Hairy

Hairy Tare (Vicia hirsuta)

After six years, we're finally starting to see the beginnings of a real wildflower grassland on one edge of our pocket meadow; prior to this year, it was mostly rank grass. But now, a tangle of Common Vetch, Cowslips, Perforate Saint-John's-wort, Common and Greater knapweeds, Fiddledock and Bird's-foot-trefoil is spreading through the grasses on one side of our pond, and the other day, we found a few Hairy Tare (Vicia hirsuta) plants in their midst. These were twining their way up grass stems, their little purplish-white flowers eye-catching among the green. As you may be able to tell from the picture above, Hairy Tare is a legume – a member of the pea family. The "hairy" in its common name is a nod to the downy hairs that cover its seed pods. These help to distinguish it from Smooth and Slender tares, both of which have hairless pods. Hairy Tare is an annual, germinating in the autumn and flowering (and fruiting) from May to August of the following year. Native to Europe and western Asia, it has been deliberately introduced elsewhere, primarily as a cover crop or green manure. It's common in rough grassland, dry grassy areas and roadside verges throughout most of Britain, though missing from the northernmost reaches of Scotland. Hopefully, it will successfully set seed and continue in our pocket meadow!

California dreaming

Californian Yellow-eyed-grass (Sisyrinchium californicum)

When we moved in, there were a few small clumps of Californian Yellow-eyed-grass (Sisyrinchium californicum) growing along the edges of the pavement near the front door. These low, grass-like clumps have spread over the years, and now their starry little yellow flowers are sprinkled amongst the nearby paving slabs as well. As its name suggests, this is an introduced species; it's native to the western United States, and was first brought to the UK in 1796. Though perennial, it's short-lived. Fortunately, it spreads easily, both through underground rhizomes and through abundant, small, black seeds. Flowers bloom primarily from May through June (and in smaller numbers through the summer), hosting a nice mix of pollinators before closing around midday each day. The plant generally grows in wetlands and moist grasslands, so it's a bit surprising that it does as well as it does near the house. However, given that it evolved in a region with wet winters and cool summers with abundant cloud and fog, our typical Norfolk weather must suit it perfectly!

Very vetching

Common Vetch (Vicia sativa)

It's been a rather late spring on our cool, windy hill this year, but things are finally starting to really grow. And as we inch towards summer, Common Vetch (Vicia sativa) is one of the flowers beginning to make an appearance. It's rambling through some of the taller grasses in the pocket meadow and on the bank, its leafy tendrils coiling around the grass stems. As a legume (that is, a member of the pea family), it has a hidden superpower; it's capable of fixing its own nitrogen. That atmospheric element, which is vital for healthy plant growth, is out of reach for most plants. Legumes, on the other hand, contain bacteria in their roots which can convert nitrogen into nitrates, which help the plants to grow. And those nitrates become available to other plants when the legumes eventually die. Because of their nitrogen-fixing ability, legumes are often grown as "fertilizer factories", and Common Vetch was, for many years, one of the species used in agricultural crop rotation. Now, it's widespread across lowland Britain, preferring dry and sandy soils in grassland, farmland, waste areas and along the coast. The flowers are visited primarily by bumblebees, making them very welcome in our garden.

Bristly Oxtongue

Bristly Oxtongue (Helminthotheca echioides)

In a few of the rougher corners of the garden, Bristly Oxtongue (Helminthotheca echioides) plants have begun to open their yellow flowers to the sun. While these look very like the flowers of a dandelion, the plants themselves look totally different. For one thing, they're quite tall (stretching up to almost a metre/yard high) and roundly bushy, with multiple stems and dozens of flowerheads per plant. For another, they're incredibly bristly, as you can see in the picture above. Stiff bristles march up all sides of the plant's stems. The leaves are covered with whitish, blister-like bumps, with bristles arising from each bump. The phyllaries – the bracts which surround the flowerhead, holding it together as it develops and supporting it once it's open – are also bristly. And very large. Those large, bristly phyllaries make the Bristly Oxtongue easy to distinguish from other superficially similar plants. Like all Asteraceae (members of the daisy family), its "flower" is actually a flowerhead made up of dozens of tiny flowers. These bloom from June through November across lowland England, particularly near the coast. Native to the western Mediterranean, the plant was introduced to the UK many centuries ago, and has also spread (generally by accident) throughout much of the rest of the world as well. It likes rough grassy areas, field edges, streamsides and "waste places"; I'm not sure what that latter says about our garden!

Bindweed

Field Bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis)

We haven't yet tackled the "weeds" growing at one end of the bank that runs along an edge of our property. At this time of year, the twining tendrils and lovely pink flowers of Field Bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis) crisscross the lush mound. They coil their way through the grasses and docks and Mugwort, occasionally even stretching up into the lowest branches of a few of the nearby shrubs, decorating them all with a plethora of small, sweetly-smelling blossoms. Insects – particularly hoverflies – absolutely love them. The delicate pink and/or white flowers generally appear from June through August. While this scrambling perennial can sometimes be a bit of an invasive problem (particularly outside of its native range in Europe and Asia), we're not having problems with it here. Though generally most common on waste ground, rough grassland, scrub and disturbed areas (such as roadsides), it can sometimes be problematic in agricultural fields. It's widespread throughout much of the UK, though much less common in northern Scotland. Its seeds can number more than 500 per plant and can survive for upwards of 20 years! The plants put down very deep roots – up to 9 feet (nearly 3 metres), and exceptionally up to 30 feet (9+ metres) deep, which makes them very difficult to remove. I guess it's a good thing they haven't gotten out of control (yet anyway) in our garden.

Medic(k)

Black Medick (Medicago lupulina)

As this summer has progressed, we've discovered lots of Black Medick (Medicago lupulina) growing along the paths at the bottom of the garden. This low-growing annual (occasionally a short-lived perennial) prefers sunny locations and low-mown or grazed areas. It's widespread across the UK, and across much of Europe and Asia as well. Our walkways are the only bits of the garden that really suit it; the grass is just too tall elsewhere. The species is part of the pea family, so its yellow flowers have the classic pea flower shape – just on a miniscule scale.  The yellow flowers measure a mere 2-3 mm (about 1/8 of an inch)! They're clustered in eye-catching balls of several dozen blossoms, nicely framed by trefoil leaves that have a distinct point at the tip. As they develop, the plant's circular seeds change from green to black. Black Medick typically flowers from mid-spring through mid-summer, but like everything else, it seems to be running late this year; we're still seeing plenty of flowers even though we've now reached "late summer". The plant has been used since the 15th century as a low-grade forage crop on drier soils. Members of the pea family are famous for their ability to fix nitrogen (pulling it from the air and adding it, eventually, to the soil), which is helpful to other plants as well. That said, we probably get so much fertilizer drift from the surrounding farm fields that nitrogen fixing isn't really needed here! The flowers attract a variety of insects, including bees, day-flying moths and butterflies, which make them a welcome addition to the garden. 

Pimpernel

Scarlet Pimpernel (Anagalis arvensis)

They seek him here

They seek him there

Those Frenchies seek him everywhere

Is he in heaven or in hell

The demned elusive Pimpernel

Once upon a time, while reading The Scarlet Pimpernel as a youngster in America, I dreamed of seeing the namesake plant that the hero wore as his identifying badge while rescuing people from the French Revolution. Fast forward more decades than I care to admit, and my wish was granted. Not only that, but now we even have it growing wild in the garden! This annual arable weed, which blooms from May through October, was once common in fields of cereal crops. Unfortunately, it has declined significantly due to intensive farming practices, including the heavy use of herbicides. However, it's still common and widespread across much of the UK, particularly south of the Scottish border. It occurs around the margins of farm fields, along roadways and cliff edges, on chalk downlands and waste ground, and in gardens. Though generally a low, sprawling plant with trailing stems, it can grow up to 30 cm (about a foot) high. As its common name suggests, its five-petalled flowers are usually red, but the occasional plant has blue flowers instead. They open around 8 a.m. and typically close by around 3 p.m., a habit which has led to one of the plant's many folk names: Shepherd's Clock. It also closes its flowers on overcast days, leading to other folk names: Shepherd's Weatherglass and Old Man's Weathervane. The leaves are oval and stalkless. Originally found across Europe, this little plant has now been spread around much of the world, both intentionally as an ornamental and unintentionally as a minor arable weed. It is still used medicinally in India, as it once was in Europe, and is still sometimes eaten in salads.

Horehound

Black Horehound (Ballota nigra)

The Black Horehound (Ballota nigra) in the garden is currently in full flower, drawing loads of insect pollinators to its many blossoms. As you may be able to tell from the flowers, this is a member of the Lamiaceae – or mint – family. This bushy perennial is a favourite of bees, particularly bumblebees. Its pinky-purple flowers are arranged in eye-catching whorls around the plant's stems, and the hairy, green, tooth-edged leaves can be either oval or heart-shaped. The rough, square-sided stems can reach 4 feet in height. Once flowering is done, the leaves often go black: hence the "black" in the plant's common name. It's quite a pungent plant, particularly if the leaves or stems are crushed; many people (including us!) find its strong scent unpleasant. Common across England and parts of Wales, it's scarcer north and west. Elsewhere it's native to Europe, Asia and northern Africa, and has been introduced to the eastern US, Argentina and New Zealand. The plant has long been used medicinally, to treat things including nausea, spasms, coughs and intestinal parasites. Given that it blooms from June until September, we – and the bees – have many more weeks to enjoys its myriad little blossoms.

Orchid

Common Spotted Orchid (Dactylorhiza fuchsii)

One of the surprises that awaited us when we stopped mowing the bank along one edge of the property was the unexpected appearance of several spikes of Common Spotted Orchid (Dactylorhiza fuchsii). It's well-named, considering this is Britain's most common orchid species; it's missing from the Scottish highlands, but is widespread in suitable habitat elsewhere. Though it prefers chalky soil, this perennial will grow in any alkaline soil. It particularly likes damp grasslands (parts of our garden probably qualify there), scrub, fens, and open woodland, though less salubrious locations, such as railway embankments and spoil tips (i.e. where mine pilings are dumped) are also tolerated. It blooms from June through August, sometimes rising as high as 2 feet (60 cm), with the blossoms on the spikes opening over the course of a week or so from bottom to top. Flowers on different spikes range from white to varying shades of pink, with darker spots and stripes marking the lower three lobes. The lance-like leaves too are often spotted with purple. Bumblebees love it (they kept photobombing my attempts to get pictures) and longhorn beetles are also reputed pollinators. We've found, over time, that not every spike comes up every year, but hopefully, we'll continue to get at least one annually going forward.

And tail of the dog

Crested Dog's-tail (Cynosurus cristatus)

Last week, I introduced you to Smaller Cat's-tail (Phleum bertolonii), one of the grasses currently flowering in our pocket meadow. Today, I'm featuring the canine equivalent (ha ha), the Crested Dog's-tail (Cynosurus cristatus). This lovely, short-lived perennial grows in rich lowland grasslands across much of the British Isles. We had only one small patch the first year we let our meadow grow, but it has since spread to several other corners of the grassy patch. It tolerates a variety of soil types, but doesn't like to be waterlogged, so our rather porous soil suits it just fine. Each plant forms a low, compact tuft of hairless, flat leaves which are narrow and somewhat stiff. The panicles (a fancy botanical word for a flower spike with branches) are flat on two sides with flowers radiating out in a flat plane in two directions. I'm not sure why somebody thought that looked like a dog's tail, but there you go! The plant is native to Europe and southwestern Asia, but has been widely introduced elsewhere in the world. In Europe, it is sometimes used as sheep fodder, while in North America, it is typically used for revegetation projects or as an ornamental. It serves as the host plant for the caterpillars of several species of butterfly in the browns and skippers families – reason enough to appreciate its presence in the garden.

Bumblebee magnet

Giant Viper's-bugloss (Echium pininana)

Among the plants flowering in the garden at the moment are a trio of Giant Viper's-bugloss (Echium pininana). I say "at the moment", but in reality, they've all been blooming for well over a month now, slowly thrusting upwards as row upon row upon row of blossoms open. The tallest plant now stretches nearly 14 feet (more than 4 metres) skywards! The thousands of individual flowers attract hordes of bumblebees. Hoverflies find them equally irresistible. The plant is a biennial, sprouting up about 3 feet (a metre) in the first year with lots of hairy lance-shaped leaves, and developing its prodigious flower spike the second. It will die at the end of the summer, but hopefully by then it will have produced masses of seed which we can plant elsewhere in the garden, and share with other gardening friends. It's toxic to horses, so definitely one you don't want to plant near pastures. Apparently, it doesn't do human digestive tracts much good either, causing stomach upset if eaten. These drought-tolerant giants are native to the Canary Islands. They're not really hardy (it's recommended that they be protected from frost) so it's pretty amazing that all three survived our heavy snows and weeks of sub-freezing temperatures this past winter, considering we did nothing to help them along.

White clover

White Clover (Trifolium repens)

The paths through the garden are currently awash in White Clover (Trifolium repens) blooms. These probably rank among the best-known flowers in the Northern Hemisphere; even people who know little about wildlife are often familiar with them. Bumblebees absolutely love them, crawling from one flower to the next, working their way all around one head before moving on to the next. We can't bring ourselves to mow the paths while they're attracting so much "passing trade"! (See below.) In the UK, it is pretty much ubiquitous in grassland areas (including lawns), though it doesn't grow well in shade or among taller grasses. Because it's tolerant of trampling, heavy grazing, drought, and frequent mowing, it's often added to informal lawn mixes and pastures. Native throughout Europe and east to central Asia, this low-growing perennial has been introduced to North America, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and Japan, and is widely grown as a forage crop elsewhere. It is said to be the temperate zone's most imporant forage legume. Like most legumes, it contains nitrogen-fixing bacteria, which allow it to pull nitrogen from the atmosphere; when the plant dies, its stored nitrogen is released into the soil, thus helping to enrich it. Humans have used the plant as "emergency rations" for centuries. In India, it is used to treat intestinal worms. And, of course, carefully scanning the many sprawling patches stretched across the garden paths may yield a "lucky" four-leafed clover!

Flowers slowly go pinkish or creamy as they age.

Tail of the cat

Smaller Cat's-tail (Phleum bertolonii)

Many of the grasses in our pocket meadow are currently flowering (to the dismay of those who suffer from hayfever, I'm sure) or getting ready to flower, including a little stand of Smaller Cat's-tail (Phleum bertolonii) along the edge of one of the paths. This perennial grass is typically found in more mature grasslands, such as old pastures, downs, and old meadows, though it can also be found along roadsides and in waste places. It occurs throughout much of the UK, though not in the far north and only patchily in Northern Ireland. Its tight cylindrical flower heads, which are seen from June through July, are distinctive. These resemble the flower heads of Timothy (Phleum pratense) but are smaller, maxing out at 6 cm (about 2-1/4 inches). Most of ours measure considerably less. The flower spikes rise from a tuft of pale grey-green leaves, which are hairless and flat. The larvae of several small species of moth, including the Red-brindled Dwarf (Elachista rufocinerea), which we haven't yet recorded in the garden, feed on its leaves. It's a bit more "well-behaved" than some of the bigger, more aggressive grass species with which it shares the meadow, so here's hoping it maintains – or maybe even expands – its toehold!

Ribwort

Ribwort Plantain (Plantago lanceolata)

Out in the pocket meadow and along the edges of the driveway, the Ribwort Plantains (Plantago lanceolata) are in full bloom. To me, it always looks like the central spikes are wearing frilly little ballerina tutus. The flowerheads sit atop long, thin stems which can be half a meter (20" or so) tall, though most – particularly in regularly mowed areas – are considerably shorter. These rise from a rosette of strongly ribbed, spear-shaped leaves, which are quite distinctive once you've learned what they look like. It's a common perennial plant in grassland  and meadows (including lawns and pastures), along field edges, on dunes, riverbanks, roadsides, tracks, and various other disturbed "waste places", on all but the most highly acidic soils. It blooms from April through August, and each flowerhead can produce upwards of 200 seeds, which remain in the heads. These provide an important food source for seed-eating birds in the winter. The plant also serves as the host for the larvae of several small species of moths, some of which we've recorded for the garden. Native to Eurasia, it's widespread right across the British Isles, and has been widely introduced (intentionally or otherwise) to much of the temperate world. As befits a widespread native, it has long been used for herbal teas and herbal remedies in Europe, used to staunch bleeding and to treat various digestive and skin disorders. Parts of the plant can also be used to make brown and gold dyes. I look forward to watching the local Eurasian Goldfinches and European Greenfinches riding the seedheads to the ground in order to nibble their contents later in the year.

Smokin'

Common Fumitory (Fumaria officinalis)

Along one edge of our property, we have the remnants of a huge pile of woodchips left after a long row of Leylandii cypress trees were felled some years ago (before we lived here). When we rented the place, back before we stumped up the cash to buy it, our landlord repeatedly promised to remove said chips, but he never quite got around to it. As a result, this has remained one of the wilder corners of the garden, covered with a burgeoning jungle of thistles, nettles, dock plants, and a few scattered flowering gems. Among the latter is a sizeable colony of Common Fumitory (Fumaria officinalis), which is slowly expanding along a bank of nettle. It's a common annual weed of disturbed and cultivated ground across Britain, flowering from April to October. In fact, it's the most common fumitory in all of central and western Europe! It has also naturalised itself across parts of North America, escaping from garden plantings. Perhaps surprisingly, it's not a true British native; it's thought to have been brought to the islands by Neolithic settlers. It has been used as a medicinal plant since antiquity, used to treat everything from digestive issues and conjunctivitis to arthritis and skin blemishes. It's actually a member of the poppy family, despite its very different appearance. The name fumitory refers to the supposedly "smoky" appearance of either the flowers or the foliage, depending on which source you believe. Neither looks particularly smoky to me, but other species have greyer foliage and much paler flowers, so perhaps the group is named for them instead.

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?!

Speedwell no. 2

Thyme-leaved Speedwell (Veronica seryllifolia)

Right now, the low(ish) turf in the back garden is a carpet of little Thyme-leaved Speedwell blossoms. The white flowers with their lilac veins stand atop upright stems, but they're only 10 cm (3–4 inches), so they wink among the equally tall grass. Rumour has it that the plant can reach 25 cm (about 10 inches) tall; presumably ours don't only because the grass gets cut occasionally. The flowers themselves are tiny, only measuring 6 mm (less than a quarter inch). This native perennial is widespread right across the UK, and is equally common elsewhere in the Northern Hemisphere. It's also been widely introduced elsewhere, and is now found on every continent except Antarctica. It generally prefers in grassy or disturbed places and is particularly common in lawns, churchyards,  and forest rides, but is also found on lakeshores and scree slopes. It forms creeping mats, flowering from March until October, so we'll have plenty of time to enjoy them.

Crane's-bill

Dove's-foot Crane's-bill (Geranium molle)

Right now, parts of the back garden are covered with a carpet of little pink flowers surrounded by their (only slightly larger) plate-like leaves. They're the cheery blossoms of Dove's-foot Crane's-bill, one of Britain's native Geraniums. As you can see in the picture above, it's a rather hairy plant, wearing a thick, bristly coat on leaves and stems. It's named for its pointy-tipped fruits, which resemble the long, sharp beaks of cranes; these spray their seeds explosively in all directions when they're ripe. The flowers measure a mere 6–10 cm (roughly 1/4 to 1/2 inch) across. The notched petals are typically this lovely pink, though occasionally you can find a more washed-out version. The leaves are roundish, with 7–9 broad lobes. Though more common in the south, it's found right across the whole of the UK, except for Scotland's highest peaks. It's often found in cultivated areas, short grass communities and "waste places" (a joke between Mike and me, because when we met, my garden was full of what my wildflower field guide labelled "weeds of waste places"). Given that they flower from April through September, we should be enjoying their splashes of colour for months to come.

Speedwell

Ivy-leaved Speedwell  (Veronica hederifolia)

Dotted liberally throughout the lawn at the moment are the small, hairy leaves and tiny purplish-blue flowers of Ivy-leaved Speedwell (Veronica hederifolia). It's a persistent little annual, typically making its first appearance sometime in March, and flowering right through to the end of the summer. A low, sprawling plant, it often forms low mats and seldom reaches heights of more than a few inches. It particularly likes well-drained soil and full sun, so it's finding many more favourable sites in the garden, now that we've lost a few of our large trees. Native to Eurasia, it's common right across Britain on cultivated and disturbed ground (including pathways and roadsides). As a common weed of agricultural fields, it has been widely introduced elsewhere around the world. The flowers are tiny – a mere 2-4 mm (considerably less than 1/4-inch) wide – so they attract only the smallest pollinators. The fruits, when they develop later in the year, are little four-chambered pods. They're not much to look at in the "showy" department perhaps, but rather handsome up close. And yet another native species on the list.

Grape Hyacinth

Armenian Grape-hyacinth (Muscari armeniacum cultivar)

Once, long ago, someone planted Armenian Grape-hyacinth (Muscari armeniacum) in the garden here. It has long since "slipped its bonds", and has seeded itself all over the property. The short spikes of little, bell-shaped, purple flowers are muscling up through the quickly growing grass, straining through cracks in the flagstoned area near the house, and dotting the edges of flowerbeds everywhere. With their prolific – and early – flowers, they're a favourite of early pollinators like the little Dark-edged Bee-flies (one snapped visiting the flowers above) and the noisy Hairy-footed Flower Bees. As the name suggests, it originated in the eastern Mediterranean region, from Greece and Turkey to the Caucasus (including Armenia). It was first introduced to English gardens towards the end of the 19th century, and has proved very popular with gardeners since. It's hardy and perennial, with a pleasant grape-like scent to the flowers, and spikes that can grow up to 8 inches (20 cm) tall. The bulbs bloom in mid-spring and flower for weeks. Though the foliage dies back once flowering is done, the leaves grow again by mid-autumn, and provide a touch of green all through milder winters. It grows best in full sun (not unexpected for a Mediterranean plant), but flowers longest in shade, and prefers well-drained soils. Needless to say, it's quite happy with the sandy soils we have here. Given its popularity with the local invertebrates, long may it continue to thrive!