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'll be over the moon if I discover this product in my local garden centre VP.
ReplyDeleteAnna - I found them at a garden centre by my BIL's on the outskirts of Leeds, so they are to be found up your way.
ReplyDeleteThe bedding planets are one thing, but I'm not too sure about the fuscias - sounds as though they think you can grow bits of chipboard to attach to the front of your house ::)
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