This month look out for the “unforgettably” beautiful, little blue flowers of forget-me-not.
With 5 sky blue petals and orange or yellow middles, there are two common types of forget-me-nots in the UK, the wood forget-me-not and the water forget-me-not.
Wood forget-me-not prefers woodland.
Water forget-me-not prefers wet habitat such as marshes and riverbanks so it’s been a good year for water forget me not.
Forget-me-not is also very popular in gardens now, a great filling plant for spring bedding areas. The plant plays an important role in supporting wildlife such as bees butterflies and other pollinators – they are drawn to its many small nectar rich flowers.
How do they get their unique name?
There are a few stories but my favourite is that it comes from a German legend about a knight who died trying to get the flowers for his lover and called out with his last breath, “Forget me not!”
The flower represents remembrance and is long-associated with dementia. People with dementia experience memory loss. This makes the forget-me-not the perfect flower to represent it.
These delicate flowers are easy to grow, self-seed, and thrive in moist, partially shaded areas. So, bring some of their delicate beauty to your garden.
Thanet nature expert Nik Mitchell runs the Get Wild page on facebook