HELLO

Welcome to the blog of my Wild Flower Meadow for 2015.
A bit late starting this year due to nasty persistent virus that was so difficult to eradicate.
Sadly this may be the last year I may be keeping a blog for my meadow . The house and acre of land will be going on the market in the not too distant future . The new owners may put the land back to grazing or development who knows .
I sincerely hope not.
I hope it will be as loved and nurtured as It has been since I started it in 2006
In the mean time I will endeavour to keep the blog up to date with lots of pictures showing how the plants and wildlife play out in 2015 .I hope you enjoy viewing it as much as I do producing it.
Please pop back from time to time to see the new additions and feel free to add any comments

Thursday 26 July 2012

More flowers for July

Although the awful rainy windy weather continues with only an odd sunny day here and there the Meadow flowers continue flowering.. Admittedly all the flowers   are a lot taller than usual ladies bedstraw for example  is about 4 feet tall where as in a dry summer it would be 12 to 15 inches high.likewise the grasses .With the excessive rain the grass is starting to flatten with the weight of the water.This means the overall view of the meadow is not as nice as usual
Greater knapweed
 Centaurea scabiosa
2012m167

Hairy willow herb
Epilobium hirsutum
2012m169

Himalayan Balsam
Impatiens glandulifera
 2012m170

Ladies Bedstraw
 Galium  verum
2012m164

Lesser knapweed
 Centaurea nigra
 2012 m167

Ragwort
 Senecio jacobaea
2012m168


St Johns Wort
 Hypericum  perforatum
 2012m166

Amazing Comfrey oil

In an earlier post I promised to show how I made comfrey oil . Although not strictly a post about the meadow I do grow wild plants there that I use for medicinal purposes for myself and my family, also cosmetic creams and soaps to use in my own home.
Comfrey is my favorite of all and it is used in great quantities

Comfrey ready for harvesting

Pick a large armful

Remove leaves from stem

Roughly chop

Put into slow cooker
and press down

Add a litre of good olive oil

Cover and simmer for 48 hours

Strain in sieve and leave
for 24 hours to ensure all
of  the available oil is extracted.
. Then bottle.

1)   I keep it handy in the kitchen as it used regularly by my grand daughters as while playing on their roller skates and skate boards they are always coming in with grazes from falls. Something in the comfrey stops the stinging immediately as well as helping with the healing. I have used it on them since they were babies and they know well what relief it brings.
2)   Comfrey oil on a knock that would bruise, if applied immediately the blue will disappear and not be as painful.
3)   Comfrey is amazing for cramp in the legs ,I often wake in the night with cramp in my calf .If I rub on some comfrey and the cramp eases in about 30 seconds
4)   Likewise with pulled muscles and sprains
5)   It is also good for rheumatic pain and will quickly ease the pain when rubbed into the spot. It wont make the pain stay away forever but you can always apply more
6)   As with all good things there is always a down side with my Comfrey oil it’s the colour, green skin and also green bedding It will wash out and I think its well worth the trouble. The darker the oil the stronger the mix and efficacious it is

Friday 13 July 2012

A July wild flower update

A lovely bright sunny day a chance to cut the grass.Sadly although I was cutting for about 3/4 of an hour I didn't see ONE butterfly or moth even the bumble bees are in short supply .I don't think I have ever seen such small ones I have only seen 3 butterflies in 2012.



Meadow Sweet
 Spiraea ulmaria
2012m159
Common Chicory
Cichorium intybus
 2012m163

Evening Primrose
Oenothera  glazioviana
2012 m158

Hedge Bedstraw
 Galium  mollugo
2012161


Petty Spurge
 Euphorbia peplus
2012 m162

Sneezewort
Achillea ptarmica
 2012m160

Sunday 8 July 2012

Searching for orchids

This was my favourite  last year . This year it was more difficult to find due to the very wet  weather the grass is higher and thicker .Thankfully I found just one slug eaten specimen.  At least its still hanging on by the skin of its teeth. Perhaps there will be more next year 

Heath Spotted-orchid Dactylorhiza maculata
2012 m157

Even more wild flowers after weeks of rain

Rosebay Willow Herb
 Chamerion augustifolium
2012 147
Corn Marrigold
chrysanthemum segetum
 2012m144

Fairy Flax
Linum catharticum
2012m148

Giant knapweed
 Centaurea macrocephala
 2012 m156


Red Shanks
Persicaria maculosa Gray,
2012m149

Hedge Bindweed
Calystegia  sepium
 2012 m150

Corn Cockle
Agrostemma githago
2012 m151

Cornflower
Centaurea cyanus
2012 m152

Feverfew
Tanacetum  parthenium
 2012 m153

Field Bindweed
Convolvulus arvensis
 2012m154

Meadow Sweet
Filipendula ulmaria
2012 m155


Saturday 7 July 2012

Bumper post of wild flowers after the rain

Spear Thistle 2
Cirsium vulgare
2012 m139

Hoary Mustard
 Hirschfeldia incana
 2012 m133

Roman Chamomile
Chamaemelum nobile
2012m146

Spear Thistle
Cirsium vulgare
2012m139

St Johns Wort
Hypericum perforatum
2012 145

Tormentil
Potentilla erecta
2012 m135

White Clover
 Trifolium repens
2012m140

Wild Catmint
 Trifolium repens
 2012m141

Knotgrass
 Polygonum aviculare
2012 m142

More wild flowers for July

Broard-leaved Willow Herb
Epilobium montanum
 2012 m126

Chickweed Willow Herb
 Epilobium alsinifolium
2012 m127

Marsh Willow Herb
 Epilobium palustre
 2012 m128

Motherwort
 Leonurus cardiaca
 2012 m132

Pale Persicaria
Polygonum lapathifolium
2012 m 131

Pink Oriental Poppy
Papaver orientalis
2012 m129

Wood Avens
 Geum urbanum
2012 m 130