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
I grow sedums and sempervivums on a lid over the pond filter and each year the birds trash them.
ReplyDeleteOh, that's a shame :-(
Deletegreat picture, I've always wanted a green roof. I've recently been adding some of these to old pots in the garden and on the wall near the house. Less watering and need to keep adding bedding plants every year. Morrisons £1 a pot, bargain
ReplyDeleteGreat idea Amanda. I hope to add a green roof to a bird table that needs a repair
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