Herb Robert and my theory of existence.

My Theory of Existence:

Sometimes I am just wrong.

I have long held the belief that we don’t really see things until we learn their names and a little bit about them, which is what drives me because I like to walk through the forest and the fields with my eyes open, seeing everything.

This first picture was the first physical evidence that I obtained to prove my theory. It is a nice picture of a pretty little Orange Tip that I took last year. I like this butterfly and I must have looked at this picture dozens of times.

This year I learned about Bitter-cress and the next time that I looked at this picture I was astonished to see that the butterfly was perched on one. There was nothing there before, the butterfly was just there alone in the picture.

So, on to Herb Robert. Yesterday I spent quite a bit of time reading other peoples blogs and three times I came across pictures of Herb Robert that the authors were unable to identify. Nothing wrong with that, there are two wild flowers that I want to photograph today because I have seen them and don’t know what they are but it blows my theory out of the water.

People are seeing this little flower and without knowing anything about it they are photographing it and posting those pictures, therefore I can only come to one conclusion.

Things do exist even before we know anything about them and some people at least can see them.

So there may be fairies at the bottom of the garden?

Herb Robert:

This is the pretty little pink flower that catches peoples attention.

Herb Robert, Geranium robertianum, it has a lot of other names, Wikipedia says it is Robert Geranium in North America, also known as “Stinky Bob” and also gives the weird name “Death Come Quickly” I am not sure why, I have never been killed by a geranium.

It is a Cranesbill Geranium and the cranesbills get that name from the shape of the seed pods they develop.

The leaves (Deeply dissected, ternate to palmate) look like this…

..and both the leaves and stem turn quite red after flowering.

Like all geraniums it has ten stamens topped with pollen dusting anthers and five styles that lead down to a single ovary. When the flower first opens the stamens are clasped tightly around the styles.

At first the anthers are covered in bright yellow pollen and as the pollen is spent the anthers fall away leaving just the styles in the centre of the flower.

(Falling anthers)

Flowers of Herb Robert usually grow in pairs although they don’t always flower at the same time.So that is what the little pink flower is and if you already knew that , well think about those people that didn’t, it is not a big deal. I have got to find out what that funny daisy like thing is and the yellow flower.

Herb Robert grows pretty much everywhere, there is almost certainly some in your garden today. It is a very prolific little “stinky Bob” weed and a lovely wild flower.

There is a lot going on today. Before I even start looking outside. I have got a Blackbird’s nest to photograph (I will be careful not to upset anyone). My second chrysalis turned into a butterfly overnight. She is drying her wings at the moment and I have got some good Badger footage back from the trail cam, good natural behaviour, scent marking each other, chasing a Fox and collecting bedding. I hope to have a lot to share as the day goes on. 🙂