By: Blonde One
It’s normally the job of Blonde Two to be in charge of all things floral on our expeditions. She has tried to educate several of our DofE teams and been teased for her efforts. It seems that teenagers aren’t generally that interested in flowers!
Whilst on the Isles of Scilly I tried to make her proud of me and kept a mental list of all of the stunning flowers that I saw. Normally when we visit the islands are full of agapanthas, but since we visited earlier in the year than normal we were treated to all sorts of other flowers. I don’t pretend to know anything about them except that they are all beautiful. Some may be classed as weeds and some might be prize blooms worthy of a Chelsea place, but all of them helped to make our week perfect.
The islands are known for their daffodil growing and I have been lucky enough to have received several deliveries from www.scillyflowers.co.uk both daffodils and other bouquets.
The island of Tresco is almost all taken over by Abbey Gardens which is home to sub-tropical plants and flowers normally grown in countries such as Brazil and South Africa.
Blonde Two would be in her element!
I too struggle with flower identification. I have a very good book, but despite the genius of Linnaeus the classification of flora really needs a degree in botany to understand. With birds it is different and by the great man’s system they are divided into groups that are obviously recognisable and much easier to understand.
I must remember to tell Blonde One that I knew the names of most of her flowers. She is right, I would be in my element on Tresco and she might find me stowed away in her rucksack next time she visits Little-Miss-Blonde and Numbers!
Lots of plants can’t be identified without a magnifying glass to help you see their finer points – even those lovely little speedwells – well that’s what I thought they were in my childhood – but now I know some of the 25 or so varieties (unbotanical word) have two raised lines of hairs down their stems that must be opposite to each other, or blunt sepals, or they have fruits that are (or aren’t) notched, or red eyes, or their hairs are sticky, or their leaves are fingered – or nearly fingered – or gently lobed – or like ivy leaves (well more-or-less) – – – but hey! They are all pretty aren’t they? That’s what they are – pretty flowers.
Love the piccies, B1. Thanks.