Tag: flower

September 4th – Interestingly, the honeysuckle thicket on the approach to the Black Cock Bridge in Walsall Wood is in a second phase of flowering. Lots of plants seem to be; the trefoil is showing strongly again, dead nettles seem back in bloom, and I’ve even seen a few fresh poppies in the hedgerows.

This doesn’t seem normal to me. It must be the sign of a good season. Long may it continue.

September 4th – Spotted in the hedgerow near the top of Shire Oak Hill at Sandhills, I caught sight of this bright yellow flower. It’s an awful photo, but I’m hoping someone can ID this bright, late bloom. I’ve seen a few about, but have no idea what it might be…

August 15th – It’s amazing how much Chasewater has recovered in such a short time – in 18 months it’s gone from being barely more than an overgrown puddle to a full reservoir, with a recovering, rich biodiversity. I noticed a week or so ago what I thought was red algae on the western shoreline, but it actually turns out, on closer inspection, to be what I think is persicaria amphibia, or water knotweed. I think this is an introduced species, and may well be invasive, I’m not sure. However, it’s very pretty with delicate pink flowers that float in beautiful clumps.

Any knowledge or correction welcome.

July 22nd – Bindweed, the ubiquitous creeper with Snow White flowers is in full bloom at the moment – this example was growing on Brownhills Common. Like the willowherb, it’s a plant of the margins, the hedgerows and wastelands, and normally regarded as a pest and a weed.
It is, however, a type of convulvulous related to the generally more appreciated morning glory, and I think it’s rather beautiful.

July 18th – Heading to work through the backlanes of Little Aston, I spotted these to lovely carpets of colour in the same field. They’re beautiful – one purple, one white. I had thought at first from a distance that they might be flax, but as soon as i got close I realised they were spuds.

There are a good few chips in that there field…

June 25th – In Leicester today, and out early. This gave me chance to see my favourite patch of scrub, the embankment at South Wigston station.

I’m acutely aware that not many people have favourite patches of scrub, and this does mark me out as a little eccentric.

South Wigston is only a tiny dot of a suburban halt on a busy goods junction, and is totally unmanned. At some point, I think the green margins around the platforms and walkways were managed and planted, but haven’t been so for many years; the perennials that were planted here, plus some wild imports, run riot now all throughout the year, and reward me continually with colour, beauty and bounty.

It feels like I’m the only person ever to notice this; the only one ever to stop and watch the bees busy in the daisies, or bustling around the cotoneaster. Meanwhile, all around the sound of clanking industry, rumbling goods traffic and the joyful hubub of children from the nearby school.

It’s a wild place in the city, and I love it.

April 27th – Still sore, I slid out in the afternoon and checked out the canal to Wharf Lane. Just at the old quarry access road there, I noticed a few white hyacinths growing there. They smelled divine, and were gorgeous in the sunshine.

You don’t see many of those in the wild. I’d guess they’re the result of dumping garden waste.

Beautiful, whatever the origin…