Balmy/barmy

November, my birth month,  has never been especially dear to me. At school that depressing little poem by Thomas Hood was bound to come up sooner or later.

No sun — no moon!
No morn — no noon —
No dawn — no dusk — no proper time of day.
No warmth, no cheerfulness, no healthful ease,
No comfortable feel in any member —
No shade, no shine, no butterflies, no bees,
No fruits, no flowers, no leaves, no birds! —
November!


Hood died a hundred years before I was born and now, well into full-on climate breakdown, we can't expect the months to conform to traditional expectations. Still, I was surprised, while walking around the edge of town,  to encounter within a short distance of each other, these tiny delicate flowers that belong to other seasons (I mean, is November still "winter"? I don't know.)

Anyway here they were blooming happily in the balmy sunshine. Which is a bit barmy.

From left to right.

Germander speedwell 
(Speeds travellers on their way but the flowers - here today gone tomorrow -  are called Man's Love in German for that reason - er...)
Herb Bennet 
(Traditionally claimed to protect against venomous snakes rabid dogs and Satan - but in truth is a devilish weed to have in the garden)
Scarlet pimpernel 
(Closes its petals in early afternoon or when rain threatens, thus known  as  shepherd's clock or poor man's barometer - in the days before they had smart phones.)

As always, so much history, mystery and myth contained in the names of plants.