Friday 26 April 2019

April Flowers

A page from the beautiful book "An Illustrated Country Year" by Celia Lewis that I often use on the blog.

From L to R
Bluebell, Golden Archangel, Bugle, Forget-me-not, Petty Spurge, Wood Spurge, Ransoms, Cuckoo Flower or Lady's Smock, White Dead Nettle


How many can I find around the meadow?
Just four?

Or maybe not! because what I thought were Bugle (2nd L) are a type of Ground Ivy but there are Bluebells, Ramsons (flower not open yet)  and White Dead Nettle

(There are plenty of all these on my meadow so picking one of each hasn't done any damage.)

Ironically I forgot the Forget-me-knots which creep through the quarter circle flower garden each spring and I have to haul out a while later when they get attacked by mildew.

I thought "why don't I know Yellow Archangel?" so looked in a wild flower book which shows which areas of the country it appears and it seems to be absent from Norfolk and Suffolk. Petty Spurge doesn't appear in my wild flower book at all and if I did find any of the Spurge/Euphorbia family I wouldn't pick them as their sap is nasty stuff. I also don't know the Cuckoo-flower, but that likes wet damp spots according to my book so not common in dry Suffolk.

Thank you to everyone for all the lovely comments this week. As usual Apologies for not replying individually

Back Tomorrow
Sue 


17 comments:

  1. I do like your nature posts. That is a lovely book, with such beautiful and clear illustrations, I must look out for a copy. Oh, and good morning Sue!

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  2. So many blue flowers at this time of year - we also have Alkanet at the cottage (part of the borage family.

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  3. I think the archangels appear in May as the bluebells fade. But I'm not sure. That's a lovely book

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  4. The flowers are beautiful this month. I love all the shades of blue. X

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  5. I have a large patch of English bluebells in my garden the are a beautiful blue and lots of wild flowers. I am hoping to sew some flowers along the fence today and am sure some of them will blow into the field (arable field) which will look nice. I think we will gets some rain today.
    Have a nice weekend Sue and everyone else.
    Hazel c uk

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  6. 'And lady-smocks all silver-white', although I think of them as very pale pink. I've only seen them once, growing wild in the lawn of a relative. She called them Milkmaids.
    I admire your nature table!

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  7. I do miss the English countryside, especially at this time of the year. Thanks for giving me a glimpse of some its treasures.

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  8. Spurge is indeed nasty stuff as my sister found out when we were children. She 'drew' pictures all over her arms with the milky sap, which puffed up into angry red weals. Needless to say, she didn't try that trick again!

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  9. what you say about forget me nots and mildew Sue. I planted out some deep blue plants last Autumn and they are in full bloom and very pretty, But I see they are just beginning to develop mildew on the leaves - must be a hazard with forget me nots.

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  10. What a lovely idea for a walk x x

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  11. I love that you went out and found some from the book! Your nature posts are always enjoyable!

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  12. I'm surprised your author has included bugle in her April flowers. Mine don't flower until May and June. I picked a bunch last year to make into tincture and planted the two root sections and although they have overwintered beautifully in a pot, they are both still just leaves at the moment and no sign of a flower stalk. Bugle is coming back into fashion to use for joint aches and spinal pain. The plant you correctly identified as ground ivy makes a really nice tea. It's useful as a general anti-viral and is one of the few herbs which can really help tinnitus (although it depends what the cause of the tinnitus is). The white dead nettle can also be used as a tea, especially for urinary infections.

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    1. I've got enough of the ground ivy to make tea for hundreds!
      Just flowers or the whole plant?

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  13. I just love the illustrations from that book. When you posted from it before I found it on Amazon and put it on my "wish list." Our library has a huge donated book sale room that is open year round. I'll take a look there, but then I might have to go ahead and order it!

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  14. Beautiful! I love these posts too. You're lucky to be able to find the flowers. Things are starting to grow here, but there is still too much brown for my liking. It does seem that when I walk through the woods there is a little more green each day though.

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  15. Lovely. I am still waiting on my tulips. At least they have broken through the ground.

    God bless.

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  16. Thanks on your marvelous posting! I seriously enjoyed reading it, you happen to be a great author.I will be sure to bookmark your post and definitely will come back someday. I want to encourage you to ultimately continue your great work, have a nice weekend!
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