An oasis of flowers - 35 wildflowers in flower in Birmingham car park edge -and it's still only March

Red Clover leaves near the road

On 28 March, The day before the conference in Birmingham on "Joy in Enough" - about ecologically sustainable economics - run by Christian Ecology Link -  I took time to explore ..

..the narrow strip of "grassy" bank opposite the church, between the main road and station car park.

What a find!


It wasn't just grass - It was a myriad of brightly coloured flowers and mosses  (and some grass)

Maybe I should be  concerned that so many species of wildflower can be IN FLOWER before the end of March - (Climate Change?)
 By the time I have finished looking at the tiny pieces I brought home - I realised there were 35!

Maybe the plants don't have the same kudos as Arctic Alpines that have been in this country since the end of the last Ice Age, as do some flowers near where I live...

Maybe I should be intrigued that so many are "introduced" have only been in our country for a few hundred years..

But the are all wild, not brought here by a the council or car park gardener (unless someone emails me to tell me differently)

Corn Salad (Lamb's Lettuce) - Valerianella locusta - seen close up
(Click on the pictures to see them bigger)

They are in flower - and providing nectar/pollen for insects.

And delight for humans if only they would look!!

Look!   Look!   Look!

Thank you for the flowers. That is what gave me Joy at this Conference.

Spring Whitlow-grass

Rocket -- Eruga vesicaria (possibly subsp sativa?)

The Rocket is growing below the big advertising hoarding.
 It should be advertising the diversity of wildflowers here.

Some will have spread in along the railway line system,
such as this Oxford Ragwort (first recorded in England in 1794)

)

Oxford Ragwort

Dandelions are coming into bloom this week - providing food for Insects.

Coltsfoot is still out

Coltsfoot 

We are looking towards Carrs Lane Church Centre,
and the Travel Lodge beyond.

Small Melilot

Armenian Grape Hyacinth
(very much like a garden escape)

Veronica persica  Common Field-Speedwell

Forget-me-not

I explored high and low during my stay

- from the Market near St Martin's Church and the Chinese pagoda garden in a roundabout (Shepherd's Purse and Pineapple Mayweed added to the list)

- to the Secret Garden at the Summit of the Library .

but only found a handful of wildflowers struggling to get in amongst the planted plants and wood chip.

I'll be adding the list shortly.