Delphiniums (blue)

Sunday, 29th June 2003, West Yorkshire

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My Mum's delphiniums have taken a bit of bashing in the rain; she hadn't staked them this year.

The name delphinium comes from the Greek delphis, meaning dolphin, and refers to the shape of the flowers. I'm surprised to read that it's a member of the Ranunculaceae, the buttercup family.

Delphiniums were a favourite of the dormouse in the A. A. Milne poem:

There once was a Dormouse who lived in a bed
Of delphiniums (blue) and geraniums (red)
And all the day long he'd a wonderful view
Of geraniums (red) and delphiniums (blue).

The Lair of the Earthworm

As I clear the roots of dock and nettle from the path at the side of the veg beds by the hedge I keep digging up earthworms. No point in leaving them in the path as I'm going to cover the surface with weed-blocking fabric, so I transfer every one I find to the adjacent veg bed. Some of the worms are so curled up that they almost look as if they're tied in a knot. They are coated wood, june in mucus. I wonder if these worms have entered into a state of rest, suspended animation, for the summer months, a process that is roughly the equivalent of winter hibernation and is know as aetivation. If so I hope they'll appreciate waking up in a strange bed.

Here's a quick sketch of the wood in its summer foliage.

richard@willowisland.co.uk