Speedwell redux

Germander Speedwell (Veronica chamaedrys)

This is certainly the right time of year to think about studying speedwells! We have a plethora of them blooming in the garden at the moment, including hundreds of little Germander Speedwell plants (Veronica chamaedrys) sprinkled among the grasses in the pocket meadow. The bright blue flowers appear from March through August, and are widespread throughout the UK. That white centre to the bloom is distinctive, and gives the plant some of its other common names, including Cat's-eye and Bird's-eye. The flower is bigger than those of the other speedwells I've profiled so far (Thyme-leaved Speedwell and Ivy-leaved Speedwell), measuring a whopping 9-10 cm across (about half an inch). They grow in spikes, like the one visible behind the central flower in the picture above, with the blossoms slowly fading to purple as they age. The plants are perennial, growing in grassland (including lawns), woodland and along roadsides. They were long considered to be a good luck charm for travelers – said to help you "speed well" – possibly because they formed large clumps along the grassy edges of highways and byways. The Irish even sewed them into clothes, reputedly to protect against accidents! The flowers are important sources of nectar for solitary bees, so are certainly welcome in our garden.

How could we even dream of mowing this?!