Saturday 18 April 2020

Buttercups and Saxifrage

Today's Boris Walk took me through the cemetery, to see if any new species are out there, having finally dragged myself out of bed on another day when the exhaustion is really battering me.

It was a cool day today, so I thought there would be a few less people traipsing around the two lakes, but it was still quite busy around the cycle path, which always makes me feel a bit uneasy. I'm always uneasy around people now, especially if there is a queue for Asda. Ugh.

The cemetery is a very different colour now, the white of winter from the snowdrops gave way to the purple of crocus, the yellow of daffodils, and now the pale blue of forget me not and spanish bluebell, and the deeper blue of native bluebells.

Both species of blue are indeed growing in the cemetery, you can compare them in the photos below, and I imagine a lot of hybridisation is taking place in there as well.

The first signs of the final two colours that will dominate the cemetery next have also appeared, with golden buttercups and white meadow saxifrage now in bloom.

Around the lake, the mandarin duck put on a colourful show for anyone sharp enough to notice him - I'm amazed more people don't! Meanwhile above the carp filled waters, I saw my first swallows of the year, skimming the surface for insects.

Their only worries are to eat and breed, unlike us.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 18.04.20















5 comments:

  1. Lovely to see the flowers and blossoms and the mandarins. That Forget-me-not bed is just stunning. Take care.

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  2. It is images like these that help to ease our worries Si! The Forget-me-not flowerbed especially is stunning!
    Thank you for starting my day with a smile!
    Stay safe.

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  3. Is there noMrs Mandarin and if not will he find a mate? Yes I agree that the forget me not bed is indeed stunning. And lucky you with those buttercups - up here celandine still rule.

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  4. Wonderful flower pictures. I think, when this lockdown is finally lifted, that you'll find a lot of people have also been concentrating their efforts on eating and breeding!

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