A Flower A Day E-Book

Miranda Janatka

• Herausgeber: Batsford
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 238

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2022

Beschreibung

Fascinating and richly illustrated stories of flowers for every day of the year. Every day of the year a different species of flower bursts into bloom somewhere in the world. This collection of 366 flowers reveals not only their beauty but the fascinating botanical, literary, folkloric and historical stories behind them.   Discover the magnificent magnolia, which evolved more than 95 million years ago at the time of dinosaurs, and the specific perfumed rose that covers the land around Grasse in France. Read about the powerful medicinal elements of the Manuka bush flowers and the inspiration behind William Wordsworth's 'host of golden daffodils'. Here are also the cheerful Mexican marigolds bedecking urban graveyards, delicate cherry or sakura blossoming along Japanese avenues, spectacular tropical vines hanging in the Philippine rainforest and flamboyant wildflowers carpeting meadows across Europe, showcasing the amazing variety of the natural world. Illustrated with stunning photographs and works of art, this collection is a celebration of flowers and their special place in both the natural world and our culture. 

Leseprobe

A FLOWER A DAY

The unfurling flowers of Lacy phacelia (Phacelia tanacetifolia) are attractive to bees and other insects.

CONTENTS

Introduction

JANUARY

FEBRUARY

MARCH

APRIL

MAY

JUNE

JULY

AUGUST

SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER

NOVEMBER

DECEMBER

Index

Picture Credits

Acknowlegements

INTRODUCTION

Whether you’re curious about plants and science, or someone with an interest in art, humankind has long been deeply connected with, and drawn to, flowers. Wrapped up with our cultural events from birth to death, flowers have not only represented worship, love and remembrance – as well as the brevity of life – but have also had a very real connection to our survival. The occurrence of blooms is suggestive of fertile earth and the possibility of food to come. The delight people find today in flowers may well stem from the relief of a return of spring, a period of rain or quite literally a forthcoming fruitful season. Also, that flowers are often used as national emblems or symbols, signifies their importance to the cultural and historical identity of nations. Pride in a particular plant that has led to an industrial production profiting the land or one that is native and perhaps found only in that location, becomes of significant value to those who live there.

We experience flowers either as a commercial product (such as bouquets of flowers), out in the wild or as the result of our own intimate connection with nature, nurturing and growing them ourselves. Research has shown that the gift of flowers makes people more likely to smile and create increased social contact, but we also know that being out in nature and even just observing plants increases our well-being. One reason for this is that the sight of fractals found in plants – infinitely complex patterns that repeat simple processes – reduces stress levels (an example of a fractal would be the arrangement of many small flowers within an inflorescence forming a Fibonacci spiral). However, flowers in particular offer more than just a visual experience; they are multi-sensory with their movement, texture, scent and occasionally taste, which delight and can tap into our long-term memories, connecting us emotionally to our autobiographical past, as well as to each other. In addition, for gardeners, a flowering plant displaying blooms suggests that it is at the climax of its growth; the flowers may represent success and maturity, a sign of the plant completing its first – and possibly only – life cycle.

Lastly, we cannot ignore the importance of flowers to insects and animals beyond ourselves, as well as the greater ecosystem. Operating as a map of evolution, one can trace through the transformation of flowers, their relationship with the pollinators they feed (or pretend to). From the tailored attraction of scent and colour aimed at particular insects and birds, to sophisticated plant mimicry (such as that of a bee orchid, which literally resembles the female bee to attract the male). While all parts of plants have evolved back and forth to adapt to changing conditions in order to survive, flowers are the point of most visual difference, which is why they were the basis for the first classification used to key out and name plants. While plants today are increasingly classified using their DNA, plant identity and classification was first worked out using floral morphology. The modern use of this started with Carl Linnaeus’s adoption of binomial names for plants in his Species Plantarum of 1753, using botanical nomenclature (the two-part names of plants that we see in Latin).

Flowers have long been used by artists to capture and represent the beauty of nature. Bloemen in Blauwe Vaas by Vincent van Gogh, oil on canvas (1887).

Dahlia ‘Blyton Softer Gleam’ is a small ball-type dahlia that lasts well as a cut flower in a vase.

The flowers in this book have been selected to represent some of the most incredible plants from around the world, most of which are easily happened upon on nature walks or in the gardens of temperate regions. The plants chosen include the largest to the smallest blooms in the world, the most commercially valuable and those that are used again and again in literature and art to convey either secret or overt meanings. The intention of this book is to enhance an enjoyment of discovering flowers as they unfold throughout the year, as well as transporting the mind to faraway places from the comfort of one’s home. Hearing the stories of flowers increases their significance to us: they are nature’s own art, helping craft our own narratives, personal and as a collective. This book may help influence your choice of plants with which you choose to grow and decorate your home and garden, or to gift a loved one with the knowledge of their secret language. For myself, appreciation of any art form cannot help but hark back to the natural world, and flowers provide much of the origin of beauty found around us today.

Each flower in this book has been chosen to illustrate a particular day, and while flowering times will vary somewhat from year to year, with some flowers blooming over a longer period of time than others, they have each been selected to indicate a time in bloom of the region most heavily referenced to in the entry. This is often the area of origin, but where no specific region is mentioned, this will generally correlate to the time the plant flowers in the UK.

Helenium is also known as sneezeweed as it was used for making snuff. Helenium ‘Rubinzwerg’ is shown here.

By examining some of the uses, benefits and histories of each plant, sharing their stories and revealing their relationship to our human world, a floral realm is opened up for discovery.

Under each date the common name for each flower is given, as well as the most recent botanical name, in italics as is the convention. As set out by Carl Linnaeus, each botanical name is made up of two parts: first the genus and second the species. To describe a species in the plural, the abbreviation ‘spp.’ is used, and should a cultivar be named, this is given at the end of the botanical name designated by single quotation marks (for example, Iris ‘Katharine Hodgson’). Each plant also has a family name, which, to keep things simple, has been left out of the texts, but these do also further connect the flowers to each other and may be referred to at certain points in the book. For example, plants within the mint family (Lamiaceae) will share certain characteristics, although often much more broadly than those within the same genus.

Gladioli are classic garden plants, flowering typically from June until October each year.

Anatomy of a flower illustrating and identifying the basic parts.

Only a very simple understanding of flowering parts is required while reading this book. The illustration above provides a quick reminder of the names of some of the basic parts of a flower.

The beauty and sophistication of flowers may offer a gateway to a lifelong love of plants. Species new to modern science are being discovered all the time, and with them the potential benefits they offer us, as much-needed new medicines or sources of food. Certain flowers will also hold a very special place in our hearts for many reasons, perhaps deeply personal. I grow gladioli in remembrance and celebration of my father who admired them, and this brings me a great sense of joy and connection to him each year on the days they bloom.

I hope that this book offers you both insight and an enjoyable seasonal tour through some of the most incredible and evocative details of our natural and very human world.

1ST JANUARY

COMMON SNOWDROP

Galanthus nivalis

These dainty flowers are seen as a symbol of hope, being one of the very first blooms of the year. They are often seen poking up through the snow, suggesting that winter is slowly drawing to a close. Many cultivars are bred by keen collectors, who may spend significant amounts of money purchasing unusual varieties, before themselves breeding flowers with different but subtle markings in green, yellow and peach. These colours are mostly found on the underside of the flower, and it’s for this reason that it is said the best way to view snowdrops is from the ground, looking up.

Common snowdrop flowers can be spotted as early as the very first day of the year.

2ND JANUARY

CLEMATIS ‘WINTER BEAUTY’

Clematis urophylla ‘Winter Beauty’

This valuable garden plant provides green foliage all year round as well as producing many attractive, bell-shaped flowers at a time of year when not many other blooms are to be found. The broad leaves and abundance of large flowers could fool you into believing it is midsummer rather than winter. As a vigorous climber, ‘Winter Beauty’ is used in gardens to provide both ornamental value and a source of food for early emerging honey bees, and it will scale fences, shrubs and even trees.

The many blooms of clematis ‘Winter Beauty’ are a delight to see as early as January.

3RD JANUARY

NIGHT-SCENTED PELARGONIUM

Pelargonium triste

This, one of the first pelargoniums to be collected from the wild and then cultivated around the world, was brought to England in 1632 from South Africa. In the plant trade, pelargoniums are often mistakenly called geraniums; however, they are quite different plants. Unlike geraniums, pelargoniums are not hardy to frost, so need to be kept indoors during the cooler months in colder countries. You can tell pelargoniums and geraniums apart by studying the flowers: the top two petals of a pelargonium will be shaped slightly differently to the bottom three, unlike a geranium which has a strictly symmetrical appearance.

Night-scented pelargonium flowers during the spring and early summer months in South Africa.

4TH JANUARY

TEA PLANT

Camellia sinensis

This evergreen shrub is used to produce black, white, yellow and green tea. It is believed that the mythical Chinese ruler Shennong created the drink around 5,000 years ago. He was rumoured to have been drinking a cup of hot water under a camellia plant when a leaf fell into his cup. He left it to brew and reportedly enjoyed the taste. Originally a drink for the wealthy due to its high cost, the East India Company played a major role in importing tea into the UK in large quantities in the 17th century, helping to make it more affordable to the wider public.

Legend has it that Chinese farmers would train and use monkeys to gather tea leaves as shown in this copperplate engraving, 1821.

5TH JANUARY

WINTER-FLOWERING HONEYSUCKLE

Lonicera fragrantissima

This flower was introduced to the UK from China in 1845 and to the USA a few years later. It was grown in gardens and around the doors of homes in Victorian times to ward off evil spirits and witches. The plant itself benefits many creatures, attracting the elephant hawk-moth, which is preyed upon by bats. The climbing stems provide nest sites for birds and the new shoots attract blackfly, which feed ladybirds and lacewings.

A delight to see in January, winter-flowering honeysuckle provides a much-needed food source for insects.

6TH JANUARY

NERINE/BOWDEN LILY

Nerine bowdenii

Named after the sea nymphs of Greek legend, the Nereids, these flowers are found in the mountain scree of South Africa and were first introduced to Britain at the beginning of the 20th century. The flowers are produced after the leaves die down, creating a colourful display, and they are a provider of nectar late in the year for insects. Nerines are believed to represent freedom and good fortune.

Growing wild in South Africa, the Bowden lily flowers from the summer into the autumn months.

7TH JANUARY

YELLOW SAGE/COMMON LANTANA

Lantana camara

Native to South America, this plant is now popular in gardens in temperate countries and cultivated indoors where temperatures are not naturally warm enough. It was first brought to Europe by Dutch explorers, and later to Asia where unfortunately it grows too happily, having since established itself as a weed. Studies have shown the leaves can contain antimicrobial, fungicidal and insecticidal properties, and they have certainly been used in traditional medicine for the treatment of illnesses including measles and chickenpox.

In Central and South America where common lantana is native, it blooms frequently and can be seen in flower this month.

8TH JANUARY

CHILEAN LANTERN TREE

Crinodendron hookerianum

From Chile, as the name suggests, this evergreen shrub produces many lantern-shaped, crimson flowers suspended on long stalks. Popular as an exotic-looking plant that can tolerate cold weather in sheltered spots, it thrives in the UK and grows best in slightly acidic soils. The botanical name combines the Greek words krinon meaning ‘lily’ and dendron meaning ‘tree’. In Chile, it is used in traditional medicine to induce vomiting to expel toxins from the body.

Growing in its home of native Chile, the buds of the Chilean lantern tree form in autumn and then flower in the summer months.

9TH JANUARY

NIGHT-SCENTED PHLOX

Zaluzianskya ovata

Grown for its intense fragrance, which is particularly noticeable at night, this plant is native to southern Africa. During the day, the red buds are visible, and these unfurl slowly to reveal the white flowers in the evening, releasing a strong and spicy fragrance. It is popular with gardeners around the world, especially grown in pots during the warmer months in cooler climates.

Night-scented phlox fills the night air of southern Africa with perfume, where it grows wild in the summer months.

10TH JANUARY

HOLY BASIL

Ocimum tenuiflorum

Closely related to common basil, this plant plays an important role in Hinduism, where it is known as tulsi and is said to be a manifestation of the goddess of the same name. Lord Krishna is said to wear a garland of the leaves and flowers around his neck, with the plant believed to protect and purify. The leaves are edible and have a pungent flavour, which is reminiscent of clove, mint and basil, and is intensified when cooked.

Holy basil is widespread in the Indian subcontinent and used alongside turmeric as part of Indian Ayurvedic medicine.

11TH JANUARY

FALLING STARS

Crocosmia aurea

Found in South Africa around stream banks and forest margins, the name ‘crocosmia’ comes from the Greek words krokos meaning ‘saffron’ and osme meaning ‘smell’. It is said that the dried flowers placed in warm water create a saffron-like scent. A member of the iris family, crocosmia are also known as montbretia. In the wild, the plant provides food for birds, which eat the seeds after the flowers have gone over, while bush pigs feed on the corms. The tall stems make the plant attractive in a vase as a cut flower.

This illustration by Walter Fitch, from Curtis’s Botanical Magazine (1847), shows the flowers of falling stars, which bloom in South Africa’s summer months.

12TH JANUARY

BANANA

Musa acuminata

Parent to many of the modern edible dessert bananas now eaten around the world (including the most widely consumed banana cultivar, ‘Dwarf Cavendish’), Musa acuminata is native to southern Asia and was first cultivated by humans around 8000 BCE. Each flower forms part of a group (known as an inflorescence) and grows horizontally from the trunk. The female flowers are found near the base and develop into fruit, while the male flowers are located higher up and do not. The plant is also grown for ornamental purposes, including as a houseplant in cooler parts of the world.

Musa acuminata, known much more commonly to us as banana, can produce large flowers all year round in tropical countries or inside large, heated greenhouses.

13TH JANUARY

BACOPA

Chaenostoma Cordatum

Originating from South Africa, along both coastal stretches as well as forested kloofs (valleys), the name Chaenostoma is derived from the Greek meaning ‘gaping mouth’ referring to the wide, open centre of the small, star-shaped flowers. The word cordatum is from Latin, referring to the heart-shaped leaves. It is a tender plant, used in hanging baskets for summer growing in temperate countries, producing many cascading flowers. After flowering, the fruit is produced in the form of a capsule containing amber-coloured seeds.

While the flowers of Chaenostoma cordatum are white, bred cultivars produce flowers in pink and purple such as bacopa ‘Gulliver Violet’ which are popular for ornamental displays and bloom all year round in South Africa.

14TH JANUARY

WINTER JASMINE

Jasminum nudiflorum

Native to China, this flower is now widely cultivated and popular due to its abundance of flowers produced on bare stems before leaves form each year. Known in China as the flower that welcomes spring, it provides an abundance of foliage, which is often used to cover walls in gardens. The scentless flowers have been admired in the West since the Scottish botanist Robert Fortune first brought the plant over to Britain from China in 1844.

Popular and reliable for cheery colour in the darker months, winter jasmine starts flowering from January through to March in British gardens.

15TH JANUARY

AFRICAN LILY / LILY OF THE NILE

Agapanthus africanus

Seen as a symbol of love, the Latin name of this flower comes from the Greek word agape meaning ‘love’ and anthos meaning ‘flower’. It is native to South Africa, where it is regarded as an aphrodisiac, and has been worn by women for strength and to boost fertility. It is also believed to protect against unwanted thunderstorms. African lilies are grown in gardens around the world as their large blue-headed flowers provide impressive displays throughout warmer months.

The African lily which flowers in South Africa’s late summer, is depicted here in a hand-coloured copperplate engraving by George Cooke (1817).

16TH JANUARY

ORANGE WITCH HAZEL

Hamamelis × intermedia ‘Jelena’

This is one of the most popular witch-hazel cultivars, producing an abundance of orange flowers, rather than the more commonly seen yellow blooms. The flowers curl like narrow strips of fruit peel, releasing a strong citrussy scent. It was bred in the 1950s by Belgian plant breeder Robert de Belder, and named for his wife, who was a highly regarded botanist and horticulturist in her own right. It was the recognition of this plant that led them to design what would later become a world-famous botanical garden, Arboretum Kalmthout.

A blue tit lands on the winter blooming branches of witch hazel ‘Jelena’, which produces orange blooms from January and throughout February.

17TH JANUARY

CORNELIAN CHERRY

Cornus mas

Native to southern Europe and southwestern Asia, this deciduous tree produces small yellow flowers in late winter. The flowers are produced before the leaves emerge, which make them particularly attractive in gardens. It was first introduced to the West during the Middle Ages where it was grown in monastic gardens. Following the flowers are red fruit, which are very bitter until they are completely ripe, by which time they taste like plums. The plant is mentioned in various works of classical literature, including Homer’s Odyssey, where the followers of Odysseus are fed with the fruits of the tree after they are transformed into pigs.

This engraving by Jean Matheus in Renouard’s translation of Ovid’s Metamorphoses, shows Circe with a dish of Cornelian cherries, having turned Odysseus’s followers into pigs (c.1610).

18TH JANUARY

ALGERIAN IRIS

Iris unguicularis

This winter-flowering iris is faintly and sweetly scented with delicate markings on its lavender petals. Native to Greece, Turkey and some surrounding areas, the flowers appear for a few months from midwinter, making them desirable with gardeners as early-flowering plants. The cultivar Iris unguicularis ‘Mary Barnard’ is particularly popular, winning awards for being especially reliable and having a darker purple colour to the blooms.

Iris unguicularis, also known as the winter iris, defies the cold and can be found in bloom this month, making it a valuable plant for gardeners.

19TH JANUARY

WINTERSWEET

Chimonanthus praecox

Native to China, this is another popular garden plant as it provides scented flowers in midwinter, before leaves have started to emerge. Brought over to Britain from China in 1766, Lord Coventry planted it in his conservatory at Croome Court, as it was only 100 years later that it was understood to be a winter-hardy plant. Evidently a hit, the so-called ‘father of English gardens’ John Loudon proclaimed that ‘No garden should be without it.’ The scent has been described as a mix of jonquil-type daffodils and violets. As with other heavily scented sweet flowers, the smell is almost unpleasant in excess, so should really be used sparingly when brought inside the home.

Wintersweet produces a heady fragrance in winter gardens to attract pollinators.

20TH JANUARY

OREGON GRAPE ‘WINTER SUN’

Mahonia × media ‘Winter Sun’

A plant bred by crossing Mahonia oiwakensis subsp. lomariifolia and Mahonia japonica, this cultivar is favoured for producing flowers earlier in the year. The fragrant flowers that bloom on arching stems are followed by purple berries into the summer months. As an evergreen plant, it is grown to add architectural structure to a garden, and with spiny leaves reminiscent of a holly, it is also used to discourage trespassers.

The evergreen shrub Oregon grape ‘Winter Sun’ produces many bold and bright flowers in mid-winter.

21ST JANUARY

EVERGREEN CLEMATIS!

Clematis cirrhosa

Popular with gardeners as it flowers through the winter months, this plant is native to the Mediterranean. It is a climber with bell-shaped flowers, followed by silky seed heads once the blooms have gone over. This plant has popular cultivars, such as ‘Wisley Cream’ named after the famous garden in which it was raised: the Royal Horticultural Society Garden Wisley in Surrey, England. Another common name is Early Virgin’s Bower, which refers to the habit of the abundantly produced flowers to cascade downwards, the colour white being a reference to virginity.

The evergreen clematis produces many large blooms in the winter months. ‘Freckles’, shown, is speckled with maroon freckles.

22ND JANUARY

MĀNUKA/MANUKA

Leptospermum scoparium

Honey has been used as a traditional medicine for over 2,000 years, with the creamier and slightly nutty-tasting Manuka honey regarded as the most effective. The Manuka bush is commonly found across the coasts of the North and South Islands of New Zealand and parts of Australia, where it is believed to have originated. The Maori people of New Zealand have long recognized the healing properties of this plant. The nectar of the flowers contains high levels of methylglyoxal and phenols, known for their particularly effective antibacterial and antiseptic qualities.

Manuka flowers for only a few weeks at the beginning of summer in New Zealand, with each individual bloom opening for just a few days.

23RD JANUARY

CARRION FLOWER

Stapelia gigantea

This flowering plant is native to desert regions of South Africa and Tanzania, and popular with many collectors of succulent plants. The flowers are large and star-shaped with a silky texture; they exude a smell of rotting flesh in order to attract the flies that pollinate it and can grow up to 40cm (16in) in diameter. It is believed the plant was traditionally used to treat what was historically termed ‘hysteria’.

The starfish-shaped blooms of the carrion flower can be spotted in sandy and rocky areas during South Africa’s spring and summer months.

24TH JANUARY

PLUM

Prunus mume

Also known as Japanese apricot, which is a more accurate description of the fruit it produces than ‘plum’, this deciduous tree is grown more for ornamental purposes than for the fruit itself. In mid- to late winter it puts on a display of pink flowers that have a slightly spicy fragrance. The flowers are followed by apricot-like fruit, but unlike the species grown for eating, these are bitter and the stone inside clings to the flesh. The flower has long been depicted in Chinese art and poetry, symbolizing both winter and the coming of spring.

The winter-flowering plum blossom is shown here in this colour woodblock mokuhanga, from the Japanese edition of Wang Gai’s Jieziyuan Huazhuan or Mustard Seed Garden Painting Manual (1812).

25TH JANUARY

PURPUS HONEYSUCKLE

Lonicera × purpusii

This hybrid plant was created from two Chinese species, Lonicera fragrantissima and Lonicera standishii in Germany in the 1920s. The flowers have a strong, characteristic honeysuckle scent. Popular with gardeners as it can tolerate cold weather and flowers in the middle of winter, the cultivar ‘Winter Beauty’ is particularly popular. The tubular flowers are produced before the leaves emerge, showing on the bare branches. Unlike many honeysuckles, this plant grows as a shrub with an arching form, rather than as a climber.

One of the most popular winter-flowering plants for gardeners, fragrant blooms of purpus honeysuckle will flower until March.

26TH JANUARY

STINKING HELLEBORE

Helleborus foetidus

Native to the UK, as well as parts of central and southern Europe, this plant is poisonous so care must be taken handling it. While the flowers are not particularly foul smelling, crushing the leaves produces an odour sometimes compared to beef. The plant is evergreen and the flowers a yellowish green. The many stamens make it a valuable source of nectar for bees and other pollinators at this time of year. It has been found that yeast inside the flowers helps the plant attract pollinators by raising the temperature and therefore increasing the evaporation of scented compounds into the air.

This elegant native flower, the stinking hellebore, will start to flower from this month into early spring.

27TH JANUARY

DAFFODIL ‘RIJNVELD’S EARLY SENSATION’

Narcissus ‘ Rijnveld’s Early Sensation’

If you spot a compact, bold yellow daffodil out in bloom this early in the year, there’s a good chance it is this cultivar. A pure, golden colour, ‘Rijnveld’s Early Sensation’ is popular with gardeners for bringing colour to the winter garden. With a slight fragrance, this flower is also able to tolerate the snow, making it a reliable favourite. In Greek mythology, Narcissus, whom some believe daffodils are named after as a reference to their nodding flowers, was the son of the river god Cephissus and the nymph Liriope. He was known for his beauty and fell in love with his own reflection in a pool of water; as this was unobtainable, Narcissus pined away.

Narcissus shown here admiring his own reflection in a hand-coloured halftone reproduction of a 19th-century illustration by an unknown artist.

28TH JANUARY

PERSIAN IRONWOOD

Parrotia persica

A relative to witch hazel, this plant is native to northern Iran. During this month and the next, the flowers bloom in crimson clusters at the tips of bare branches. The name ‘ironwood’ refers to the tree’s extremely dense wood. As well as the flowers, the flaking bark makes an attractive feature in winter. The flowers themselves do not have petals; it is the flower stamens emerging from the buds that produce the vibrant and attractive colour.

The bright red buds of the Persian ironwood grace its bare branches from January and into February.

29TH JANUARY

NEPALESE PAPER PLANT

Daphne bholua

A popular winter-flowering plant, with the cultivar ‘Jacqueline Postill’ a particular favourite in gardens as it always flowers in January. The flowers are typical of other daphnes and produce a sweet, citrus-like scent. Native to China and Nepal, as the common name suggests, the flowers are rich in nectar, popular with bees and followed by very dark purple berries.

Daphne bholua ‘Jacqueline Postill’ produces clusters of fragrant flowers for a few weeks in the middle of winter.

30TH JANUARY

GLAUCOUS SCORPION-VETCH

Coronilla valentina subsp. glauca

Heavily fragrant and with a scent resembling peaches – yellow, pea-like blooms adorn this plant from late January into spring. Native to the Mediterranean, the cultivar ‘Citrina’ with lemon-yellow flowers is more commonly grown in gardens. The genus name Coronilla refers to the way in which the flowers are produced in a rounded shape, like a crown. The subspecies glauca, as the name suggests, is a plant with grey-green foliage as opposed the greener foliage of Coronilla valentina.

Common brimstone butterflies hibernate over winter but can still be spotted feeding on the nectar of flowers such as the glaucous scorpion-vetch on warm, sunny days.

31ST JANUARY

COMMON CHICKWEED

Stellaria media

Native to Eurasia, this plant is now found throughout much of the world and regarded as a weed. It is edible and nutritious, eaten by both birds and humans (although it is not recommended for those pregnant or breastfeeding). The white flowers comprise five sets of petals that resemble rabbit ears. The genus name Stellaria refers to the flower’s star-shape form. In traditional medicine it has been used to treat skin conditions and arthritis alongside many other ailments.

Chickweed is a low-growing plant that is rich in minerals and makes a nutritious snack for chickens. Humans can eat it too, in salads.