10-2024

12-10-2024

centre view very hairy

12-11-2024

14-12-2024

24.  dandelion  8-9-2024

12-10-2024

12-11-2024

 

25.   7-8-2024

8-9-2024  Crepis vesicaria ?

21-9-2024

5-10-2024

12-10-2024

centre closer view

12-11-2024

15-12-2024

26.  8-9-2024  dandelion

12-10-2024

12-11-2024

14-12-2024

27.  dandelion  8-9-2024

12-10-2024

18-12-2024

27A. I am calling this 27A as it seems to be a late addition and it was confusingly close to 27 and wasn't sure but not it's quite established.

15-12-2024

here are nearby rosettes, left to right, 31, 6, 7, 27A

left to right, 7, 27A, 28

28.  10-9-2024  Crepis vesicaria ?

closer view of the centre

21-9-2024

5-10-2024

centre closer view

7-10-2024

12-10-2024

centre closer view

12-11-2024

15-12-2024

29. Prickly Sowthistle (Sonchus asper)

12-11-2024

30. a late addition, just noticed it this week (first week in November), it sprang up and grew pretty quickly - after it started getting cold so I wasn't outside in the garden observing so much

closer view of the centre

12-11-2024

15-12-2024

31.  12-11-2024

15-12-2024

centre close-up

32. a very late addition, only noticed it when I was taking the Dec photos on the 15th, growing amidst the sea holly and other plants

15-12-2024

19-9-2024

hedge bedstraw

Jersey cudweed

 

As usual when I go to an RSPB reserve, the best plants are in the car park and around the entrance.

smooth hawk's-beard (Crepis capillaris)

the leaves are clearer on this photo

the flower is clearer on this photo (not that it's clear at all sadly but it was identifiable as Crepis capillaris)

more smooth hawk's-beard (Crepis capillaris) rosettes

bristly oxtongue

horseweed (Erigeron canadensis, etc) rosette

Crepis vesicaria possibly, in an area of mown grass so I don't hold out much hope it will survive and be allowed to bloom

water mint

common fleabane

thistle (slender or marsh?)

vetch

 

I saw more perennial sow thistle (Sonchus arvensis) locally yesterday. There was a butterfly on one but wasn't quick enough to take a photo.

I've struggled to photograph stone parsley (Sison amomum). It's a thin wispy plant and the flowers are tiny.

I noticed this willowherb locally with extremely long fruits. I must go back and take better photos and then hope to identify the specific willowherb species.

A new self-seeder for me: salad burnet (Sanguisorba minor), only seen it out and about, not in my own garden before. I've been watching for flowers and suddenly not only flowers but wilting ones so I missed the first flowers.

this was the salad burnet with buds a week ago, before the buds opened

Jersey cudweed

There seems to be a lot of it around here. When I first saw it in Camden and struggled to get flowers in focus (it was in the gutter) but someone saw me taking photos and removed it - so sad people can't wait to take away a wildflower if someone takes an interest.

a Jersey cudweed seedling

The honeyweed has been a great success this year. I've not grown it before but I've had lots of flowers the first year and the bees are loving it.

another view of those bees

I've had teasels in my garden for years but have only had bristly oxtongue (although seen many out and about) since I moved late last year so I now have the 2 next to each other and thought it would be interesting to compare the leaves. Bristly oxtongue (Helminthotheca echioides) left, teasel (Dipsacus fullonum) right.

closer view of the leaves

bristly oxtongue

teasel

closer view of those teasel prickles

teasels that have self-seeded around the houndstongue (now spent after blooming earlier in the summer)

bristly oxtongue closer views