Tag: flower

March 23rd – A mystery that’s been puzzling me for a long time has been solved.

This time of year, I always note floating roots in the canal, often sprouting foliage. I had thought they were the way reedmace spreads, but discovered this was incorrect last year, so they remained a mystery.

Thanks to someone I work with (thanks, Dagmar) I now know these are the way a water plant spreads, but not rushes or reeds, but water lilies.

These roots are water lily rhizomes, from which the clumps of the delightful summer flowers spout. I never realised that under the water, they were linked in clumps.

Isn’t nature wonderful?

December 17th – In Lichfield, just in the gardens by Minster Pool, this fascinating yellow shrub, just coming into flower.

I’s so bright and so beautiful, it seems a shame it’s hidden in a corner where few would notice it.

What is it, does anyone know? It’s gorgeous.

October 21st – Riding to work along the canal in Walsall in the early morning, I noticed how green parts of the towpath margins still were – the bracken hasn’t yet turned at Bentley Bridge and the dead nettles are full in flower for the second burst this year.

This has been a peculiar autumn, with many things coming into bloom a second time before dying off. The weather really has been kind to us this year, but I can’t help feeling winter is going to be a shock to the system.

October 5th – Of all the flowers hanging on in this odd autumn, the butter and eggs is one of my favourites. It’s still flowering well along the hedgerows and towpaths of Walsall Wood and Brownhills, and this example was spotted near Walsall Wood Bridge.

It’s getting colder now, though, and it won’t be long until the first frost, which I think should put an end to this unusually long flowering season.

Which is a shame. The flowers have been wonderful this year.

August 11th – I think this is an interesting submission for seven days of wildlife. The teasel currently sprouting from Catshill junction Bridge in Brownhills is flowering, and clearly attracting the bees. 

Anything that helps the fellows in stripy jumpers is great by me – and I’d never studied before how intricate these almost prehistoric-looking blooms are.

An interesting find on an otherwise dull day.

July 28th – Inexorably sliding now from the flowering to the fruiting, I notice the first blackberries are making their appearance in the hedgerows, scrubs and thickets. 

It looks like another bumper crop this year, that’s certain to result in the baking of many a pie, crumble or tart.

A real treat for the foragers…

June 26th – Passing quickly through Brownhills to catch the Canalside Festival, I noted how lovely the planters were again this year for Brownhills in Bloom. The annual entry to a competition, the baskets and tubs are filled and planted by a mixture of traders, volunteers and folk from the Brownhills Town Centre Partnership.

They do cracking work and on behalf of Brownhills, I’d like to say thanks to everyone involved.

May 22nd – Another good riding day, but I was a bit tired, and didn’t go as far as I’d hoped, topping out at 55 miles. The sun was lovely, but a sudden gusty wind between about 2:30 and 3:30 was puzzling and difficult. I went up around Blithfield Reservoir, called into Abbots Bromley for tea and remarkable cake, then up to Newborough and back through the Needwood Valley. 

The stunning work of Oldrid Scott on that amazing church never ceases to amaze.

The views and hedgerows are beautiful right now – but does anyone know what the pink-flowered tree is? It’s like a horse chestnut tree, but different. It’s absolutely lovely.