Flower of the week: Fritillaria meleagris
I’m trying to choose each week something which wasn’t out the week before. Tricky, because so many spring flowers last for weeks on end. I’ve picked Fritillaria meleagris, as here. The link takes you back to older posts on the subject (and better photos). There’s no sign yet of the Dicentra which you can see in one of those posts. I do hope I haven’t lost it.
Fritillaries look wonderful in meadows as here at Cricklade in Wiltshire. Sadly, such sights are rare.
In my garden, the fritillaries are growing on the bank under the hedge. Last year, to my horror, I saw that they were being attacked by the dreaded lily beetles and went into battle armed with a yogurt pot and my finger nails (work it out). They look OK so far this year but I’m keeping an eye on them. And I’m never growing lilies again, which is a shame.