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
It looks lovely there, I do like orchards so very much.
ReplyDeleteHi CJ, it is indeed lovely there. You can see the cider orchard before entering the garden and also sit next to it whilst having your cup of tea and cake!
DeleteI love this time of year, but sadly, my lone apple tree didn't produce much this year. But there are several local orchards to visit, thankfully--with both apples and cider!
ReplyDeleteHi Rose - it's a good apple year here. I've just come away to a friends armed with a bagful of windfalls :)
Delete