Saturday 31 March 2018

STREET PLANTS AT THE END OF MARCH FOR THE BEGINNING OF APRIL

Stong groundsel plant beside a stone wall.
This is a picture post. There's not much to read. If I had lots to say, I'd say it. But today, I don't. I'll let the plants speak for themselves. Or, rather, not speak for themselves for they are pretty quiet at present; battered by frost and snow, constantly being deceived into thinking it's spring when it isn't.

The exception is this groundsel which seems pretty chipper. I've never described anything as 'chipper' before but the word seems to fit. The angle shields it both from north and east winds and for the moment it's not garlanded with litter.

Ferns in a stone wall.
For the most part though, I look higher up walls to find plants. I've never lived anywhere with so many stone walls before. All seem to be built in the same way; two walls built parallel to each other and the gap between them filled with smaller stones. On top of these is a layer of long stones laid horizontally, with a row of quite hefty, sideways stones on top. The work which must have gone into these walls must have been phenomenal. The tonnage, mind boggling. And because of the topography here, some are waist or shoulder high on one side but way, way higher on the other.

Dandelion growing in the gap between stones on a stone wall.



Here are dandelion seedlings beginning to look out newly on the world.

Foxglove in the gaps between stones on a stone wall.



And foxgloves which have overwintered are beginning to green.




This is common but I can't name it.





A dilapidated ivy leaved toadflax would you say?




And the always-interesting shape of an unfurled willow-herb seed pod.

All these plants were photographed on 30th March, ready for the first of the month posting. Daft. So I'm moving the street plant posts to 20th of each month. I'll put a link box then too - and afterwards always on the 20th.

In the meantime, if you have a street plant post that you'd like us to know about, do put its URL in the box below.

(The site which provides the link box seems to have gone down . . . and the link box has vanished along with it. By the time I next look, hopefully it will have reappeared. In the meantime . . . . if you have a Street Plant Post to share - leave its URL in with the comments.)


20 comments:

David M. Gascoigne, said...

It is a constant source of amazement to me that seeds, wind borne perhaps, can find their way into tiny crevices containing enough soil and nutrients to start to grow. One wonders what would be left of those dry stone walls if the plants were allowed to take over and slowly break them down.

John "By Stargoose And Hanglands" said...

The odds seem to be stacked against them but still they survive. There's a lesson for us in there somewhere.

Bill said...

Strong and survivalists.

Anonymous said...

Your spring must be a bit later up there in the north, but your greenery looks healthy.
And I love your neat walls - the ancient citadel builders of Cuzco would be proud of those joins.
Thanks for hosting :)

Caro said...

Some street plants can be really pretty and seem to love an old stone or brick wall. I regularly see campanula, erigeron daisies and asplenium ferns growing out of old walls around here in N London - totally brightens up my day! In the veg patch gardens, I battle with fennel, foxgloves, mustard seeds, forget me nots and strawberries rooting themselves between the paving slabs. Oh, and the euphorbia seed that settle sideways into a brick wall and turned into a huge shrub (because I let it). And what about buddleias? Nature would soon take over, given half a chance!

Stewart M said...

Nice set of pictures - I am always surprised at the places plants can find a root-hold. Nice.

Cheers - Stewart M - Melbourne

liz said...

Those stone walls are amazing, and so are the plants that take hold in their crevices.

Mike@Bit About Britain said...

Chipper is an excellent word; it deserves to be used more. What very neat drystone walls - and what uniform stones!

Sue Catmint said...

Dry stone walls are so hospitable to plants that have initiative and persistence.

Lucy Corrander Now in Halifax! said...

Hello David. If only humans needed such little nutrition to survive so well.

Lucy Corrander Now in Halifax! said...

Hello John. I tend to take the lesson that they are stronger than we - and that as David suggests, if we neglect to protect the structures we build they would take over.

Lucy Corrander Now in Halifax! said...

Hell Bill. Definitely. And sometime can't-get-rid-of-them-alists too!

Lucy Corrander Now in Halifax! said...

Hello Squirrelbasket. Crocuses came out ages ago but it's only now that daffodils are specially noticeable. I have tulips in my window boxes and they aren't open yet.

Lucy Corrander Now in Halifax! said...

P.S. Squirrelbasket. The comment about tulips not being open yet - I wrote that on 15th April.

Lucy Corrander Now in Halifax! said...

Hello Caro. I'd be delighted to find erigeron here. It's one of my favourites. I'll be on the lookout but suspect it may not be warm enough for long enough and damp for too long in the year.

Lucy Corrander Now in Halifax! said...

Hello Stewart. I've been looking out for street plants for ages yet I'm still delighted when I see them.

Lucy Corrander Now in Halifax! said...

Hello Liz. The walls round here are certainly amazing. There are miles and miles of them, all built in a similar way. The work that has gone into them - and the amount of weight lifted to make them - must have been incredible.

Lucy Corrander Now in Halifax! said...

Hello Mike. The uniformity is surprising. I think I'd better find out how they achieved it.

Lucy Corrander Now in Halifax! said...

Hello Catmint. Yes. Walls like these provide what amount to little houses for the plants.

Lucy Corrander Now in Halifax! said...

Everyone - There's a new post on Loose and Leafy - 'It's As Much About the Railings: Tree Following in April'. https://looseandleafyinhalifax.blogspot.co.uk/2018/04/its-as-much-about-railings-tree.html