Weed Walking

 

I mentioned in my post yesterday that I went for a short Weed Walk (twice, actually) along a quiet country roadside.  There were several interesting grass and weed specimens to look at.

I like the unfurling fronds on this Bracken fern (Pteridium esculentum).

Japanese Honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) is classified as a pest, but where it had been left to roam the air was filled with delicious scent and it was difficult to think of it as being ill-favoured.

Several grasses were in flower, including this perennial Cocksfoot grass (Dactylis glomerata). 

Cocksfoot first arrived here in 1867 and is still popular today as it makes a good compliment to Ryegrass when used in pasture mixes.

Timothy grass (Phleum pratense) is another important perennial pasture grass.  It is both palatable and nutritious for stock, and traditionally makes the best hay for feeding to horses.

Ox-eye Daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare) always looks too pretty to be called a weed, but it can be very invasive.  Cattle will not eat it and most herbicides are ineffective against it, with the best form of control appearing to be grazing by sheep.

The yellow Lotus (Lotus uliginosus) is also known as the Greater Bird’s Foot Trefoil.  It has proved valuable as a pasture legume, especially in areas where White Clover has difficulty in getting established.

Wild life must love areas like this, providing them with shelter and food.  In this age of agricultural efficiency, it is good to see that some farmers still allow a few of these corners to survive.

I hope everyone is having a great week 😊

Margaret.

Feeling Foolish

A Dandelion seed-head

Perhaps I can blame getting older?  Or maybe I’m suffering from Grandma-itis?  Or the malady of forgot-to-screw-your-head-on-the-right-way?  Whatever the cause, I still feel so stupid turning up for an all-day class on the wrong day!  Right place, right time, just the wrong day.  Duh!

After waiting a suitable period of time I had returned home to check the details of the event.  I was ready to do battle to get my deposit back, but instead had to face the very humbling experience of finding it was me in the wrong.  I had entered it into my phone calendar on the wrong day – it should have been Sunday not Saturday.  I normally check my emails every day but didn’t do so yesterday.  If I had I would have received the reminder email sent out by the organisers and that would have made me look closer as it talked about Sunday.  Oh dear. 

Even though I may have some Senior Moments, I can have some Junior Moments too.  The odd yellow dandelion flower is popping up in the lawn and cheering the day up with its bright colour.  I love seeking out the seed-heads and blowing all the "fairies" away to bless other places.  I've enjoyed doing that for as long as I can remember.

Cheers,
Margaret

A Bit Of A Slow Day

Buttercups growing wild on a road verge

It has been a bit of a slow day today.  I slept in this morning after staying up to 2am to watch some of the rugby world cup matches in Japan.  Breakfast of Weetbix and a hot cup of tea, then did the usual daily stuff like making the bed and cleaning up the kitchen, washing some clothes and tidying up the house.  Son took his daughter out to the movies and then a spot of shopping as it is the last week of school holidays.  I took advantage of their absence and had a sneaky afternoon nap.  We had Chinese smorgasbord takeaways for dinner as a treat for grand-daughter, and then spent the evening doing a bit of television watching.  Just the usual mundane programmes until the first of a new sitcom series called Ghosts.  I believe it is an English production, and I don’t know if I am a bit strange or not but I found it hilarious.  It is a plain, very predictable comedy, probably a bit on the stupid side, but oh so funny.  I will be watching it again next week.

Off to have a proper sleep now,

Margaret