The Bluebells are in full flower now.
We have both English Bluebells and Hybrid Bluebells which are often pale blue or pink. Today I noticed that there are more pink flowers than usual. What’s going on?
Closer inspection revealed a swathe of the beautiful wild flower Red Campion.
We always have a few of these lovely wildflowers and this year seems to be a bumper year for them. I can only guess that the conditions last year were perfect so they produced plenty of lovely ripe seed and then the mild winter meant that more of them survived. Their flowers are deep pinky red in bud opening to a lovely bold pink colour.
After a while the flowers become battered and ragged and fade to a pale pink. Still quite charming though.
In our wood there is a solitary white one. White Campion. Like all white flowers it has paler green leaves and stems than the pinks.
You can plant Red and White Campions in the border. Like other garden flowers they will produce much bigger more showy plants in a well tended bed. I’m happy for them to stay exactly where they are for now. If I’m lucky they may produce a second flush of flowers in autumn.
I love Campions – I remember them from my childhood in Hampshire when we used to play in the woods and fields, and on the banks of the watercress beds.
Me too Annette. I’d love to claim that this was by design but they made their own way here and seem happy. I am growing more wild flowers from seed this year as we are trying to provide food plants for caterpillars and nectar for butterflies and bees. Will write about them when they’re flowering. Hopefully they’ll bring back more memories for you. Gillian 🙂