We have had much more rain this winter than usual, even the water table level that has been getting dangerously low for some years has returned to normal. This is all good stuff for gardeners and I look forward to seeing many more wild flowers this year. What has surprised me is the crop of daisies that has appeared in the grass around the house. I had not noticed their absence until they appeared in quantity this year. In the wet west of Scotland there is no shortage of daisies in the grass and making daisy chains was a summer pastime. I hated the lawnmowers that put an end to them and created a boring green plain. I was difficult to console and had little sympathy with the adults who assured me the daisies would soon reappear.
I have my own daisies now and I have enjoyed photographing them and capturing the variety of shapes and colours as they unfold. Some begin with deep raspberry-tinted petals and some are round like miniature peonys. Some unfold coquettishly, others frankly becoming completely white, while others retain a pink rim to the petals.
But the fateful day was sure to come. I was informed that if the grass was not cut the machine would not be able to cope. I begged a stay of execution for a patch with speedwell and dandelions near the plum tree and my mining bee nests. The rest of the grass is now more or less green.
At least I have my photographs.
And I am comforted that Rabbie Burns, Scotland’s national poet felt pretty bad about seeing the daisies cut down too. His poem is to a Mountain Daisy but I’m sure its like my daisies.
To A Mountain Daisy (Written in 1786)
Wee, modest crimson-tipped flow’r,
Thou’s met me in an evil hour;
For I maun crush amang the stoure
Thy slender stem:
To spare thee now is past my pow’r,
Thou bonie gem.
To read more or to listen to it being read, http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/robertburns/works/to_a_mountain_daisy/
How lovely. As you may have heard, we are still in the depths of winter here. There was some sun yesterday but the temperature hovered doggedly around freezing all day. Not a bug in sight! Lovely to be able to enjoy daisies here at least.
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Soon be spring for you too 🙂
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There are some stunning shots here Amelia – especially the one with the rain/dew drops, and the swirly ones.
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Thank you, I think daisies are very photogenic.
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Great pictures…
what height does your “it must be mowed” mow at?
I am finding that an eight centim cut height leaves a neat sward…
and most of the daisies and speedwell.
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I think it gets mowed much less technically. Latest news is that it has had to be dragged out of a steep slope and the blade has been knackered on a foreign object, so I’m keeping a low profile on the mowing at the moment.
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Exquisite photos. We had masses of daisies in public gardens this past summer. Looked like carpets of snow in summer.
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That’s part of summertime for me – lots of daisies in the grass 🙂
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Your photos are stunning, love them.
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Thank you, fellow daisy admirer 🙂
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Your photos are stunning again! We are still a long ways off from anything green!
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
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Thank you, you can’t be long until spring arrives.
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Glad the mining bee nests were left undisturbed. Making daisy chains used to be a summer hobby of mine too, and I spent a lot of time looking for a three-leaf clover.
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I’m still watching the mining bees and will update on what I see. I think you might have been looking for 4 leaved clover 🙂
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These photos are fabulous! Thanks for sharing your beautiful daisies with us! 😀
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Thank you, glad you like daisies!
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Lovely slide show. What beautiful colors!
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It sounds like you need a meadow. They really arent that hard to do and a strip between the lawn and the woods, for instance, looks very natural . Beautiful pictures.
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The garden is not that big but if it were a meadow would be lovely. We don’t water the grass so if the weather takes its usual course most things will be dried up soon.
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Your daisy photos are quite amazing. Really enjoyable.
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Glad you liked them, they all seem to be different and I love finding the extra pink ones but they are only deep pink early in the morning.
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What a lovely tribute – rendering the humble daisy into something quite exquisite.
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Yes, common but beautiful too 🙂
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