Strawberries ripening in October

Ripe strawberry seen growing in Harrow, October 10th, 2023

This is the ripe strawberry from the previous photo, now in hand.

The temperatures in London this week are 10 degrees above average, more in keeping with July than October. They are up to the mid-twenties Celsius. (Ref. BBC Weather)

London figs

All these figs were grown this year in a south-facing walled corner in Harrow. The biggest ones were picked in July but the recent Indian summer spell has produced another crop. They bleed a white latex-like sap when plucked.

This plump one today, September 24

Picked on September 20

September 18

September 16

September 12

Some from July 19th

Split fig on a sideplate, July 19

Bee fly hovering on forget-me-nots

Spotted in the jungle behind Herald House today

Late summer flowers

Wood End

September round up (photos)

Streets around Sudbury Hill and North Greenford over the past week

Lawson Cypress

Three pictures of the same tree, with its parallel offshoots, yesterday evening. It's in the, uh, grounds of the new Herald House. There's another one alongside but it is incorrigibly tangled with two other trees and undergrowth.

Saturday 26 April 2014

Ceanothus (?), Whitton Avenue West

Urban bees thriving

Sidmouth Road

I estimated there were about 30 bees on this one lavender plant alone, and the rest of the plants along the front of the flats on Sidmouth Road all just as busy. According to BBC Horizon's recent program, urban bees are flourishing while country bees are dying out. Well it can't be anything to do with mobile phone signals can it then? It must be those pesticides, the nicotinoids probably.

Ossian

Summer flowers

Frontenac, Peter Avenue

What are they, anyone?

Update: Two suggestions so far: 1. Triffids. 2. Acanthus (x 5). 3. Delphinium.

I think, a la Eurovision voting, only Acanthus can now win. Thanks to everyone for the suggestions.

From Mordell Gardens: "Acanthus mollis (or spinosa - need to see leaf to check)". From American friends: They are also called "bear's britches".

More weeds

Red Dead Nettle this morning

Wild Geum* this week with burrs like sea mines.
Started as single yellow flowers & nettle-like leaves.

* Identified by A. Sherlock

Passion flowers on Harlesden Road

Wildflowers update

Various, Willesden meadow, July 6

Ladies' Bedstraw, July 6

Yarrow, King Edward VII playing fields, July 6

Hollyhocks (July 6)
wild beside garden wall

Thistle, tall type, Willesden meadow (July 6)

Unknown. Donnington Road (July 4)
Tufted Vetch?

Unknown. Poppy? Nicole?

Breaking news in the back garden

Bindweed flowers are out today

Bindweed with bee

Common Fleabane?
Still growing. 95cm now

Unknown dandelion-like flower
on a very long stem.
Herb Robert is still there too.

Saturday, 1st of July, 2012

Friday garden weeds

Cat's Ear?

Chickweed*. Tiny white flowers.
Five deeply-cleft petals, hairy stems, oval leaves.
The flower is lovely under a magnifying glass. 

* Suggested by Percy Blower

Photos of British and Irish wildflowers

Wildflowers of Ireland. This is what got me started identifying wildflowers. I have used the book by Zoë Devlin for all my attempts at identifying, even though (clearly) this is not Ireland. As well as her photographs, the book has classic poems - sometimes several - to go with many of the flowers and it also has the Irish names and folklore, all of which makes the book very interesting and enjoyable. There is also the sense of a personal journey, with the dates and places when all pictures were taken. Of course the technical data is also included, botanical names, distribution, cross-references, recommended reading etc.

Wild Flowers of the British Isles. This looks a good site, which I hope to make more use of.

Here are some quick access sets of thumbnails, to see lots of possibles at a glance:
A-L1 Agrimony to Long Headed Poppy
L2-Y Lords and Ladies to Yellow Flag Iris

Rambling rose

Bryan Avenue

Their fragrance is heady and heavenly, even from the distance of the camera.

More local street wildflowers

White: Wild Strawberry? Yellow: Trailing Tormentil?
Front garden, St. Paul's Avenue 

Honeysuckle? St. Paul's Avenue

Self-documenting Yellow Corydalis

Garden wildflowers update

Unknown. Type of Ragworth?
Back garden 10 June 2012.
The was first seen here without flowers.

Feverfew? (Nearly sure). Front garden 10 June 2012.
Shown in bud here.

More Willesden street wildflowers, this evening

Oxeye Daisies. St Andrew's church, Willesden High Road

Perennial Cornflower*. St. Andrew's church

Oxeye Daisies. St. Andrew's church

Forget-me-nots. St Andrew's church

Forget-me-nots in context

Common Ragworth? St. Andrew's church

Yellow Corydalis*. Maybury Gardens

Maybury Gardens

Maybury Gardens is Yellow Corydalis land.

Unknown. Maybury Gardens

Serbian Bellflower*. Harlesden Road

Serbian Bellflower*. Harlesden Road

Violets. Harlesden Road

Common Ragworth? (Yellow).
Serbian Bellflower? (Mauve). Harlesden Road

* Thanks to Alison Hopkins for identifying some of the mystery flowers. Ed.