That blue flower: A spring spotter's guide
Spring is a prime time for blue flowers and my daily walks currently have several from the same plant family* lining the local footpaths. As I walked past the Donkey Field the other day, I overheard some children ask their parents** what the pictured blue flower was. It reminded me it's often mistaken for those other familial blues and this time was no different, as they said it was forget-me-not, instead of the green alkanet it actually is. As well as similar flowers, most of these plants are hairy in their nature, flower around the same time, and favour damp, shady places. Many of them are great for pollinators too, especially bees and this week's warm weather has certainly drawn them to these flowers. This makes it even more likely for these plants to be mistaken for each other and it's a great opportunity for me to put together a spotter's guide in case you find the same flowers on your outings. Staying with green alkanet, the key features which set it
The tulips are such a lovely colour, VP. Do you keep them in the pot year-round? Are they multiplying or do you have the same number every year?
ReplyDeleteHi YEGTG - Yes I keep them in the pot alll year (though most 'experts' recommend you dig them up and store them each year) and I get the same number of blooms each year.
ReplyDeleteI have no tulips in my garden this year, I gave them a miss, although I miss them already! x
ReplyDeleteHi Louise,
ReplyDeleteIt's taken me a while to appreciate Tulips, but now I love them. I'm a bit lazy with looking after them though. I suspect you might have some next year?