Until July 2017, documenting the seasons of coastal Dorset. I'm a complete amateur so don't trust I'm always right. If ever you see I'm wrong - whether with identifications or in anything else - do say! Meanwhile . . . I've now moved to Halifax in West Yorkshire. Click on the link below to collect the new URL. Don't forget to follow there!

Thursday 22 October 2009

UP AND OVER - AN AMBLE WITH IGNORANCE (Janet and John have nothing on this!)

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It's been a long gap.
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I've been doing other things with my time.
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I've been thinking I should know more.
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Why?
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I'll never know enough. Why suddenly let ignorance get in the way? S0, this morning I went for a walk up the slope - past my old friend the blackthorn - see the silhouettes of sloes?
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And past the Old Man's Beard (Wild Clematis.)
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Then I went down a little path to the sea.
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Here comes the ignorance bit for, beside the path was a plant with leaves that look like scented geranium and yellow, daisy-like flowers. I don't know its Latin Name. I don't even know its common name. But why should that hold me back?
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(Linda at Garden Girl has left a comment in which she suggests this yellow flowering plant is Golden Marguerite (Anthemis Tinctoria). She says, too, that she once had some in her garden. It strikes me, quite frequently, that there's a kind of living archaeology to be found in the hedgerows - hints of what used to be there. There'll be a post on that sometime!
On the other hand . . . VP suggests it is part of the Senecio (Ragwort) family. If so . . . which kind of Ragwort might it be . . . anyone?)
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That was on the ground, on the left.
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This was the view to my right.
Mostly Blackberries but not bad, eh?
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And at the bottom of the path . . .
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Reeds . . . and the sea!
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Looking right . . .
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And where the cliff touches the beach . . . a little plant of green leaves.
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(Not the right technical language? If anyone tells me it's name, I'll put it in.)
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(The photo is upside down. I put it upside down on purpose because it looks odd the right way up. One expects grass to stand up straight but it was hanging long and limp.)
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And back by the reeds . . . these . . .
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And this when I look left and not right. Those are the cliffs and hills of Purbeck in the distance. No boats. Well, not many. Most have been hoisted out of the sea by crane during the last week. Now they are neatly parked for the winter in the sailing club grounds. (Will people who are interested in plants please pay attention to the grass?)

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And here are the boats - boats in blue coats for the winter.
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See?
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(It's a bit like 'Janet and John', this! Hope it's alright!)
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Then up the bank . . .


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And over the top to the teasles.
Who looked at the plants?
Who looked at the sky?
Me?
I can't keep my eyes off the sea!
(None the less I've linked to Skywatch!)

37 comments:

Noelle Johnson said...

Hello Lucy,

Thank you for taking on your walk with you. What a beautiful area by the sea. I'm sorry that I can't help with any plant id's.

Lucy Corrander Now in Halifax! said...

Hi Noelle.

It was a combination of reading your blog and a nudge from Diana at Elephant's Eye (http://elephantseyegarden.blogspot.com/) which made me rush out, earlier today, with my camera.

Both of you live in places very different from mine but I enjoy looking at your landscape through your eyes. Few of the plants you show will grow here - and most of the plants I show here aren't the kind anyone would put in a garden . . . so Latin names are less important on Loose and Leafy than they are on many blogs. I'm standing up and being counted (one!) for saying things are still worth seeing even if you don't know what they are! (Which isn't to say I wouldn't like to know!)

Lucy

Lucy Corrander Now in Halifax! said...

I don't think I expressed that very well. I'm being defensive!

Lucy

Diana Studer said...

Oh Lucy, that header was worth the wait. A painting by Constable. That picture is going to stay in my mind, and haunt me. In the most welcome way! Each time you post (again?)

http://graceolsson.com/blog said...

YOur post take me together with u...

congrats and havea nice weekend


http://graceolsson.se/mittliv/2009/10/22/skrapan-fyller-20-ar-at-skywatchfriday/

ninja said...

Such great shots! Congrats!

webruci said...

Beautiful photos and blog!
thanks for sharing.

Robert

Lucy Corrander Now in Halifax! said...

Thanks Diana.

I specilly like that header photo too - and hoped, when I put it there - that you wouldn't miss the shoe!

Lucy

Louise said...

The grass is interesting, but I can't keep my eyes off the sea, either!

Linda Jacobs said...

I feel like I was out there walking with you! What a wonderful area!

James said...

Land, sky and sea all look grand to me. Excellent post.

garden girl said...

How lucky you are to live near the sea Lucy! The ocean is a favorite destination for me. The closest large-ish body of water we have is Lake Michigan, but even that's way too far for walking to it. It's less than an hour away by car or train.

Your photos are wonderful. I love the header.

The yellow flower looks like it might be Anthemis tinctoria - golden marguerite. The blooms and foliage look very much like it to me. I used to grow it in a previous garden.

Lucy Corrander Now in Halifax! said...

Hello Grace, Koala and Robert.

Pleased you enjoyed the walk down to the sea and back.

Lucy

Lucy Corrander Now in Halifax! said...

Hello Louise.

This wasn't originally going to be a Skywatch post but the sky got stormier and stormier as I went along and in the end, I couldn't resist making the link!

Lucy

Lucy Corrander Now in Halifax! said...

Thanks J Bar.

Lucy

Lucy Corrander Now in Halifax! said...

Hello James. I'm glad you've found LOOSE AND LEAFY. Your blog is one of those I admire.

Lucy

Lucy Corrander Now in Halifax! said...

Hello Linda.

I would find it hard not to live in easy reach of the sea - or at least a fast flowing river.

Mind, ever since I saw photos from the Spring Fling - Chicago has gone very high on my list of places I would like to visit.

Thanks for naming the yellow flowering plant. I'll adjust the text accordingly.

I keep meaning to do a post about the 'garden' plants one can find growing wild round here. This is another incentive to get on with it!

Lucy

Corner Gardener Sue said...

I looked at them all! I was thinking of SkyWatch as I was enjoying your photos. I normally do that, but was late last week, and haven't done it this week yet. I forgot to do Blooming Friday, too.

I've only seen an ocean once. I live in Nebraska, in the U.S. I was in awe of it, and hope to see one again. In the mean time, I enjoy the photos I see on blogs.

Chloe m said...

Hi Lucy,
Love that wild Clematis, with the blue sky behind it. Fantastic!
Rosey

eileeninmd said...

Lovely photos of pretty scenery. My favorite is of the reeds and the sea. Thanks for sharing your skywatch.

Miriam Elisabeth ツ said...

So many beautiful pictures!

Anon said...

I am in green and wild mid Wales right now - you have inspired me to take a walk with my camera! Thanks!

Great pictures, and I love the idea of boats blue coats, for the winter...lovely.

Lis

Monica the Garden Faerie said...

Love the shoreline photos, truly I do! I agree with Linda about the Anthemis tinctoria; I love this plant; it blooms both in spring and in fall (until mid-late Nov. I'd guess). I got seeds of it a few years back of a plant at the Gatehouse at Fernwood Botanical Gardens where I was giving a talk. The funny thing is, the common name I know for it is yellow chamomile, and I like golden marguerite much better!

VP said...

It looks more like Ragwort to me Lucy - a common wildflower which is poisonous to some animals such as horses.

It's from the Senecio family, not Anthemis (Marguerite), though they do look similar.

Have a google and see what you think...

Lucy Corrander Now in Halifax! said...

Hello Sue.

I've been trying to imagine what it would be like to see the sea for the first time. I would imagine it could be quite overwhelming. For my part, I would be frightened if I couldn't live within easy reach of it. If I were to live in a land-locked place I'd feel trapped - even though I hardly ever go anywhere on the water!

Lucy

Lucy Corrander Now in Halifax! said...

Hello Rosey.

When I see Old Man's Beard like this, I appreciate it. When it all piles up in a huge grey blob and what it is climbing over disappears under it - I am less enthusiastic.

Lucy

Lucy Corrander Now in Halifax! said...

Hello Eileen.

I like the reeds a lot too. I suppose I should feel overwhelmed by them because they stand in vast numbers and are often higher than my head but I like to walk in the little tracks between them as well as see them picked out against the sky.

Lucy

Lucy Corrander Now in Halifax! said...

Thanks Miriam Elizabeth. I am privileged to live in a very beautiful area.

Lucy

Lucy Corrander Now in Halifax! said...

Hello Elisabeth (Ingram)

I'm continuing to envy your travels. Wales, even in the mists and the rain is a wonderfully inspiring place to be.

Lucy

Lucy Corrander Now in Halifax! said...

Hello Monica

Glad you like the shoreline photos. I find I like looking at them too - even though I can look at the 'real thing' almost as easily.

Do the leaves of the Golden Margueritte smell like Chamomile? I know there are many who like chamomile tea but, to me, trying to drink that is like trying to drink warmed up drainage from a compost heap.

Lucy

Lucy Corrander Now in Halifax! said...

Hello VP.

I've a horrible feeling you are right.

We have masses of it round here - but all the rest finished flowering ages ago and it was much much taller than this particular plant - which is also comparatively compact.

Somerset Trading Standards has a photo of Senecio Jacobaea (Common Ragwort) which is a twin sister to the photo I have here.

You can see theirs at

http://www.tradingstandards.gov.uk/northsomerset/images/ragwort.jpg

Going only by internet pictures . . . the Anthemis Tinctora leaves are different . . . the Marguerite I'm familiar with also has more feathery leaves than these (which is probably not the right description because I don't mean 'feathery' like fennel but I daren't go more Botanical for fear of confusing things more).

The trouble is, if I put it in the Ragwort family . . . the leaves of Senecio Jacobaea in my ID book don't look like the ones on 'my' plant, even if they do look like the ones of Senecio Jacobaea in the photo provided for the benefit of Somerset farmers.

My hair is coming out . . .

My ID book puts it closer to Oxford Ragwort (Senecio Squalidus) if I compare the leaves. (Except the photo in the ID book shows narrower leaves towards the top of the plant, which this one doesn't seem to have. Huh!)

I suppose I'll have to go back and see if it has black bracts . . .

I realise now I shouldn't have raised the issue at all . . . there was a brief discussion about Ragwort on this blog last year and I remember from then that Ragwort throws up all sorts of questions . . . like which versions are poisonous to horses and which aren't . . .

I'll go and amend the text of the blog again.

. . . the mystery of the very ordinary but also very beautiful yellow flowers . . .

Lucy

Lucy Corrander Now in Halifax! said...

P.S. about Ragwort.

Have just been talking to someone from Natural England. He says Common Ragwort is the only ragwort mentioned in the Weeds Act because the Act was passed in 1959 and is out of date rather than because Senecio jacobaea is more dangerous to grazing animals than the others. Any ragwort on grazing land will be pulled out.

But he also points out that it has its benefits too. For instance, the Cinnebar Moth likes it.

If there were a new Act, he would like to see it widened so it could include certain invasive plants (at the moment it is only five 'injurious' plants) - so people would be required to pull out Japanese Knotweed.

Lucy

Mary said...

Oh my goodness, what a wonderful walk, with such beautiful things to see! Thanks for sharing. :)

Lucy Corrander Now in Halifax! said...

I'm so glad you have enjoyed this post, Mary. You too have some very lovely photos on your blog.

Lucy

Dee/reddirtramblings said...

I often wish I lived by the sea. I dearly love the smell of it, the sounds of the waves, its tempering effect on gardens (but not the salt spray). I agree that the yellow flower is probably Marguerite, and also, none of us knows everything. :) ~~Dee

Lucy Corrander Now in Halifax! said...

Hello Dee - living near the sea can be both exhilerating and frightening. As for gardening - there are doubtless places where the salt (and the winds) makes it difficult but there are also some wonderful gardens. For instance, there are fabulous sub-tropical gardens open to the public at Abbotsbury which is about nine miles from where these photos were taken.

Lucy

colleen said...

Lucy

Thanks for popping over to mine. Have enjoyed reading about your walk.

The clump of leaves in the picture with the grass looks like sea beet to me. Maybe.

C