This glorious swathe of Anthriscus sylvestris represents a change in the approach to the way British parks are maintained. There was a time when every blade of grass would have been trimmed to a uniform height. Today there is a greater awareness of the needs of invertebrates, reptiles and small mammals so provision is now made for them by allowing them to thrive in corners like this one. At the moment this plant is in flower in almost every wild corner in Greenford. I have always known it as “cow parsley” and “Queen Anne’s lace” but I am delighted to learn that, in Warwickshire, it is known as “naughty man’s oatmeal”. This and many other names for the same plant can be found on this page at “The Online Encyclopaedia, The Umbelliferae (carrot/parsley) Family of the British Isles”.
Images and text ©Albertina McNeill 2012. Please do not reproduce without permission. All rights reserved. Do not add any of these images to Pinterest or similar sites as this will be regarded as a violation of copyright.
hi albertina
the fauna in the photo above is temporary. the weed is growing over the spring daffodils. Daffs are left to die back for a minimum of 6 weeks to allow for the sap to return to the bulb, therefore the grass around the area is left and weeds take hold. in a few weeks it will be gone as will the weeds growing on the grass verge in front of the houses, behind the trees, which is where i live. however your photo is really lovely!!
Thanks for putting me right about the flora in question. I hope that daffodils aren’t the reason for a swathe of giant hogweed alongside the pavement in Argyle Road, by the Gurnell playing fields, which I’ve tried reporting to the council. It’s impossible to miss but I was told that unless I give them an exact location (presumably using GPS technology) they can’t act on it. I much prefer the cow parsley!
Hi! I’ve been following your weblog for a while now and finally got the courage to go ahead and give you a shout out from New Caney Tx! Just wanted to tell you keep up the good job!
I’m glad you like it. Hello to everyone in New Caney. Perhaps you’ll visit Greenford some time.