Blogs

There's a patch of annual wall rocket (Diplotaxis muralis) I see locally which I struggle to photograph clearly, especially without the dog poop. There's not much green around there so this tree pit seems to be a favourite for dogs.

I wish I had a clear photo of a wall rocket rosette to add to my Rosettes page. I've had to blank out the dog poop in the photo above.

My auriculas are not behaving very well - they should be specimen blooms but they're sprawling with lots and lots of flowers!

the lack of rain has been heart-breaking, rough hawk's-beard (Crepis vesicaria) struggling to grow in difficult conditions

this was it back on 18-3-2021

and a week or so later with visible buds

close-up of those buds

some other previously dandelion-looking Crepis vesicarias

this photo was taken back in March and I thought it looked rather dandelion-like but was advised it was indeed Crepis vesicaria, as shown above, it is indeed Crepis vesicaria

she likes to poop in my pots

I do have a lot of pots in the garden. The sunniest side of the garden is the patio so to grow anything there, it has to be in a pot

annoyingly, I cannot find one of my pots, did a fox carry it off? I went next door and looked but couldn't find it, it's like a bad dream

Tulip whittallii with the muscari latifolium

I am loving the muscari latifolium

these muscari latifolium have been great this year

my first anemone in bloom

Victor and Rocky

snakeshead fritillary

green alkanet, one of my favourite flowers in the garden

forget-me-not

polyanthus

red deadnettle

I am loving the muscari latifolium. I love those tightly packed buds.

I welcome dandelions now in the garden for bees and any other insects that need them.

things are happening in the garden - but slowly - it's cold still

Scarecrow

hyacinths and bergenia

Rocky and Socky with my rhubarb forcers

the sea hollies are growing, two of them anyway, I did have more but these are the only two that are still there it seems

lupins, amazing the slugs haven't gotten to them yet

Veronica longifolia new growth. I love veronica, especially those fancy veronica spicata cultivars like Royal Candles but they don't last long and they're expensive whereas this bog-standard veronica longifolia seems as tough as old boots, self-seeds and gives me satisfying (if not exciting) veronica flowers, liked by bees.

Monarda Cambridge Scarlet, small plants last year from Peter Nyssen which bloomed well. I don't know if these are the plants or seedlings but at least something survived from last year. So many plants do not.

I've bought a number of nepeta small plants from Peter Nyssen the last few years and they seem to be surviving. Didn't stop me buying a few more (different cultivar) due to be delivered soon. Cats love it, bees love it, I love it.

centaurea dealbata, a plant I bought last year

close-up of that little rosette in the photo above, is it a young centaurea dealbata or something else?

Another unknown plant I have. It looks similar to delphinium but I don't think it's that. I've seen it in previous years but it never survived.

I grew valerian from seed a few years ago. Only got 3 plants surviving. They've survived the winter. I hope to see flowers this year and fewer caterpillers destroying them.

red / corn / field poppy rosettes

With Covid lockdown I'm only able to walk around my local area which I did before anyway but now I really haven't been able to go anywhere else, even occasionally. My walks have yeilded some new plants I hadn't seen before and some new insights on old acquantainces.

My latest new plant is common whitlowgrass (Erophila verna) which I discovered at a location I don't walk to very often as it's 45 mins away but with fewer and fewer plants to see, I was interested in those tiny tiny rosettes the first time I saw them and have been back regularly since to catch them in flower. 

I can't stop taking photos of hedge mustard, so beautiful in its geometric perfection.

sheperd's-purse, so variable but also geometric perfection

eastern rocket, first I've seen this year but lots on this stretch of pavement, hairy bittercress growing through it

hairy bittercress on the left and thale cress on the right

10 days later, the thale cress has sprouted its distinctive hairy stem in the centre

thale cress initial basal rosettes - they are tiny

thale cress rosette with buds just appearing in the middle

thale cress rosette with the centre stem with buds just growing out of the rosette

shepherd's-purse is so variable, leaves below so unlike rosette above (2nd photo)

nipplewort

an update on the swine cress I photographed recently, it now has buds

wall lettuce

bristly oxtongue

it's worth noting that green alkanet can have spots / blisters on the leaves, creeping buttercup underneath

It doesn't take long on my walks to get in view of the Post Office Tower

Post Office Tower in the distance, beyond the railway line

this one stretch of pavement nearby had a lot of wildflowers

unlike so many hairy bittercress I see, all these were in bloom

close-up view of some of the hairy bittercress flowers

there is a chickweed on the left, hairy bittercress on the right

hedge mustard rosette

buck's-horn plantain

swine cress or lesser swine cress, awaiting flowers and then fruits to confirm identification

I'm not absolutely certain if this is petty or sun spruge, must go back and take better photos

bristly oxtongue

yarrow - correction - I think it's swine cress, see latest photo of it above

hawkweed oxtongue nearby

horseweed (and vinca?) on the left, smooth sow thistle on the right, small bubbleja seedlings on the right growing in a nearby wall

hedge mustard rosette right and horseweed on the left growing in the wall

I torture myself by observing and photographing rosettes (in a local park) which are often dug up or mown down before I get to see them identified. I still hope I can see them to flowering one day. (Don't let anyone see me photograph them or take an interest - sure fire way for the weedkiller / mower to come out)

this might be Crepis vesicaria?

this might be Crepis vesicaria?

some possible Crepis vesicaria, top right shepherd's purse?

shepherd's purse?

I love this patch of ground, so green and abundant - until they mow all the wildflowers down, huge dandelion, cat's-ear, possibly crepis vesicaria top right

smooth sow thistle, cat's-ear and crepis vesicaria?

hedge mustard rosette

smooth sow thistle rosettes