February 2026

Amwell Nature Reserve  22-2-2026

16-2-2026

hellebore

hoary stock

Pippa

14-2-2026

Last year I had a lot of self-seeded plants in my new garden, especially dandelions and beaked hawk's-beards (Crepis vesicaria). Some, I wasn't certain which were which but I took monthly photos and was able to observe them to blooming and identification, in spite of the extreme heat and drought. Both plants are resistant to both. I think I had about 15 Crepis and 15 dandelions but I need to look at my final results. This year I'm noticing some new rosettes which I will number and track although the last plants I tried to label and observe ended up with the plant labels scattered with all the animals in the garden.  

two Crepis vesicaria rosettes

Crepis vesicaria

dandelion and Crepis vesicaria rosette

some are in pots so I will need to plant them out in the ground

Crepis vesicaria and dandelion (and forget-me-nots)

2 Crepis vesicaria and 2 dandelions

Crepis vesicaria and forget-me-nots

Crepis vesicaria self-seeded in a pot with an amaryllis

Crepis vesicaria self-seeded in a pot with a passionflower

woolly thistle rosette

smooth sow thistle

spear thistle

cudweed

I think this is fox-and-cubs but I will observe how it develops

this rough hawkbit was looking good but after a freeze the leaves turned brown but now green shoots are growing

poppy seedlings

rhubarb

hyacinth in the trough along the driveway

I planted rosemary in the trough, initially 6, will probably need more plants, 3 plants with buds from the garden centre and 3 plants from the supermarket

 

14-2-2026

I love observing self-seeders, what some may call "weeds". I loved this location until recently when I went there after not having seen it for a few months and found the environment so full of rubbish there wasn't even space for the weeds to grow.

one of only a few plants I saw that day (in situ above), hedge mustard 

dandelion and stone parsley

hedge mustard rosettes

left to right, dandelion, stone parsley, hedge mustard

 

back in my garden, hoary stock buds and vivipary, seeds germinating in the seedheads on the right

all that rain has also wetted the seedheads so I've noticed more vivipary, on the hoary stocks

this Verbena bonariensis seedhead looks like it might have a bit of vivipary 

more sea holly vivipary

I will try again to plant those seedlings as I love sea holly and want more of them. I grew these from seed, started 2 years ago, they bloomed last year. I am so happy they survived the slugs and the winter and there are new shoots starting at the bottom. 

and shoots along the stem

so much rain recently, puddles in my garden

I have a 6 m trough along the side of my driveway. My first year here I didn't have time to force my hyacinths although I'd already bought the bulbs before I moved so just brought them with me. After I moved I planted the hyacinths in the trough. They were great that first year but this 2nd year they're not nearly so strong. I planted a few small plants amongst the hyacinths last year and there were a few existing plants. So it's a mixture with various plants including hyacinths, some coming into bloom, some coming into bud. I didn't put much more compost in but I see this year I must top it up. 

flowers just starting on the lithodora 

dandelions as well as the hyacinths, muscari on the right?

armeria on the left

giant knapweed seedlings from the vivipary

teasel vivipary

Centaurea montana seedlings

asophodel seedlings

fennel shoots

daffodils

Scilla hyacinthloides shoots (Pippa's paws on the left)

closer view of those shoots

spring dandelions

other rosettes

Crepis vesicaria

hoary mustard

smooth sow thistle

shepherds purse