Sitting on damp grass. No Problem.

Another of our early Roundball flowers is the Lesser Celandine. Gilbert White, writing in 1788, describes its first flowering in the Hampshire village of Selbourne, as on average the  21st February. At Roundball this year, the first flowers appeared about a month later, but give them a few weeks and we will see them everywhere. Because they are so common they are largely ignored. That's a pity because they really are a glorious flower with a glossy yellow to the inside of the petals with a bronzy green on the outside.  

They are, however, unpopular with gardeners, as they spread rapidly on disturbed ground where their tuberous roots break up easily and re- root easily. It is its roots that give it the Old English names of Pilewort - the plant given for haemorrhoids. This was based on the old tradition of using plants which resemble the symptoms as cures. The tubers are tuberous and knobbly. I'm sure I don't need to say more! 

The Lesser Celandine is also an early source of pollen and nectar for insects and well worth a closer look. If the grass is damp, remember the Old English name and don't worry.