Forget-me-do’s

There is very little point in holding on to the past. What is gone is gone.

Today I am in the best place that I have ever been in my life. It is completely peaceful here, full of birdsong and the scent and colour of wildflowers. I am letting go of all that used to be, that was hard work 🙂

So my overly sweet and pretty little friend, you are a Wood Forget-me-do.

It is not always easy to get Forget-me-do’s to species, the Wood Forget-me-do is very similar to the field variety.

A British pound coin has a diameter of 22.5 mm (about the size of a wedding ring, I guess)These flowers look about 7-8 mm across. (Three to the pound) Field Forget-me-do’s are about half that size 3-4 mm. These flowers are also quite flat.

The shape of the calyx pushes the petals of the Field flower up making more of a cup shape out of it.

The calyx of the field variety is almost bell shape with the tips of the sepals closing to a point. The wood variety is more linear with an open end.

In both cases the individual flower stalks are about twice the length of the calyx. That pedicle length is key to separating some of the smaller species and so it should be noted.

Locally it is in flower now and you can see it in all the more open hedgerows as you walk into the village (dodging the devilish little lambs).

The large flower of the Wood Forget-me-do is the source of most of the garden varieties.

Goodbye whatever your name was, I am afraid that it has gone again. I do remember that you were a very pretty little flower.