Blue Field Madder

In this field where last year cereals were cultivated many little wild plants show themselves already. This one makes cushions of many square stalks with verticillated leaves and it belongs evidently to the Madder family. They feel a bit rough, and every leaf ends in a point.

It is Blue Field Madder (Sherardia arvensis) and it flowers in spring, and often also later in the year.

But January, that is really too early. However, yesterday some lilac-coloured flowers showed temselves. This month of January has been far too warm, maybe that is why.

A plant in full bloom in May. No, you cannot say the flowers are blue, unless you consider lilac as a kind of blue.

Snowdrops

It rains cats and dogs and then again cats and dogs, everything is water-logged, the little stream became a torrent, and still the Snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis) go on flowering as if things are as usual and as if floating is their normal way of life.

In fect, maybe there is nothing unusual, this small stream is flooding nearly every year, and the Snowdrops go on flowering abindantly.

Rustyback

An old farm abandoned fifty years ago is now a ruin. Ferns grow amidst the remains, like here Rustyback (Asplenium ceterach).

It is a small fern with rather thick leaves that keep their dark green colour in winter.

Old stone walls are everywhere. Especially those that are old, delapidated and overgrown are the prefered habitat of Rustyback.

When spring comes it begins to unfurl new fronds of a much lighter green. Notice the underside of the older leaves which is covered in a kind of downy brown stuff. Those are the sporangia. And this is, of course, why this fern is called Rustyback. In dry weather the fronts roll up laterally and you only see the brown underside.

New leaves!