On my patch: welcoming the wildflowers

/ Rae Cod

Our garden has been popping with colour lately. A few days away in the van and we came back to a front lawn carpeted in yellow and purple. I think they’re cat’s ear and heal-all, but I’m new to this plant identification malarkey, so if anyone knows different please let me know.

I love how the bright colours mix with the browns of the fallen foliage

When I put heal-all into google, I get everything from its versatile healing properties (apparently it’s good for sore throats, which is amazing since I’m at the beginning of a summer cold), to gardening sites which name it as ‘pervasive,’ and ‘the bane of a lawn manicurist.’ Perspective is a funny thing isn’t it?

The wildflowers in my garden have two major problems:

1) my husband

2) his ride on lawnmower

Neither on its own is a threat to them, but we’ve lost more wildflowers to this duo combined than we care to count (that man just loves to mow). No sooner have my daughter and I spotted a burst of colourful crocus or some impossibly tall daisies, than they’re mowed away.

So this weekend when hubby cranked up the lawnmower, I lay down starfish style on our latest wildflower patch in protest. He saw the funny side, and mowed around us…now I have a lovely, thriving patch of yellow and purple.

This patch has been teaching us a lot. Husband and I walked the hellhound at sunrise and the patch looked pretty bare. On our return, when the sun had risen in its dazzling glory, yellow was peeking out. It felt like we’d borne witness to the secret life of plants.

Maybe you can see the difference here in the patch that’s in shade to the patch that’s in sun:

Those flowers love that sunshine

The other thing we noticed (thanks to my observant daughter) is how the flowers bend to follow the sun throughout the day. Now I’m sure on some level I knew this? (I have vague memories of school lessons on photosynthesis, perhaps I saw it in a documentary), but somewhere along the way it got lost. Maybe I’d never paid attention to it in real life, just saw it on a chalkboard in a classroom. Noticing it in real life was like seeing it for the first time, and it packed a punch of awe: how bloody amazing are flowers? 🌺

I hope my wildflower patch is here for the rest of the summer. (If not then husband will be on the receiving end of some very flowery language). I, on the other hand, am taking a summer break from the blogosphere. I find it difficult enough to write when the kids are in school, but near impossible when we’re busy enjoying ourselves. So I bid you adieu until September. Have a lovely summer, and may you all gather awe to your heart’s content.

Our beautiful patch, which is busy attracting other awe-inspiring sights like butterflies & bees

There are always flowers for those who want to see them

Henri Matisse

13 thoughts on “On my patch: welcoming the wildflowers”

  2. Love the image of your starfish protest stance and glad it was successful! I also love that you’ve used all your own photos which just makes it a bit more intimate. I never knew that flowers other than sunflowers follow the sun so thanks for that new tidbit of fun info. I’ll miss you Rae but I know we will both be gathering awe (love that expression) to our hearts’ content and that we will both eventually report back and share it. Enjoy your summer daze with your fam!

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    • Well thank you for the inspiration to use more of my own photos lovely Melanie, your substack is so choc full of amazing pics…I’m not a photographer but I do like snapping the scenery.

      I’ll still be around & catching up with you on your blog.

      Thank you for the ‘summer daze,’ I like that one ❤️😊

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  6. I can see who is out to do in the wildflowers in your family! I like wildflowers, but so do the rabbits and deer so it ends up looking like nothing. Sunflowers are one of my favorite flowers for many reasons, one of which is that some days you can almost see them follow the sun.

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