Ginkgo biloba leaves

The tree, Ginkgo biloba (also known as maidenhair tree) has been called a living fossil. It is the last remaining living species of the order Ginkgoales which first appeared 290 million years ago. Fossils that are very similar to Ginkgo biloba appear in the middle Jurassic i.e. c.170 million years ago. The fan-shaped leaves of the tree are unique among trees today and are the easiest way of recognising it. If left unpruned the Ginkgo can grow to 50m tall and individuals are claimed to have live for 2,500 years. The tree's leaves turn to saffron yellow in autumn and it is this colour and the exclusive leaf shape that accounts for its popularity with gardeners.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon Z 5

Winter aconite

Two days before the end of January isn't especially early to find a winter aconite (Eranthis hyemalis) in bloom. But, apart from the earliest of blooming daffodils, it is early for a yellow-flowered plant. Consequently it is a useful source of nectar for any insects that are out and about braving the cold weather. The winter aconite isn't a native here but is found in mainland European countries to the south and east of us. In Britain it is a naturalized species, is more common in southern Britain, and is a favourite of many gardeners for that early colour.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Sony DSC-RX100

Yellow electricity helicopter

Walking on the eastern edge of Ross on Wye we became aware of a low flying, noisy helicopter hidden behind a row of trees. As it rose above them its yellow colour and manner of flight - hovering round an area then moving on to hover again - became apparent. It was one of a fleet of five Airbus 135s that are used to check the pylons and electricity distribution wires across the region. We've seen these before, and as it slowly went on its way I wondered how long it would be before quieter, semi-automatic drones took over this potentially dangerous job.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon P900

Tulip "Lilac Wonder"

Coincidences are interesting. As my wife and I walked through Hereford we were discussing colour combinations. I remarked that I particularly disliked the combination of lilac with yellow. A short while later, in the ruined cloister at the cathedral, I photographed these lilac and yellow flowers in its garden. I took my shots because the flowers were in full bloom and I didn't know their variety. When I closely inspected the leaves I discovered they were tulips, possibly the most cultivated flower, and one that has been made to produce blooms quite unlike those found in its original form. When I got home I looked up this variety's name and found it was "Lilac Wonder". It's well named. I too wonder why the breeder produced the plant!

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon Z 5

Perennial rudbeckia

One of our favourite garden flowers is the perennial rudbeckia (Rudbeckia fulgida), also known as the coneflower or Black-eyed Susan. They grow and spead to a height and width of 0.5m to 1m, and have large yellow flowers with dark, almost black, centres. What endears them to us is the ease with which they can be grown and controlled, the impact they have, and the fact that they flower for such a long time - from towards the end of summer through most of autumn. And they do it year after year with little maintenance other than cutting back at the end of the season.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2

Daffodil stigma

Some work in one of the garden borders required the removal of a group of daffodils. So, the budding flowers were cut in the hope that they would bloom in a vase indoors. And they did. The morning sun through the kitchen window gave me the opportunity of a macro shot of the stigma of the flower, enveloped in its yellow trumpet. The word "stigma" derives from a branding mark on skin and comes from the word "stick", which must I imagine, account for its application to this part of a flower.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Olympus OMD E-M10