1 June                 Good Flowers and Good Water








All that glitters isn’t gold... or is it? A rapid instant spread of a young vigorous plant into a riot of joyous vivid golden; a mass of beautiful peachy petals; cool water gushing out of a shady rock cleft down 
a hill. A small marigold plant with closed green buds outside a local supermarket enticed me... I had been looking for traditional Pot Marigold. I should have noticed its thicker lusher green leaves. A fortnight of warmth and it transformed into a mat of golden petals. Maybe a gardener’s visual delight, BUT a ‘monster’ in disguise – a polyploid. 




Instead of central mini tube flowers with pollen and seed potential there were flamboyant petals. No food for insects. Genetically modified by chemicals to have four sets of chromosomes this marigold ticks priorities of flower size, flower number, thicker leaves, resilience to extreme 

conditions and bigger yield of beneficial pigments of carotenoids and flavonoids in our salad bowls... but no insects visit it, so NO good for the wildlife gardener.

 


And what about that rose delighting the keen gardener? It is indeed true glittering gold... old gold as within the flamboyant petals of Mrs Sam Mcgredy (1929), there is pollen to delight the bees. 


 

Old rose varieties usually still have the ‘kit’ for the biological function of flowers... to make seed. 

 


A wild rose from Scotland – it is a common misconception that to best benefit our wildlife, one has to stick to our endemic British wild plants. But insects choose the best, most appealing and nutritious foods and the biggest providers... not fussy about origins! Good news for the serious rose and flower gardener, just check stamens are present! 

 


 

And the glitter of fresh water gushing out of the hillside at Turleigh Trows? Is that the gold of water purity? That answer is in my next post on 15 June and watch out for your golden opportunity... 

 


 


See more roses and wonderful gardens on

14th June Winsley Open Gardens!

 

Look out for those with Nature Chain garden logo on show with their wildlife map features!

 

And Look out for the ponds in Winsley’s Open Gardens

 

June is the special month of the Wild Waters Festival!

Wildwatersfestival.com

 

You can make a difference by nurturing in your pond some of the native plants and creatures of our rivers and streams – helping species diversity so vital to water purity and health... 




Damselflies (12, 13, 14), Spearwort(15), Water Mint, Water forget-me-not, Yellow Flag (iris), Great Willowherb, Meadowsweet (16 in a pond, 17 by a stream). More watery species on 15 June!

 


 




Credits: 10 Winsley Open Gardens organisers. 13, 14 Bob Drower. Other photos Nicolette Scourse

 

 

 This Blog also appears on Facebook - tell your friends to watch out for our fortnightly wildlife happenings and tips!

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  • We encourage households to switch 20% of their garden to wildlife-friendly
  • We share practical ideas and experience of gardening for wildlife
  • We aim to create wildlife corridors across the village
  • Get your garden on the map at tinyurl.com/NCWinsleyMap

e-mail naturechainwinsley@gmail.com
                     

 

 

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