PARWICH.ORG

Posted in Flora | 7 Comments

7 Responses

1. on Thursday May 14, 2015 at 8:00 am | Reply Fiona H

   Lady’s Smocks?

   
   
2. on Thursday May 14, 2015 at 8:13 am | Reply Peter T

   For more on the Lady’s Smock (Cardamine pratensis) see Wikipedia ( http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardamine_pratensis ). There is also an interesting article on the folklore relating to this plant in the Darlington & Stockton Times (see http://www.darlingtonandstocktontimes.co.uk/news/806082.why_picking_a_milkmaid_or_ladys_smock_is_just_asking_for_trouble/ )

   
   
3. on Thursday May 14, 2015 at 6:28 pm | Reply Saskia T

   Also called ‘Cuckooflower’, coinciding with the arrival of the first cuckoo, I believe?
   And in Dutch ‘Pinksterbloem’ which would translate in ‘Whitsuntide flower’. It must be flowering a little early as Whitsunday isn’t until a week on Sunday….
   The wet grassland habitat of the Lady’s-Smock has decreased considerably due to intensive farming.

   
   
   • on Monday May 18, 2015 at 9:43 pm | Reply Anthony C

     If you head up Dam Lane and proceed through Alsop for about an eighth of a mile before gaining the A515, you will see on your left a profusion of Lady’s Smock on the steep field bank there. They are currently looking most beautiful.

     Legend has it that fairies dance around their pretty petals at night, their tall stalks permitting graceful movement beneath, and that it’s unlucky to bring them indoors (thereby depriving the fairies of their nocturnal revellings and other delights in Springtime). For the same reason, Lady’s Smock are never used to decorate Maypoles.

     I love folklore which, if you look closely, often conveys a salutary message.

     
     
4. on Monday May 18, 2015 at 2:19 pm | Reply MartinC

   Thanks for answers

   
   
5. on Friday May 22, 2015 at 10:31 am | Reply Saskia T

   I was lucky enough to catch a glimpse at dusk of some fairies dancing around some Lady’s Smock (or Cuckoo) flowers at the back of my house, proving to me that there are still fairies around if you look carefully enough and that folklore is alive and kicking (well, dancing on this occasion).

   

   

   
   
   • on Friday May 22, 2015 at 7:41 pm | Reply Anthony C

     Delightful Saskia, thank you. Breaking News: Parwich eclipses Cottingley’s fame 😉

     
     

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.