The warm weather is supposedly here at last. Although over the last week it has gone cold again. Butterflies were everywhere particularly the singularly beautiful Brimstone. Always a sign of spring. The bees are out and about too covering plants such as Pulmonaria. This much maligned plant is a joy at this time of year. I particularly love ‘Opal’ which has the most exquisite flowers. They are almost luminescent. And it was a very useful plant in medieval times being used to treat bronchial problems; hence its ‘other’ name lungwort. Pulmonaria pairs particularly well with primroses, snowdrops, cyclamen and ferns as it loves part or full shade. In addition, the pheasants don’t seem to like it. I don’t know whether any of you have suffered the depredations of the two legged monster, but all my wallflowers have been decimated by the wretched bird! Although I tend to think, looking at my poor border, that there is more than one. Hopefully as spring goes into full swing the growth will prove too much for it and will outstrip its hungry beak!
