Fairies Thimbles

Common names for plants are often easier to remember than Latin names.   The catch comes when plants have multiple common names, as is often the case and then some common names apply to more than one species.  However, the common name for Campanula cochlearifolia might be unique (for all I know!) and it's easy to see how it came about, the little bellflowers really are thimble shaped.   It's a 'proper' alpine, inhabiting rocky places high in the mountains.  It's also an easy garden plant, perhaps growing a little taller in the lowlands.   It's definitely happiest in stony soil with a good top dressing of grit where it can spread through the stones just as it does in nature.   This was a little scrap brought from Norfolk caught up when I lifted a clump of bulbs, it's now spreading to make an extensive patch.

A quiet day at home until early evening.  Some basic chores indoors, a bit more weeding outside and then I cleaned up all the largest and grubbiest bits of the greenhouse, ready for the weekend construction.   Eventually the heat got the better of me and I retired for a rest.   C & I took the dogs for a walk along the riverbank ... and took a picnic for ourselves.   Nice to sit in the sun in a cooling breeze.   Apart from when they were drooling at our food, the dogs ran themselves almost to a stop.  When Meg gets hot she seeks out water to cool down, unfortunately tonight this was deeply muddy water.  Filthy and she stank!   A long spell in the shower didn't quite shift it all but at the ball field with Jamie and Bella later she plunged into the clear water of the stream.   Hoping that has finished the job.   Think we'll sleep well tonight.