Ouch !

Finally sorted out the database so that the "free text" bits are spell-check-able. AND arranged for spellcheck of Latin against the BSBI database.

A lot of mistakes have been revealed and corrected. Apologies to any site-visitors who were annoyed at the level of typos etc. We strive to improve.

Cultivars

... and variants of species / sub-species. I tend to the view that what is important is the species and the selected forms of the gardener no more than specially chosen examples. (This is oversimplifying of course - many garden daffodils / roses etc are very distant from their wild ancestors genetically.)
The site is now modified to deal with these consistently I hope. Main indexes list species / sub-species but there is now a Variant / Cultivar index as well.

Surprises in the garden

My garden may be rather untidy but it does support a wide range of interesting plants that "just happen".

Latest discovery is Scilla bifolia, hidden among daffodils and snowdrops that pre-date my time here.

Might have been introduced with the bulbs I suppose.

Other gems include Ivy Broomrape and the various species that have colonised the walls.

Yew

Anyone might notice a male Yew flowering - quite a show en masse even - but you only get to see the female flowers if you look for them. Which trees to look on ? The clue is in the old decaying berries from last year.

Leucojum flowering times

The plot thickens. I think the two sub-species of L. aestivum differ quite significantly in this parameter. Books like Stace don't commit on flowering time...

Spring just round the corner

But only apparent as Bluebell shoots and Opposite-leaved Golden Saxifrage in Long Wood. The recent cold has kept pretty much everything on hold in the garden as well. We have a cold weekend forecast but hopefully after that...

Oh - and Scarlet Cups (fungus) were brilliant in Long Wood.

It's been cold

So no obvious botanical walks to do. We climbed Brent Knoll on a superb day visibility wise; enjoyed the view at the top (if not the icy wind) and, lo and behold, coming back down round the south side found a sheltered pocket where the road verge had Sweet Violet and Celandine in profusion. The Celandines were probably a large-flowered sub-species but it was too early to check the distinguishing features for certain.