Supposedly first recorded in Britain in 1825, I am pleased to report that a familiar, cheery blue weed is flourishing in the vineyard right now - Persian speedwell (Veronica persica) is one of my favourite weeds and I always welcome it's annual appearance in Vinoland.Speedwell, with it's diminutive, periwinkle blue-striped flowers and it's verdant, jocundly-haired leaves, makes it presence known by cheekily peeping out from behind other weeds. That is until about May, at which point the weather has sufficiently warmed, and conditions are no longer conducive for this little weed to thrive. Not to worry, this dinky weed is pretty adept at reseeding itself and it will make it's reappearance next year in exactly the same locations.
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In My Two Small Fists - Adrian Mitchell
in that bright blue summer
I used to gather
daisies for my father
speedwell for my mother
with buttercups
and prickly heather
cowrie shells
and a seagull’s feather
treasures in each fist
all squashed together
daisies for my father
speedwell for my mother
(that’s how I see it
but I don’t know
if it really happened
sixty years ago
but my memories shine
and their light seems true
and so do the daisies
and speedwell too)
Affer, fancy that! Speedwell is indeed such a charming little plant that it deserves to be thus eulogised.
Cheers Affer. A clever, lovely poem.
(Though I'm an Englishman and a Wordsworth fan so am probably predisposed to liking this kind of thing.)
Nicely done Affer.
very pretty little things, and their brief season makes them all the sweeter. It's a grand thing to be a harbinger of Spring, I think. :)
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