Flowers

[Y Fan Wen]

Anyone else think that there is going to be an exceptional show of foxgloves this year?
I expect to see them on sprayed bracken areas but this year there are plants all over the place. Flower spikes are beginning to form but I won't see any pink (or white) for some weeks yet.
The daffodil show was very disappointing this year although others seemed to do alright.
I had thought it was going to be a poor bluebell year as well, but the showing is very good by now.

 

[llamedos]

Anyone else think that there is going to be an exceptional show of foxgloves this year?
I expect to see them on sprayed bracken areas but this year there are plants all over the place. Flower spikes are beginning to form but I won't see any pink (or white) for some weeks yet.
The daffodil show was very disappointing this year although others seemed to do alright.
I had thought it was going to be a poor bluebell year as well, but the showing is very good by now.

yes loads about here too, but it must be an indication of how many set seed last year, something they dont seem to be able to do in a normal year.

 

[Goatherderess]

Does anyone worry about them on hedge lines when stock are grazing? I know they are poisonous but the goats tend to avoid them.

 

[Y Fan Wen]

It has been an exceptional bluebell spring this year in NW Wales and now the foxgloves are sprouting in profusion everywhere. There is a first blush of pink on the most advanced spikes so by June it's going to be very colourful.

 

[Exfarmer]

yes loads about here too, but it must be an indication of how many set seed last year, something they dont seem to be able to do in a normal year.

Not sure if it is about setting seed the previous year, we cleared a ride into a wood 20 years ago, where there had previously been a very occasional plant. The next year the whole ride was solid with spikes. And it continued till the canopy covered again.

 

[ollie989898]

Livestock do not normally eat unusual plants that are poisonous but last year during the drought the vets were apparently finding more cases of hemlock poisoning than usual.

Being short or forage or minerals is a surefire trigger. I guess most of these plants taste horrible though I did see a bullock on the levels yesterday with a whopping great mouthful of buttercup it had managed to collect. Probably constitutes higher quality forage than is typical for that area though.

 

[AGN76]

Road verges seem to be particularly vibrant this year. Still, won't be long until the council sort that out!!
(Then claim they have no money! )

 

[LincsLongwool]

Definitely vibrant, seems to be some rape growing on the roadsides too

 

[Exfarmer]

Road verges seem to be particularly vibrant this year. Still, won't be long until the council sort that out!!
(Then claim they have no money! )

As a Cyclist I cannot wait, it can get very difficult this time of year getting lacerated or stung as you ride by or sit in the middle of the road and get shouted at by every driver
there is certainly a big safety issue it is bad enough with all those car drivers who have see round the blind corner technology, or rather think they have

 

[LincsLongwool]

As a Cyclist I cannot wait, it can get very difficult this time of year getting lacerated or stung as you ride by or sit in the middle of the road and get shouted at by every driver
there is certainly a big safety issue it is bad enough with all those car drivers who have see round the blind corner technology, or rather think they have

There's actually a hill near me called Hell's Hill, because by the time you reach the top your legs feel dead and you can't cycle anymore

 

[AGN76]

As a Cyclist I cannot wait, it can get very difficult this time of year getting lacerated or stung as you ride by or sit in the middle of the road and get shouted at by every driver
there is certainly a big safety issue it is bad enough with all those car drivers who have see round the blind corner technology, or rather think they have

But then i guess, with no pollinators there'll be no cyclists or cars.

 

[ollie989898]

Miles and miles of bridlepaths in the UK and cyclists choose to risk life and limb on the roads. Ill never understand it.

 

[primmiemoo]

Absolutely lovely show of bluebells, and the scent has been beautiful. They're gradually ending, and the cow parsley, pink campions, and stitchwort are coming along strongly along with the ferns. Still plenty of dog violets, although the Early Purple Orchids are over. Still some primroses in tucked away places.

I'd take a section of the best hedge to Chelsea Flower Show if it were allowed.

 

[Kidds]

The awful weeds on my orchard floor.
Last week I had carpets of blue forget-me-nots, followed by a pink flush of cranesbill and now these two.

 

[primmiemoo]

Tut! Honestly! Tsk! Words fail!