| I can’t say what it is about weeds that l have always loved? Perhaps it is quite simply because they are misunderstood like some animal species. Whatever your opinion or view is on weeds, they are everywhere, and they are here to stay. Twenty-five years ago, l used to forage for weeds to feed the enormous number of rabbits l had in my commercial breeding operation. Knowing about them made everything easier because it meant that l wouldn’t accidentally kill an animal by feeding the wrong weed. Most weeds are harmless, not all. Of course, some are and can be deadly. The fact is that people don’t like weeds because they don’t belong where they usually appear or are out of place. Many a time, gardeners especially don’t want them because weeds tend to grow quicker and easier than many ornamental flowers. Weeds have a way of surviving. They are ONLY considered weeds on the domestic level because, let’s be honest, when we are out walking in the countryside, how many people are bothered by the presence of weeds then? There are advantages and disadvantages to having weeds in your gardens and yards. They do have a lot of benefits that many people tend to ignore, and this series will highlight that. |
| The Beauty of Weeds Companion Plantings Shelter Encouraging wildlife Fertilising and enriching the soils Providing and active Mulch/Soil protection Attracting pollinators and good insects Repelling pests Food source for animals and humans Serves as decoy crops Great for wildlifing the garden Soil conditioning Hope you enjoyed this introduction and l’ll see you again soon in the series. The Autistic Composter |
| Red Campion Silene dioica |
| Images my own |
| Red Campion, also known as Adder’s Flower, is an attractive perennial or biennial plant – which means it can grow and flower for several years in location but dies back in the autumn and winter seasons – wildflower to some, weed or herb to some others, pending personal preference. It makes for a great addition to a wildlife garden equally as much as an addition to a wildlife meadow. They are a distinctively dusky pink five-petalled flower that blossoms from May to September. It flourishes in the reserve where l volunteer and adds a beautiful splash of colour to all the surrounding greens. Red Campion can be grown from seed and sown in either spring or autumn. They like well-drained fertile soils and partial to sunny areas. They can easily be found in hedgerows, shaded woodland areas, and open fields. Red Campion is attractive to wildlife, and bees, butterflies, hoverflies, and other pollinating insects benefit significantly from this flower’s presence and valuable food source. |
| I hope you enjoyed R is for Red Campion and I’ll see you again soon. The Autistic Composter |
Earthly Comforts 
It’s very delicate and pretty
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Hey Sadje, yes it is, very much so 🙂
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🌹
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Lovely! I can just imagine what pleasure it brings to morning walks. 😊
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It is indeed lovely to see especially Betty when it is amongst other flower species.
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I like knowing you can get out and enjoy Nature’s beauty, Rory. 😊
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Oh l can, although the last couple of days l have been mostly at home due to a pinched or trapped nerve in my hip, got to laugh! If it’s not one thing it’s another.
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Oh, man! So sorry to hear that! Have you tried hot Epsom salt baths?
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Hey Betty,
I have been taking it easier since Sunday. It will sort itself out. They always do. The thing l have noticed, especially with gardening, is that the more you work on a new method, the more you discover muscles you never knew.
They introduce themselves to you in little painful ways so that you can become more mindful of them in the future.
As l was saying to Suze last week, the other issue with tissue is that whilst we might walk and garden and throw our bodies around as we do, this is not a disciplined exercise. This is just an activity.
So l will now have to limber up before any manual work, especially as l am ageing and not as young.
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Yes, that’s the case with aging, flexibility decreases. For myself, I found strength and endurance reduced drastically after 60. The key, I think is to stay active, but to take it slower than previously. Recovery time takes longer now, also. Of course, I’m 20 some years older than you, but at your age I never gave it a thought that I would benefit in the long run by slowing down and taking care of my body. I just went on with the old routines. Except that I did quit tobacco and meat about then.
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I quit read meat in 2016, now mostly fish and white meat, but l think l might give up chicken and turkey white and go fish and vegetables only from next year.
Next March is my fifth year of no more smoking, probably that is amongst my top five of proud moments 🙂
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I’m so proud of you for that also, Rory! It is very difficult to give up smoking.
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Yes it is very difficult to give smoking up Betty, l think one of the hardest addictions to let go.
I had been advised by my doctors to stop smoking or die in 2014 and despite the health warning it took me three years to finally stop.
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But you finally made it! Yay!!!!
I had tried everything and nothing worked over time. It took giving up the meat to do it. 1Isn’t that funny? Still have a challenge with sugar and carbs though. And they are so harmful to the body.
Sometimes I wonder if it isn’t the addictions that keep us here – the imperfections in our human nature . No doubt, it would certainly be a different world if people were perfect. 😊
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It would be l think a boring and drab world if filled with perfection 🙂
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