Wildflowers
This evening I have been mostly trying to identify this pretty wild flower I found growing under the hawthorn tree near our allotment. Eventually I got there - it is a variety (I don't know which one as I couldn't make a positive ID based on the information I found on the internet) of cranesbill, or geranium. I feel a special affinity for it now, not only because of the time spent working to identify it but also because it is a geranium - unlike *my* geranium which is really a pelargonium. If you see what I mean.
Well - here it is! The pictures aren't great, sadly, but you can at least see the flowers, leaves and fruit reasonably clearly. Click for larger images.
DESCRIPTION: The flowers are on paired stems, about 2cm across and a pink-purple colour (a stronger, pinker colour than in the pictures) with 5 petals - the petals slightly overlap and each is slightly lobed so that I wasn't sure at first whether there were 5 or 10. The buds seem to hang downwards while the flowers look up. The leaves have 5 distinct lobes, each one subdivided into 3 (except the very young leaves which have only 3 lobes, or lobes not yet subdivided) with tiny reddish tips to each lobe. Where there are 5 lobes, there are two "pairs" at each side which are less distinct with a larger single lobe sticking out squarely between them. The fruit consist of the sepals, appearing to close up around a thin spike about 2cm long with what look like little hairs about 5mm long sprouting from the top, a light brownish colour. Where the flower and leaf stems grow from the main stem, there are little, narrow reddish leaflet thingies.
Well, all that said, I did get a *few* useful things done today!
Well - here it is! The pictures aren't great, sadly, but you can at least see the flowers, leaves and fruit reasonably clearly. Click for larger images.
DESCRIPTION: The flowers are on paired stems, about 2cm across and a pink-purple colour (a stronger, pinker colour than in the pictures) with 5 petals - the petals slightly overlap and each is slightly lobed so that I wasn't sure at first whether there were 5 or 10. The buds seem to hang downwards while the flowers look up. The leaves have 5 distinct lobes, each one subdivided into 3 (except the very young leaves which have only 3 lobes, or lobes not yet subdivided) with tiny reddish tips to each lobe. Where there are 5 lobes, there are two "pairs" at each side which are less distinct with a larger single lobe sticking out squarely between them. The fruit consist of the sepals, appearing to close up around a thin spike about 2cm long with what look like little hairs about 5mm long sprouting from the top, a light brownish colour. Where the flower and leaf stems grow from the main stem, there are little, narrow reddish leaflet thingies.
Well, all that said, I did get a *few* useful things done today!
- Another day on the patio for the pumpkins, hardening off.
- Sprayed the broad beans again - no noticeable difference from yesterday and my spray was less lovely today as the soapnuts were running out of saponins - some fresh ingredients next time I think!
- Started earthing up the potatoes - but didn't finish as Persephone wanted to get home, she was so tired and it was getting past her bedtime!
- Watered the courgettes and melons as they felt light and the peat pots were dry. They are starting to germinate but are not properly sprouted yet - just a little green showing through the soil.
- Thinned out the cucumber pot where two seeds had germinated, by pulling the weaker one out, and then transplanted that one into the non-germinating pot. Possibly a dangerous strategy for the poor things, but hopefully at least one will survive!