I have got back into my walking again since Scorchio arrived here on the Irish Riviera. According to the steps app on my phone I have walked the equivalent of 28 miles since last Wednesday.
On my walks in the countryside next to the sea. I noticed something that resembles a perennial that is in flower in our Northsider gardens at the moment:
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It is a native to Ireland, Spain and 🇵🇹. Like the Fuchsia and Montbretia and Gunnera I would imagine it was brought here or took from here. No there is too much of it for that. Maybe it is a native like rushes and furze?😊
Like Montbretia. It looks like a garden escapee but it isn't. They must be close cousins though and members of the Saxifrage family?
London Pride. A Saxifrage in flower 🌼 in our garden at the moment.
Apparently when the Blitz was going on in WW2 London. A lot of houses and gardens were bombed and burnt too a crisp.
It's rather like when they burn the Furze or Gorse on the hills near us. The lovely tender grass replaces the burnt embers after a few weeks.
Like wise in blitzed and war torn London.
The first perennial to come in flower was the Saxifrage and thus it got it's name: " London Pride".
It's a plant that comes back every year and it's worth adding to any perennial collection.
A good ground cover in awkward places and flowers at a good time too
ReplyDeleteA great ground cover perennial GZ and in the case of the Blitz, its bomb proof. An old garden favourite and an a hybrid maybe cousin of the St Patrick's Cabbage plant that is flowering everywhere in the West Cork countryside at the moment. It likes the acidic peaty soil and its leathery leaves give good protection from the Atlantic salt laden rains. Thanks GZ.
ReplyDeleteWe had lots of London Pride in our old garden. So far, there is just one here, in the small patch in front of the shed. I hope it multiplies.
ReplyDeleteIt will multiply and its easy to divide and propagate JayCee. Thanks.
DeleteI prefer to call St Patrick's cabbage - Saxifraga spathularis. A compact evergreen perennial, forming rosettes of spoon-shaped, leathery green leaves with coarsely toothed edges. Slender, upright stems to 30cm high bear loose clusters of pink or white flowers, sometimes with red spots on the petals, in late spring and summer. It is a member of the so-called Lusitanian flora, a small set of plants which are native to Ireland but inexplicably absent from Great Britain.
ReplyDeleteA bit like the Romans to Ireland YP. The called it Hibernia but never visited it. You know your stuff.
ReplyDeleteDo not be too impressed Dave! I confess that I just googled it! The Romans probably decided not to cross over to Ireland because of the high prices charged by Stena Line ferries.
DeleteThey should have used Ryanair or B and I ferries YP.
ReplyDeleteThat nice Michael O'Leary would have charged them extra for their Roman candles and their spears.
ReplyDeleteHe would have placed his standing up planes policy in operation and charged for using the outside toilets on the wings. Good Europa league wing for the Atalanta Italian lads last night.
ReplyDeleteThey gave Bayer Leverkusen a shock just as they had done to Liverpool in the quarter finals.
DeleteThey did. I think their manager would make a first class Premier league manager. Not forgetting their hatrick heo
Delete..hero even!
DeleteYour walks are full of colourful interest at this time of the year.
ReplyDeleteThey are Linda. I will post some more pictures soon.
ReplyDeleteIs the Saint's cabbage actually edible Dave? (I mean without causing serious tummy upsets or running ...)?
ReplyDeleteIt's got medicinal uses for skin complaints and stomach illnesses. I have read that people ate it during the Great famine of 1845-1852 Tigger's Mum.
ReplyDelete