Calendula – Pot Marigold a Tenacious Sunny Bloom

Coming across a brightly coloured flower, standing out in a harsh stoney environment does bring a smile. This Calendula or Pot marigold, is a member of the Asteraceae family and has the typical daisy flower head. Native of southern Europe it now cultivated for gardens across the world and has uses other than its obvious ornamental value.

It has uses in the kitchen as parts are edible, such as the petals can be used in salads. It has uses in medicine as an anti-inflammatory and has skin healing properties. Compounds from Calendula can be found in cosmetics too, but can cause an allergic reaction.

Calendula - lone yellow flower by pavement curb

Leucanthemum vulgar – Oxeye daisy everywhere

Oxeye daisy is now everywhere. It grows in abundance on the roadside verges, river banks, parks and any grassy areas that suit. They prefer a sunny location with well drained soil, and that means they will be at home on any south facing embankment, proliferating at the expense of most other flowers. Still a welcome site that cheers up the green landscape, or brown as it is becoming at the moment.

Leucanthemum vulgare or Oxeye daisy are part of the Asteraceae family with the typical daisy like flower head of white petals with a bright yellow central disc. This disc contains many nectar filled flowers that attract bees, butterflies and many other insects. So, good for the biodiversity, as long as they don’t completely dominate an area.
Euphorbia lathyris – Unusual Mole Control

Spurge varieties are common in gardens but this one seen less often. Euphorbia lathyris is an interesting plant from western China, Kirgizstan and Pakistan. Known by many names such as, Caper Spurge, Gopher Spurge and Mole plant.

Its form with dark and light greens, alternating heavily veined criss cross leaves, and light green petal less flowers, make for a striking looking plant. This Euphorbia is thought to deter moles, the furry kind, and while the plant is poisonous this is a bit hit and miss. More a game of whack-a-mole.
Tamarisk – Tamarix tetrandra UK Garden Highlight

May brings out this early flowering Tamarisk – Tamarix tetrandra uk – in cascades of feathery pink blooms that brings beauty to any suitable garden. As a native of hotter and drier climates where arid land, including salty coastal areas prevail, it doesn’t seem like a plant suited for the UK. However, being so versatile it can grow well in a sunny, well drained spot, with natural defences against the heat, wind and salinity.

It is one of the many flowering shrubs that require pruning just after flowing as the following years flowers develop throughout the growing season. The shrub grows to it’s full potential of 2-4 meters over a couple of decades depending on how ideal the conditions are.
Biodiversity being lost at an Alarming Rate

Biodiversity expresses the richness of life on earth in all its complexity and order. It encompasses all types of life from the very basics to the most complex organisms. So how do we decide if biodiversity is healthy or in decline?

It seems one way to measure this is to check out your car number plate. We can do this using, The National citizen science survey of ‘bug splats’ on vehicle number plates to monitor flying insect abundance.

Anecdotally, I have noticed a decline in the gardens and woodlands around me. However, when there are lots of bugs in the air there seems to be a lot of just one sort at any one time. I suppose this will happen but doesn’t bode well for the future. Infestations, swarms and outright Biblical plagues may be to come.

Whatever, we need biodiversity and monitoring is essential to understanding where human behaviour is affecting it. Positively or negatively.
Manna Ash – Fraxinus ornus

I came across an unusual tree that in the cold north wind was depositing fluffy chaff. Not recognising it, I used the Seek app to see what it was. Evidently it is called the Manna Ash, or Fraxinus ornus. Obviously the manna refers to the Biblical manna that the Israelis fed on in the wilderness. However, the link I made was from all the white chaff falling on me. Rather, the reason it is called the Manna Ash is more to do with the sweet sticky sap that comes from the bark. Anyway an interesting part of the Ash family.
Spear Thistle – Cirsium vulgare

Spear Thistle – (Cirsium vulgare, family: Asteraceae), also known as Common Thistle. This tall flowering biennial plant has a very distinct shape and is commonly accepted as the ‘flower of Scotland’. Considered by many people to be a weed and certainly be called so if you get a prick from its spear shaped thorny leaves. One of the types of plant that was said to proliferate outside the ‘garden of eden’.

In flower it is one of the best nectar providers in the UK and loved by the pollinators. Native to most of Europe, Western Asia but also naturalised in many other parts of the world it is part of the large Asteraceae or daisy family.

Once the flowers have died back it produces a woolly seed head that gives further visual interest but also acts as an efficient seed dispersal mechanism used by many plants, shrubs and trees.

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