Things we don’t see

[Oma]

We went to Home bargains after lunch and I bought a candle it was Buttercup and Daisy smell,

We we’re just talking about this this morning , our neighbour has lots of daisies on her lawn and as we drove out of the street we noticed lots of other lawns and the grass verges have daisies and Dandelions and clover. but you never see Buttercups these days,
I wonder why?

Even on the wild bits the gardeners haven’t mowed to encourage wild flowers have none that we can see ,
Are they dying out ?
When we were young I remember the school fields had hundreds of Buttercups and Daisies.

[Plantaholic]

I think you are right Oma, I haven’t noticed any buttercups. I will look out for them.

[Daisy]

Oma, worry not! Buttercups are alive and thriving in our back garden. The lawn is more buttercup than grass and I am forever digging them out of the borders! They enjoy the boggy conditions we so kindly offer them.

[Gemini]

That's where the buttercups are then Daisy!

We do get lots of daisies which look so pretty until the lawn is cut! Not many buttercups though.

[Oma]

So Daisy has all the Buttercups then 😁
They do look pretty Gem shame they get de headed with the mower x

[Nanto2girls]

We have some buttercups as well.

[Daisy]

That's good, Nanto. I was beginning to worry that I had responsibility for the last surviving habitat for them.

We've got daisies and dandelions plus a few other flowing plants as well - I may turn our lawn into a wild flower patch (meadow is too grand a word for our little lawn).

[Gemini]

Oh we have far too many dandelions!

[Daisy]

Gem, I read somewhere that dandelions are a vital early source of food for bees, especially solitary bees. So if you leave them to flower you're doing your bit for bees which are under threat from so many different human activities.

[Sum1Ls]

Not just buttercups but the dreaded three cornered leeks have invaded my front garden. Pretty but so invasive they’re Schedule 5

[Oma]

Sum1
I had to google them as I’ve never heard of three cornered leeks,
They are very pretty though arnt they .

[Plantaholic]

Must look them up

[Lizzie48]

Whilst cycling home from Zoetermeer I did see some buttercups on the banks of the dykes. What I have never seen here are cowslips!

[Plantaholic]

Love cowslips, we have them around here, I have one plant in the garden border.

[Daisy]

Oma, I had to Google them, as well. They are pretty and they are edible, it seems, but they are considered to be invasive and mustn't be planted in the wild.

Last year, for the first time, we had Groundsel growing in our garden, adding to what I'm sure is a rich menu of food for various species (I live in hope!) but I do remember collecting groundsel leaves to give to my pet canaries. So I've assumed it is probably attractive to other bird species, and as it's easy to pull out if necessary I've let it live in peace.

I've just Googled groundsel and it's one of only two plant species that provide food for cinnabar moth caterpillars. The other plant species is ragwort. We get lots of ragwort on open grassy areas of the Forest, but it can kill foals and young horses so these plants are removed and destroyed every year. So my few groundsel "weeds" have got themselves a home in our garden.