Flower Power

With life springing up everywhere in our town's green spaces, my wife and I decided to undertake a bit of a challenge. With such nice weather we attempted to see how many species of flowering plant we could find on the Common in one hour. With so much new growth happening on the Common it seemed an easy challenge, on paper that is. We rambled in zig-zags across all the paths, wandered off the beaten track into the undergrowth, trying to find the sunny un-trodden patches where flowers might dare to poke their heads out. The common is beginning to look really lovely now and this is a great way to explore parts of it you might not normally venture near. After a pleasurably frantic hour peering into all the nooks and crannies we could muster we finally managed a grand total of thirteen, which are listed below.

Cuckooflower (Cardamine pratens)
Elder (Sambucus)
Buttercup (Ranunculus)
Dog Violet (Viola riviniana)
Common Gorse (Ulex europaeus)
Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)
Daisy (Bellis perennis)
Bluebell (Hyacinthoides non-scripta)
White Bluebell (Hyacinthoides non-scripta alba)
Common Wood Sorrel (Oxalis acetosella)
Purple Dead Nettle (Lamium purpureum)
Green Alkanet (Pentaglottis sempervirens)
Primrose (Primula vulgaris)

How many can you find? Can you find any we didn't? Perhaps its something you could try in your lunch break this week, it's a great way to relax and get away from the hustle and bustle of work.