The irony is that our garden is swamped by the other sort—vulgar Spanish bluebells, now known as Hyacinthoides hispanica, in the same way that our own English species, which has seen many name changes over the centuries, is now known as Hyacinthoides non-scripta. Some botanists believe that the Spanish invader presents a national threat to our own native beauties. Their learned articles are reported in the tabloids with headlines that evoke the Spanish Armada.
The two species are not too difficult to tell apart. There are cleverer ways than mine to distinguish them, but I notice that the Spaniards flower a week or so earlier and have fatter leaves.
Their stems are upright, whereas the flowers are slightly broader and paler. Plus they have a peppery smell. Our true-blue English bluebells have a nodding tip to the flower stems and that unique and gorgeous scent that Penhaligon extracted so perfectly in the days when I could afford to give it to my wife for our wedding anniversary.
I am told that it is no less perfect today—the quintessence of the parfumier’s skill.
Denne historien er fra November 13, 2024-utgaven av Country Life UK.
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Denne historien er fra November 13, 2024-utgaven av Country Life UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Tales as old as time
By appointing writers-in-residence to landscape locations, the National Trust is hoping to spark in us a new engagement with our ancient surroundings, finds Richard Smyth
Do the active farmer test
Farming is a profession, not a lifestyle choice’ and, therefore, the Budget is unfair
Night Thoughts by Howard Hodgkin
Charlotte Mullins comments on Moght Thoughts
SOS: save our wild salmon
Jane Wheatley examines the dire situation facing the king of fish
Into the deep
Beneath the crystal-clear, alien world of water lie the great piscean survivors of the Ice Age. The Lake District is a fish-spotter's paradise, reports John Lewis-Stempel
It's alive!
Living, burping and bubbling fermented masses of flour, yeast and water that spawn countless loaves—Emma Hughes charts the rise and rise) of sourdough starters
There's orange gold in them thar fields
A kitchen staple that is easily taken for granted, the carrot is actually an incredibly tricky customer to cultivate that could reduce a grown man to tears, says Sarah Todd
True blues
I HAVE been planting English bluebells. They grow in their millions in the beechwoods that surround us—but not in our own garden. They are, however, a protected species. The law is clear and uncompromising: ‘It is illegal to dig up bluebells or their bulbs from the wild, or to trade or sell wild bluebell bulbs and seeds.’ I have, therefore, had to buy them from a respectable bulb-merchant.
Oh so hip
Stay the hand that itches to deadhead spent roses and you can enjoy their glittering fruits instead, writes John Hoyland
A best kept secret
Oft-forgotten Rutland, England's smallest county, is a 'Notswold' haven deserving of more attention, finds Nicola Venning