So after last month’s ISO challenge, we entered the third month of semi-lockdown, and Alphabet month.
I decided that I would add my own secondary theme to the month and making it Floral, so the Alphabet through flowers. Also, where possible these would be flowers I grow in my garden, or at least see in my neighbourhood on my wanders around Walthamstow. And the occassional dip into my archive as some of the flowers aren’t in flower in June.
June 1st – A
Agapanthus.
This was an archive shot as my ones were still in bud when this month started.
June 2nd – B
Blackberry or bramble.
With a Bee.
June 3rd – C
Campanula, a spreading carpet of purple bells, beloved by the bees.
June 4th – D
Dandelion.
A weed, but a pretty one that is a great source of nectar for bees.
June 5th – E
Euphorbia.
This little version has spread far from wher it was planted and somehow made its way under the coping on my wall.
June 6th – F
Foxglove, another favourite with the bees.
June 7th – G
Grape.
Insiginificant flowers that will hopefully grow into large sweet grapes (I can dream)
June 8th – H
Hebe.
Not actually in my garden as mine died last year, but another bee friendly plant.
June 9th – I
Iris.
In my garden a bit ealier in the year.
June 10th – J
Jasmine.
Ok, confession time: this is Star Jamine (trachelospermum jasminoides) but I didn’t have any good photos of any Jasmine.
June 11th – K
Kniphofia.
Taken last year, as it appears later in the summer. This was a gift from my mother as it is called Kniphofia ‘Timothy’
June 12th – L
Lychnis Coronaria
I do love the shocking pink version of these flowers, although I do have a white/pink version.
June 13th – M
Mint.
Plain old garden mint that I don’t really use, but love the smell of it.
June 14th – N
Nicotiana.
This is Nicotiana Sylvetris, which has spread to some interesting places (this is in a window box).
June 15th – O
Orchid.
This is a hardy orchid I am growing in my garden. It’s Bletilla Striata and I love the bright pink.
June 16th – P
Petunias.
More shocking pink (I do like it) in my garden. I do love these, although I don’t normally grow petunias, but at the start of Lockdown these were some of the only flowers I could get hold of.
June 17th – Q
Queen Anne’s Lace.
Taken at the Walthamstow Marshes, this swathe of what I believe is Queen Anne’s Lace.
June 18th – R
Rose.
Oh for Smell-o-Vision, as this one smells gorgeous. It is Rosa ‘Empress Josephine’ and was planted in my garden by a former housemate in memory of her mother. I think of them both everytime it comes into flower (and actually more than just when it’s in flower).
June 19th – S
Salvia or Sage.
This is a lovely blue flowering sage. The leaves don’t smell as nice as culinary sage, but the flowers are spectacular.
June 20th – T
Teasel.
I do love the spikey nature of these and when they’re actually in flower they are adored by the bees.
June 21st – U
Umbel and/or Umbellifer
This is a technical term for the group of flowers on plants like parsley, Queen Anne’s Lace, or fennel. I love the shapes they make.
June 22nd – V
Veronica.
These spires of blue were at the Olympic Park in Stratford, and I used to have one of these plants in my garden until it died last year. I must get more of them, and they’re called Veronica Spicata, and actually the same family as the “weed” Speedwell.
June 23rd – W
Wineberry.
Of a Japanese sort, growing in my garden and just coming into fruit. It has very insignificant flowers, adored by the bees, and then the red spikey sepals close, then the fruit emerges again when it is ready to start to ripen. They taste a bit like raspberries, and one cane keeps my SO and I in desserts for about 4 weeks. Technical name is Rubus phoenicolasius and some countries see them as invasive.
June 24th – X
Xanthic.
Of or relating to yellow as a colour. A technical name that I only became aware of due to the influence of Alphabet months on fellow PaDsters.
June 25th – Y
Yarrow
The common name for Achillea millefolium. You should dry yarrow stalks to make sticks for a traditional I-Ching set, apparently.
June 26th – Z
Zantadeschia Aethopicum
Also know as an Arum Lily, or Calla Lily. I love the spirals in these flowers, and always think of the Fibonacci spiral.
June 27th – One
One spathe (specialised leaf) curls round the flower stalk on my peace lily.
June 28th – Two
Two colours to be found on this Lychnis coronaria.
June 29th – Three
Three purple stigma on a Passionflower.
A plant full of Christian symbolism: The leaves look like spears that caused the wound in Christ’s side, the tendrils are the whips the soldiers used, 10 petals for the faithful disciples (excluding Peter who denied Jesus and Judas the betrayer), the purple crown of thorns, 5 stamen to represent the 5 wounds, three stigma for the three nails used in the crucifixion, and the flower opens for three days.
June 30th – Four
Four petals on a common poppy.
Bonus 1
G could also have been for Geranium Nemorosa, which has spread throughout my garden.
Bonus 2
And this a photo of my garden, where most of the photos were taken.
So that’s it for this month, I hope you enjoyed the photos. It was fun to do a floral additional theme for Alphabet month, and because it was Summer it seemed easier to do.
Tim
