Corn Marigolds

It has been said that "a weed is a plant growing in the wrong place", so these attractive corn marigolds would be considered a weed competing with the crop in this field.

Corn marigolds can be very invasive. Years ago when they were commonplace in cereal crops, the marigold seeds mixed with the harvested grains reducing the value of the crop. The problem was so great that in the 13th century, a law in Scotland stated " if a farmer allows so much as a single plant to produce seed in amongst his crops then he will be fined a sheep.". The poor farmers must have had to work hard to rid their land of this weed.

Today corn marigolds are recognised as being a very beneficial flower for wild-life, in particular for bees and hoverflies.  Far from being fined for growing these brightly coloured daisies we are now able to buy corn marigold seeds to plant in our gardens to encourage wild-life.

Definitely a case of being a weed in one place and valued plant in another.

summer evening

Warm sunshine,

gentle breeze,

summer has finally arrived.

one field, four years

2012

A footpath runs right through this field and for the past few years I have walked here to look at the cornflowers blooming amongst the crops.  This year though, there were none and hardly any wild flowers (or weeds) to be seen.

Here are some photographs from previous years.

In 2009 the field was planted with wheat and the cornflowers were growing.

2009

2009

2009

In 2010, wheat again and the cornflowers spread right across the field. When I posted some photographs back then I mentioned the sound of insects visiting the flowers.

2010

2010

2010

Last year the field was planted with linseed. By July when the cornflowers were flowering the flax flowers had faded and the seeds had formed. There were so many different flowers and the field looked beautiful as well as being full of insect life.

2011

2011

2011

2011

2011

2011

2011

This year the field was back to wheat but there there were no flowers and no hum of insects. I don't know whether the field has been sprayed to kill the weeds but they certainly haven't grown this year and there wasn't a single cornflower. It seems a shame but perhaps it is necessary to get a good crop.

2012

The farmers have plenty to worry about this year with the poor weather, an adjacent field had been flooded recently and a fair proportion of the crop lost so they have to do what they can to maximise the crops.

2012

Shame about the cornflowers though.

2010

Copenhagen holiday

A few photographs from our recent short holiday in Copenhagen. It was just the two of us and we had three full days to fill. We took in the tourist sights

and then wandered through some quieter streets

and got a different view of the city from a canal boat.

The second day we took the train over the Oresund bridge to Malmo in Sweden.

It was a national holiday and there were lots of people in the town shopping, eating and relaxing in the town squares.

Good food

warm sunshine

and very pretty gardens.

Back in Denmark, on our last day we left the city to explore the coast. We stopped at an old fishing village which is now full of exclusive houses and expensive boats.

There was a beach

for paddling

and a colourful village shop that sold ice creams

which we ate looking over the misty sea towards Sweden.

A peaceful break, very different from family holidays trying to find activities to suit everyone. We have a family holiday planned for the summer and after that I might think about another one just for two!