Our garden is pretty wild. My husband and I do very little work on it, other than occasionally strimming the grass, or pruning bushes, etc. As a result, we are greeted each year by a range of flowers that pop up. Some are wild, and some have probably spread from other gardens. Some are regular visitors, others are unexpected surprises. I love learning about them all, and love watching the pollinators enjoy them even more.
This is Aquilegia, sometimes known as Granny's Bonnets. I'm not sure which species this one is. But they seem popular with bees, and I've read that some moth species also like them.
This is Green Alkanet, which is sometimes confused with Forget-me-not's or Borage. They all belong to the same family. It's often thought of as a weed, but I think it's very pretty. And again, the bees like them! In the background, you can see a white Foxglove.
The name 'foxglove' has been used in England since at least 1000 A.D, and may come from the Anglo Saxon foxes-gleow, gleow meaning a ring of bells. In Norway it's called revbjelde - 'fox bell'. Some legends say that foxes wear the petals on their feet to keep them dry from the dew, others say that foxes wear the bells around their necks, for the ringing sound protects them from hunters. The bells certainly ring when a bee buzzes inside them!
Below, we have what I think is Greater Periwinkle among some Dead Nettle leaves, and the tiny flowers of Herb Robert. Herb Robert smells pretty bad - one of it's common names is Stinking Bob - but the bees don't seem to mind! It is also good for hoverflies and the barred carpet moth.
And I couldn't leave out the wonderful Dandelion. Though I've seen it so many times throughout my life, I am still awed by this incredible seed formation.
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