If I had to pick a favourite harbinger of spring I think it would have to be the flowers of Lesser Celandine (Ficaria verna). I spotted my first one in bud on the shady banks of the Laugherne Brook during the New Year Plant Hunt but I had to wait until 8th February to see …
The month of January is named after Janus, the Roman god with two heads, one of which looks into the future and the other, the past. He is the god of beginnings and transitions, but also of doorways, gates, passageways and paths...
We didn’t mean to have a wild, epic adventure through brambles, stinging nettles, rocks, sand dunes, a golf course and deep muddy puddles with two small children and a pushchair. But if we had not done so then I would not have seen so many beautiful wildflowers, including my first ever orchids... It all started …
ComfreyFumitory of the WallBlack MedickGarlic MustardOxford RagwortCuckooflower What began as a wildflower awakening back in February has slowly blossomed into bit of an obsession. Now, I notice wildflowers wherever I go. More and more of them are becoming well known to me, usually just by their common names, but sometimes by their botanical ones too, …
Not that long ago, I was writing about the wonders of winter. Now, I'm full of the joys of spring. And so far my spring this year has been all about wildflowers. Yes, I smile at the sight of daffodils growing on well kept verges and in the formal garden sections of my local parks, …
Credit: Aron Visuals, Unsplash I think I must have inherited a lateness gene. No matter how carefully I plan, I always seem to be running about, running late and running out of time. I am usually the last to do things among my friends. I didn't learn to ride a bike or swim until I …
Continue reading Late bloomer: How a botanical career slowly flourished
I have always dreamt of keeping bees. On my good life wish list, it has ranked somewhere alongside tending an orchard, building a treehouse and creating a wildflower meadow for many years. Lately, I have been reading bedtime stories to my children from a book called Tales from the End Cottage, which has rekindled that …
We are lucky to have a lovely little open space at the end of our road. The bigger parks can get too busy for my liking but Brunswick Park is nearly always quiet. During the lockdown we have been there lots and lots. Even while the playground has been closed, we have made our own …
Little Wild Tales 