This boldly coloured azalea has been underplanted with green alkanet to cover its woody lower stems. You might remember this plant from my recent Is This a Forget-me-not? post. Continue reading “Plant Companions: Azalea With Green Alkanet”
Variations on a Theme: Forget-me-not, Heartleaf or Green Alkanet?
Why is it that we like to identify plants? To check whether it is safe or to eat or not, perhaps, or as a first step in working out how to buy one. To check if it is generally regarded by tastemakers as a weed or as a fit plant for a garden. But there’s also a great satisfaction in being able to name a plant just because we can. We feel closer to things we can name.
In April and early May, walking through fields and woods and peeking into gardens, we’ll often see plants with tiny, blue flowers that lift our spirits. They can be solitary, but more often, they are spreading.
Their pure blue flowers are classic forget-me-not style, the simplest of flower shapes with a starry look. Tiny, open flowers about as big as our smallest fingernail contain five rounded petals around a yellow, orange or white centre. But is it a forget-me-not? Perhaps it is, perhaps not.
Continue reading “Variations on a Theme: Forget-me-not, Heartleaf or Green Alkanet?”
Susan Rushton 