Mellow yellow

Whatever about the slow start to our spring, this has certainly been a fantastic season for some of our wild flowers. I don’t know quite what it is, but maybe it was the cold April and May that held things back, and then suddenly everything burst forth in such a rush, it has seemed like sensory overload. The colour of the moment has got to be yellow. I’m not talking about the rather too-perfect yellow of the oilseed rape fields (they-re over by now) – not as common as it was in the 80s and 90s for some reason, but still being grown in some areas.

Oilseed rape near Limavady

I’m referring to the wild plants that burst into flower, particularly along country roads and even motorways, areas of rough grassland, pastures (especially populated by horses), coastal land and parks.

First were the dandelions, maybe not as striking as in former years but with a big flush in early May. Then came the buttercups, and they’re still putting on a great show. There are two sorts of buttercups in most cases – the low-growing creeping buttercup, and the taller and branching meadow buttercup which can grow as high as your waist. Along the rocky seashore there are swathes of birdsfoot trefoil, interspersed with the glorious pink of thrift (sea pink), sometimes boosted by another buttercup, the bulbous buttercup.

My theories are many, but it could be that along road verges in particular, grass growth has been delayed and so the roads people haven’t been out in force yet to cut every square inch of the verges, thus keeping the buttercups around a bit longer for us to notice. However, I think it is more than that – this year, everyone is remarking on the show, and they are particularly vigorous this speing. I can vouch for that at my allotment, where the creeping buttercup crept up while I wasn’t watching, and has got such a strong grip on the plot that I despair of ever getting it under control.

Ah well, here’s some pictures to brighten your day:

Buttercups in a pasture field

Buttercups along a road verge

Birdsfoot trefoil by the sea near Portaferry