Wild clary, Salvia verbenaca, on rough grassland at the foot of the magnesian limestone ridge near Wentbridge.
Wild Clary
Category: Flowers
Daffodils
As part of a revamp of our front garden, I’ve just replanted half a bucket of daffodils, which, as they were all tête-à-tête, amounted to several hundred. I split any that were ready for splitting. They were already just starting to sprout so they should be in flower in a month or two.
Meanwhile I drew these larger shop-bought daffodils opening, using the Bellerive Pen in Procreate, drawing with an Apple Pencil on my iPad Pro.
Phormium
New Zealand Flax, Phormium tenax, Premier Inn, North Chesterfield.
Beetroot and Marigolds
Immediately I start drawing, a hoverfly zooms in and settle on the lime green top of my pen. As I work there’s a continuous chiff chaff and a v. loud blackbird, with house martins chittering overhead.
Despite several overnight frost setbacks our veg is making progress.
Groundsel, Fern and Sail Plant
A closer look at some of the uninvited plants which have made themselves at home around the raised bed behind the pond: groundsel in the disturbed soil (we do occasionally dig it) on top of the bed, lungwort at the edge of the wood-chip path and Spanish bluebell in damper soil.
A couple of house plants: a fern and our new sail plant, Spathiphyllum.
Peace Lily
The Peace Lily, Spathiphyllum, isn’t a lily but a member of the Arum family, so related to Cuckoo Pint, also known as Wild Arum.
Poinsettia and Hyacinth
As I draw the hyacinth, there’s a scent that reminds me of bluebell woods, a reminder that in a week’s time the days will be starting to get longer so spring isn’t too far away.
Knapweed Seedheads
Seedheads of common knapweed, Centaurea nigra, from my patch of wildflower meadow at the end of the garden.
Smooth Sow-thistle
Growing beside our compost bins, Smooth Sow-thistle, Sonchus oleraceus, is a common weed of disturbed ground.
The Collins flower guide mentions the ‘acute, spreading auricles’ at the base of the leaves as a diagnostic feature.
It steadily flopped as I drew it but since I finished it has perked up again, so I might get another chance to add a drawing of the shape of the leaf.
Guest Artist
A guest illustrator in my nature diary in the July ‘Dalesman’: Jenny Hawksley, who joined us for a lightning tour of the North Yorks Moors and coast last summer drew the garland of wild flowers.
