Red and Purple, Together

Early June, and there is a steady parade of first appearances in the garden behind the little blue house, in local hedgerows too. A few days ago, I looked at my notes for other years and realized we are a week or two behind this time around.

The first buttercups, clover, daisies, salsify and vetches are blooming in a field down the road, and a colony of poppies is dancing there in scarlet profusion.  The crinkly texture of the poppies with the sun shining through them is astonishing and we (Beau and I) stop to stare - the blooms seem to give off light, not just hoard it or wave it casually on its way. Generous creatures, poppies.

Here and there are tufts of the purple weed known locally as Creeping Charlie, Ground-ivy or Gill-over-the-ground.  I wasn't aware of it, but Glechoma hederacea  has a whole cornucopia of medicinal uses, and it is in common use as a salad green in many cultures.  European settlers carried it here on their travels, and it thrives in its "purpleness" wherever it finds itself, turning up in diverse habitats like vacant lots, parks, hedgerows and curbs, in residential flower beds and carefully manicured lawns.

Tall spires of Russell lupins in shades of pink and purple sway back and forth in local gardens, and shrubberies are full of bumble bees doing their happy appointed thing. When the rain stops, I shall be out with camera and macro lens (and wellies), moving to and fro with the wind as I try to capture the wildly boisterous hues on offer. At least I won't need to water the veggie patch today - the place is wonderfully soggy.

The differences between these madcap early June doings, and the state of things a few weeks ago is striking.  Gone are the drab khakis, dusty grays and wilted taupes of recent memory - there are reds and purples everywhere, and even the greens dazzle.