Wild flowers of West Cork

THIS MOMENT IN TIME

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The scairbhin (scaroveen) has almost come to an end.  For the past few days there was an icy east wind, quite blustery, a little crazy, it blew over the land.  Locally this wind is known to arrive between mid-April and mid-May. Also around here it is known as the “rough weather of the cuckoo”, as happens around the time that the cuckoo arrives, it is also the final bit of cold before the summer.  But the days are getting warmer all the same.  Yes this moment in time is just perfect, I look out at the trees, moving in the wind, and their young leaves a vibrant green, and I sometimes wish I could stop time.  Early spring in nature is awesome!

The sodden feeling underfoot in the garden is gone and so it is time to take the growing season more serious, whipping out detailed plans and giving them an overview, while being on the ground so to say.  Taking in what is happening, and bearing in mind that my garden more of less dictates what goes on in there, I adjust my ground plan.  My garden is mostly filled with wild plants and herbs, and also some quite residential shrubs which supply good and strong colour.  New for this season, is that a little plant, which I have been pulling up year after year, I’m now going to allow it to grow, it is the herb Robert, it usually thrives well, I love its scent when I crush a leave or disturb it in any way.  Beautiful, it grows in an interesting way, the fine red stems and light green leaves radiate from the centre, the little pink flowers delicate.  

At the moment the three cornered leeks have rather taken over the borders, beautiful nodding white flowers streaked with fine green lines, I also love their delicate garlic taste.  Buttercups have started to bloom, they are some of my favourite flowers.  Daisies, white with a flourish of pink are also willing partakers of my garden, as are dandelions, all these are so important for our pollinators especially early in spring.  From year to year evening primrose, mullein and the different willow herbs have become well established.  Besides all this the usual herbs are enjoying regrowth and looking robust already.

What used to be a lawn is now just tufts of grass, part of it marked for winter vegetables like leeks, celery and kale.  And I set up the small tunnel today, I’m going to try my hand at growing some tomatoes this year, my sister Eveline is very good at growing big bright red and deliciously tasting tomatoes year after year, and she is giving me advice.  It is nice to try something new.  So I bought some tomato plants at the market earlier

In the next few days attention will go to getting the new large planter ready for my summer greens and small herbs like thyme and chives. 

Thankfully the garden is already alive with bumblebees, so nice to see the pollinators.

My garden is an adventure, an experiment, a place of observance, a real joy, where I find solace in this chaotic world.  It is a place where I feel good, relaxing on the bench under the hawthorn tree, cup of tea in hand, listening to the birds singing, or just soaking up the sunshine. 

JUST NOW

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Just now we returned from catching some fresh air and admiring the beauty of Loch Hyne some 10 minutes drive from here. There were many people, young and old swimming and more people chatting over cups of tea. The sun had come out and it was now actually warm. A most beautiful evening and a great ambience.

Tranquil and lovely

Spurrey

I noticed two new flowering plants that I want to identify. Ok I think that both these two photos are Sea Spurreys. The one on the right might be Greater Sea spurrey (Spergularia media) but I have a suspicion that it is actually Rock Spurrey but in order to confirm that I have to go back and check the underside of the sepals. This little flower has 10 stamens and the sepals are shorter than the petals. The photo on the left, I will also go and double check this little plant, it is a Spurrey but I am not sure which one, probably the same as the one on the right but not in as good a condition. So some homework for me to do.

Cat’s-ear

Common Cat’s-ear
English Stonecrop
More lichens
Lichens growing on the stone wall.

We both feel refreshed and ready to head into a peaceful night.

A NEW WALK

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As from a few days ago, and after a lockdown period of over seven weeks we over seventies are allowed out for a daily walk. Well I did not have to be told twice and though it was raining for the last two days I did go out. But today the sun shone and it was mild again and beautiful. I badly needed to connect with nature big time, and so I choose a walk which was the last walk my grandchildren and I did together in early February. It is a country road close to our town, taking you right out into farmland, a sight to behold, beautiful.
Right along there is a wealth of spring flowers to be found. The speedwell’s especially were plentiful. The bluebells are only starting, but the violets have been open for a while. I also found stitchwort, buttercups, red clover, lesser celandine, and much more fresh and bright flowers. In the distance I heard a corn-crake calling and from the hedges and trees there was much bird song.
The sun playing through the leaves of the trees threw dappled shadows on to the road, something that I love to see whether it is in a painting or in reality.
An original Irish gate pillar in natural stone. And the path winds along the curves of the landscape.
This is farm land, lovely to behold and behind those hills in the distance is the sea, the Atlantic Ocean!
I was pleasantly surprised by so many speedwell flowers, a gentle blue in tiny flowers. and the plantain is flowering already, always good to know where one can source this as it is good to treat insect bites.
I enjoyed my walk very much and feel nourished by my connection with nature. I hope that wherever you live you are now allowed out too and can find pleasure and joy in your walks.

MY EARLY MORNING WALK

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A few mornings ago I awoke real early and immediately decided to go for a walk. The sun was still only just reaching over the hills to the East. A walk around the block, and a little bit further seemed very inviting. We live almost on top of a hill, the walk would take me along the top of this hill and then down toward the town centre and up again taking the path called the ‘rock’ which overlooks the centre of the town and the river Ilen in a most fantastic way. Some hundred years ago people used to live there in small cabins. The remains of these pre-famine cabins have been excavated. In some places the rock face had actually been used as a wall, even some niches were cut into the rock wall. See my earlier blog about this dig at:
https://gaiainaction.blog/2015/07/09/an-interesting-dig-in-skibbereen
This morning’s walk did not take me quite as far as the site of the rock cabins. However, the lane leading up to them is a wonderful bit of woodland, birds were singing beautifully, it was an awesome moment to listen to them there.
  • Vicia cracca – tufted vetch
  • Succisa pratensis – Devil’s bit scabious
  • Fly on yarrow flowers
  • Hoverfly on blackberry flowers
  • Senecio jacobaea – common ragwort

These are only some of the wild flowers that I find growing along the roadside, and in the Boreen along this walk. We are experiencing rather warm and dry weather in the past week or two and it shows in the abundance of flowers. And though insects in general are on the decline, I’ve seen several butterflies recently, among them a few painted ladies and one meadow brown.

And so the walk goes on, along the road leading down into the town. I have always admired this scenery.
  • Malva sylvestris – common mallow
  • Calystegia sepium – hedge bindweed
  • Lythrum salicaria – purple-loosestrife
  • Cochleria officinalis – common scurvy grass
  • Unidentified speedwell
  • Ladybird on thistle
  • Anthyllis vulneraria – kidney vetch
  • Another view looking down at the town of Skibbereen
  • Path to the rock, very quiet apart from birdsong, and very beautiful, tranquil and peaceful.
  • Ferns grow here under the trees
  • Amazing rocks, shale or slate
So my walk carried on along all the many beautiful and interesting wild plants and flowers. The speedwell which I could not identify I have seen growing in a little brook along the road for many years. I think that it might be either creeping speedwell or thyme-leaved speedwell. Its leaves are glossy and they grow differently along the stem from most speedwells. A mystery to me! The common scurvy grass, also newly identified, grows in the same brook.
  • Erica cinerea – bell heather
  • And more rocks
  • Scrophularia nodose – common figwort
  • Trifolium pratense – red clover
  • C.nigra – Black knapweed

The abundance of wild plants and flowers is amazing and wonderful, while making the walks interesting and ever changing. Always something new to find and explore or look up after coming home. I am not sure about the bird that I hear singing but if you would tell me that it was a nightingale, then I would believe you, it was quite magical. The other bird was a chiffchaff.

Have you had an interesting walk recently? I know that many of my followers and the friends that I follow are into walking and enjoying it very much. May I wish you happy times.