Rosebay Willowherb

When I was a child I had a rather stern uncle who lived in the Scottish Borders near Berwick.  He had been a market gardener but lost everything in the 1948 floods so took other work.  However, he remained a very keen gardener and lived in an isolated house where he tended his gardens beautifully.  He had a very large front garden and it was not uncommon for day tour buses to stop outside so that the trippers could admire it.  Long before the days of 'open gardens', of course.

Apparently, after a walk in the countryside, my oldest sister picked a large bouquet of Rosebay Willowherb because she thought it was such a pretty flower, and when she got back she presented it to my uncle as a gift.  To his credit I think he accepted it gracefully, but I'm sure it went straight onto his compost heap.

I was reminded of that old family tale when I saw this today.  A weed in the wrong place but a prolific wild flower in the right one, particularly liking rough and barren land.  I thought this was quite attractive.