A patch of yellow has caught my attention driving into and out of Kingsdown, by Ringwould village hall. I had to stop. It transpires that it is a cluster of reflexed stonecrop, presumably escaped from a garden and some how finding refuge by the roadside.
While there, I was able to take a look at the newly-dredged pond in the dip, which may one day have some wildlife benefit. It is in effect a roadside puddle.
'Wot's that bloke doing on the road, then?'
On the chalky verge of the road to Walmer is a colony of toadflax, glowing nicely in the evening sun.
VervainGerard helpfully writes that 'many odde old wives fables are written of Vervaine tending to witchcraft and sorcery, which you may reade elsewhere, for I am not willing to trouble your eares with reporting such trifles, as honest eares abhorre to heare'.
A white harebell
Houndstongue seeds
Greater knapweed
Chicory tip?
Lesser Burdock
and a lagomorph
6 comments:
I *LOVE* the photo of the bee fly (?) on the chickory. That is a great capture. But I am sorry you don't have a new vocabulary word for us today. ;)
Your roadside trifles made me smile :-) Very pretty!
Love it! Vervain is one of my favourite plants. So delicate. I was given some last year and it is blooming in the garden as I type. Lovely. Still used by herbalists today and in the British Herbal Pharmacopoeia for depression, melancholy, hysteria, etc..
On a less pleasant note....I recall checking out houndstongue once to see if it really does smell of mouse pee. It does. Yuk!
Mel
Steve ,
Great post , really interesting , and talking cows . Never seen Houndstonge seeds before .
See you've moved on a decade with the music .
The Maidstone/Gillingham group made it all the way to No.1 in January 1972 with 'Son of my Father', if my memory serves me .
Michele, thanks for the comflavouriment!
Mary, that's why I do it!
Mel, glad to hear that vervain has a practical use, beyond warding off witches. Thanks for the warning on houndstongue too. Don't forget to send your blog-name, by the way.
Greenie, I was mid-teen growing up in Maidstaone when Chicory Tip hit the charts.....we were so proud ;-)
Good Lagomorph shot!!!
That puddle will end up salty and fume filled. :-(
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