The Anemone of Passiontide.

This is the Pasqueflower, known as the Anemone of Passiontide, as it usually flowers at Easter. hence the name "Pasque", meaning "like Paschal", of Easter.

Latin name: Pulsatilla vulgaris.
(This one was in a neighbours garden)

One of our most beautiful native flowers, but now quite rare.
There is a legend that the Pasqueflowers spring from the blood of Romans and Danes, as they typically occur on old earthworks such as barrows and boundry banks. However it is more likely this association reflects the plant's need for undisturbed chalk/limestone grassland which has survived in these places as they have always been too steep to plough.

Since its discovery in 1551 it has been recorded from around 120 sites. Now only five populations appear to be thriving, and these account for 99% of the entire UK population.

The sites are are on chalk or limestone grassland in East Anglia,the Chilterns, Cotswolds,Lincolnshire and West Yorkshire.
One of the best sites to see it in the wild is Barnack Hills and Holes National Nature Reserve, an area of limestone grassland on the site of a disused quarry just outside Peterborough.

However a better place to see it is in gardens, and there are pots full at the garden centres just now.So you can have your own Easter flower!

Weather here is a bit better today. The cold wind has gone and so has the snow.

Our walk tomorrow is from Malham Tarn, so I hope the weather is good.

Enjoy the rest of your Easter Weekend.