Lock-down Adventure No 5 - In Search of More Spring Flowers

11th April 2020

It was a week ago today that I went on my first flora survey across the field behind my house, where I was able to find and photograph six species of plants in flower - White Dead-nettle, Red Dead-nettle, Dandelion, Lesser Celandine, Greater Stitchwort and Common Field Speedwell. Another nice sunny day today so lets have another look to see if I can add any more flowering species to the list. I had only gone a few steps from the back gate when I came across a small patch of Field Forget-me-not. What a great start.

It wouldn't be too surprising to find some Cow Parsley at the edge of a large hay field, but this is not the commonest member of the umbelliferae (Carrot Family) here. By far the commonest umbellifer here is the poisonous Hemlock, but that is not in flower yet and won't be for some time so we will have to save that for another day.

Skulking deep in grassy margins were the delicate violet flowers of Ground Ivy. Despite it name it is not related to the ivy family at all, but is a member of the dead-nettle family where it bears a passing resemblance to Red Dead-nettle.

On the return leg round the field we walk along a hedgerow which is predominantly Hawthorn and Blackthorn, and this Blackthorn blossom looked beautiful in the afternoon sunshine.

The woodland section was still very quiet for flora, but some patches of Hedge Garlic were now in bud and starting to open up. Hedge Garlic, also known as Jack-by-the-hedge and Garlic Mustard is the food plant of the Orange Tip butterfly which is now on the wing.

Now on the final leg and we pass along the back of some gardens to our back gate, and not surprisingly there are a few garden escapes like this Lesser Periwinkle and Wood Spurge.

But the most exciting find and a first here for me was a small patch of Few-flowered Leek, a relation of Ramsons or Wild Garlic. Like Wild Garlic it can be put to good use in the kitchen. Few-flowered Leek is a native of the mountainous regions of Iran and was introduced into the UK in 1823, where it is now regarded as a very invasive lowland plant.