April Wildflowers
For the last few weeks I've been enjoying a solitary loop walk thanks to the 2km lockdown restrictions. The 5km route from my home in South Mayo skirts a turlough (seasonal lake) with a view to the Connemara hills beyond. I’ve been keeping myself entertained by spotting and identifying the wildflowers I find on roadside verges.
Some of these beauties I picked to take home, only to discover that by doing so, I will have angered the faerie folk. I should expect thunder, lightning and otherwise ill-luck. I’ve learnt from these rookie mistakes, however, and now I content myself with a photograph and the occasional scribble in my notebook. I’ll leave the Stitchwort to the pixies.
Lady's Smock
This pretty lilac-petalled meadow plant is also known by the names Milkmaid and Cuckooflower. It is noted to bloom at the same time the Cuckoo arrives and is a favourite of the beautiful orange tip butterfly.
Germander Speedwell
I have found both Germander Speedwell and Field Speedwell on my walks and I enjoy noting the subtle differences in shape and colour. As the name suggests, Speedwell has long been used medicinally to treat a range of ailments, from skin complaints to coughs.
Bush Vetch
Bush Vetch is, to my mind, one of the prettiest meadow plants around. A relative of the broad bean, the plant is grown as fodder for grazing animals, with the added benefit that it dapples fields and verges with Princely purple in early spring.
Thale Cress
It might look insignificant but Thale Cress is in fact a ‘model plant’ of huge value to the field of genetics. It is also one first plants to have been successfully grown aboard the International Space Station.
