The celandines are late this year; at least, it seems that way to me. In the weeks running up to 26th March 2009, I was without a camera and I remember bewailing to myself that I couldn't take photos of celandines in flower. By the time I was up and running again, they had gone. (By 'celandines' I mean Ranunculus ficaria - and by 'late' I mean 'later than last year' which may simply mean that last year they were early!)
And now my camera has gone to be mended. Such is life!
So . . . on my way to deliver it back to the shop where I bought it, I took photos of a tree and what is growing on and round it. I know I was promising more fungi - but there has been much disruption in the woods recently and the branches it was growing on were upturned and moved around. Even the lump of wood with the whiteish, slug-like fungus which had burst out of a black shell is gone.
Some trees have been felled too. I'm hoping that, at the very least, the tree I have chosen for this post will still be there by the time my camera comes back! Then we'll see if the celandines are flowering.
(Message to people who look at my photos on Pictures Just Pictures each day - I have stacked up a couple of weeks' worth of photos which I'll use to cover this blip.)
So, here is the tree ( a sycamore, I think) up on a steep bank with a stream (which is sometimes a muddy ditch) at its foot. (It's the second from the left. This picture was taken a couple of weeks before the others on this post.) 
It has several trunks rising from its base, each very high.
Ivy grew on it but its stems have been severed before the tree is overwhelmed.
But it will return. You can't keep a good ivy down and it's on its way up already.
The tree itself has similarly re-generative desires. Its middle has been thinned but its middle may want to grow again!
At its foot is a patch of Arum maculatum. (That's the one with heart shaped leaves. The 'maculatum' bit means spotted. See the inky patches?) There's an Asplenium behind it. (Tall, pointed leaves with crimped edges.) 
Moving to the left, there are celandines (Ranunculus ficaria) between the roots of the tree. There are usually huge patches up and down the banks too. There seem to be fewer this year. Last year it was almost a cliff of yellow when they flowered.)
Left again and at the lower foot of the tree - another Asplenium.
When my camera comes back - I'll see how they've grown. (Our new family!)
P.S. The first picture was taken on 25th February 2010. All the others were taken on 8th March 2010.
16 comments:
Thanks for the Latin name, I guess we call those fig buttercups. I haven't seen any buttercups of any ilk yet, because, well, it isn't really spring here yet.
Hello Monica.
I was specific in that way to distinguish it from the Greater Celandine - Chelidonium majus.
Having got used to expecting spring early, it seems to be late this year, at least for certain plants. I'm up to the grand total of having seen two flowering daffodils. Although it has been a bit colder here than in recent winters ( it has been a lot colder in other parts of Britain) I'm guessing the rain may have had more to do with it - especially on these banks where there has been water running down. They are surprisingly bare.
Lucy
Lucy, honey, as you know we're late this year too, but actually, I think we're really having a normal year. I'm sorry about your camera, and I hope it is quickly fixed.~~Dee
Hello Dee
We've got so used to being ahead of ourselves I think we're missing being able to say "My, how early everything is this year!".
Lucy
I'm just awed by that stunning Arum growing wild. What a find. I hope your Celadines are splendid when they finally start blooming.
Hello Mr McGregor's Daughter.
There are quite a lot of these 'Jack in a Pulpit' plants. I have made a note of two to keep an eye on so even if one comes to nothing, the other may flower and produce bright orange berries.
I doubt if the celandines will be as they were last year - so numerous they became dramatic. But they are so bright and cheerful the ones which do flower will be very welcome.
Where I used to live, they were preceeded by Winter Aconites (Eranthis hyemalis) but we don't seem to get them round here.
Lucy
Hey Lucy you were quick to comment and when I come over I see that you too are promoting the ladybird survey. Cool beans as my US friends say to me.
I'm on the lookout for our celandines too but it is going to be so much later this year too.
Hello Leaves n Bloom.
I arrived so quickly because I saw your new post come up on Twitter and have been sending sightings to the UK Ladybird survey for a while - so I was interested.
I don't know if you have visited LOOSE AND LEAFY but the link has been in the sidebar for quite a while but was obscured by all the blogs listed. I'm having a tidy-up and it emerged into greater prominence, which is good.
I've now added the Woodland Trust survey of what happens when in the seasons as a way of monitoring climate change (with a link to register if you are interested and not taking part already).
When I went to the site this morning, I see a heading that spring is a month later this year so the absence of flowering celandines 'fits'.
Lucy
It's interesting how varied the seasons are this year. We are experiencing an early spring--we're a bit leery of the weather, which is normally very capricious, but we're about 4 weeks ahead of where we have been in the past few years. It's very strange and confusing for we who are gardeners as well as our plants. The wild plants are waking up and saying, "well, we don't know about you pampered darlings, but we're going for it!" I'm glad to find that you have this blog as well as Pictures, but I'm sorry that you've got camera problems.
Hello Jodi.
I find your comment strangely reassuring. I wouldn't like to think the weather is doing the same thing all over the world.
Thanks too for your comment about the camera. If it isn't sortable, I'll be given a replacement . . . which is sort of all right except that each one has its own character and it can take a while to make friends with a new one.
Lucy
I find the pictures of tree trunks and roots so dramatic! I think trees are stronger than people. What did I say? I can't compare trees and people, or can I?
Lucy later today I will check out the woodland trust link - I would like to take part in that.
Rosie
Hello Tatyana.
The funny thing about trees is that although many of them are clearly stronger and more long-living than people, all of them are totally within our power.
Lucy
Hello Leaves n Bloom.
I heartily recommend you getting involved with the Woodland Trust research.
I learnt about it through The Inelegant Gardener
http://inelegantgardener.blogspot.com/
When you register, you are sent a clear and attractive handbook to help you know precisely what you are looking for and at what stage in its season to note it . . . then you register what you see on line.
I'm sure it's important research and its history begins long before we began to worry about climate change so it has wider context.
Lucy
I love your pictures. We have the arum growing wild round here too and quite a bit in the garden. Our spring is very late up here and very few celandines although earlier the snowdrops were really. Cold and rainy here today and so far from springlike!
Nice shots of the trees... I love seeing trees like that with exposed roots. Very cool.
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