"Weeds" Are Beautiful

With the recent heat and rain, the garden is claiming back its wild areas. This morning as I was pottering and poking around, I was amazed at the range of pretty little flowers that are growing naturally. I love the way they grow out of cracks and corners, while your expensive purchased plants fail to thrive. I've tried to get the correct names for them all.

Veronica persica (Speedwell)

Delicate little blue and white flowers brighten up this patch of green foliage. These hardy flowers have erupted from behind a piece of wood.

This patch of wild flowers has emerged from the corner of my onion patch. I don't think the photo does it justice but in the flesh it really is so pretty with tiny red, white and blue blooms and an array of different leaf shapes and heights.

Prunella vulgaris (Selfheal) adds a dash of purple:

I think this creeping tall pink flower is Stachys officinalis (Betony):

The humble Bellis perennis (Daisy) is so widespread that it is easy to stop appreciating just how beautiful this flower with its vivid yellow centre and brilliant white petals is. Holly Blue butterfly anyone? 

And it's very sweet when my 3 year old hands me one as a present. They really are the archetypal child's flower.

Here we have some Trifolium repens (white clover) and Ranunculus repens (creeping buttercup) hanging out together:

This persistent pink flower, Geranium robertianum (Herb Robert) grows out of cracks in the paving, the roof shoots and here out of a disused barbecue:

These precious little red/peach flowers are Anagallis arvensis (Scarlet Pimpernel):

My favourite weed of all, and one that has a great public campaign promoting it in recent years, is the lowly Taraxacum vulgaria, commonly known as dandelion (or pissy bed for those in the know!). I've seen bees, hoverflies, butterflies and a huge range of other flies visiting my dandelions. And remember that all insects who visit flowers are pollinators, even the little black fellas that you'd hardly notice.

Small Tortoise Shell:

Honey Bee:

Red Soldier Beetle:

Might look like bee but it is in fact a hoverfly:


And another honey bee:

So don't be too quick with a hoe and let your garden surprise you with its native wildflowers.