Bluebells and other "grass-like" plant leaves
NorthernJoe
Posts: 660
in Plants
OK plant amnesia means I lost most of my plant ID skills of my youth. I can ID Ransomes from just the leaf because of where they're growing, leaf shape and smell. Plus I've been picking them for eating purposes for a few years now. Bluebells I recognize now only by the flower bud or full flower. Unfortunately we've not got many flowers out. We've got so many of these kinds of leaf shape in our garden from daffodils through, tulips, bluebells, Ransomes to a few I have no idea about. Wider leaf and a little glossy I think at least. Most I suspect are bluebells or snowdrops. I think they're thinner and more alike than the others.
My question is about whether I'm damaging them and reducing their success next year if I end up pulling a few leaves out when clearing the debris and dead plant stalks among them? To get a lot done with the tidying up I'm being more than a little brusque and impatient with my tidying. Unfortunately so far it's left a few bruised leaves and a lot of leaves gets removed with the detritus.
Should I take care or just get the job done and accept I might get a poor showing next year or this in some cases? There's enough in the garden to transplant if needed. Plus plenty in the paths we're taking out as we go anyway.
We moved in early march, I've not really seen any bluebells, is it too early? When are the snowdrops?
My question is about whether I'm damaging them and reducing their success next year if I end up pulling a few leaves out when clearing the debris and dead plant stalks among them? To get a lot done with the tidying up I'm being more than a little brusque and impatient with my tidying. Unfortunately so far it's left a few bruised leaves and a lot of leaves gets removed with the detritus.
Should I take care or just get the job done and accept I might get a poor showing next year or this in some cases? There's enough in the garden to transplant if needed. Plus plenty in the paths we're taking out as we go anyway.
We moved in early march, I've not really seen any bluebells, is it too early? When are the snowdrops?
0
Posts
pits a little early for bluebells, some of ours have flowers just beginning to show some colour but lots haven’t as yet. They are more green than snowdrops and slightly glossier. I wouldn’t worry too much, if you’re pulling up some leaves. In my experience bluebells are pretty robust (English and Spanish equally), it’s hard to get rid of them. You might get a few less flowers on some next year but they’ll soon recover.
East facing, top of a hill clay-loam, cultivated for centuries (7 years by me). Birmingham
Snowdrop flowers are gone but the leaves are there and you might see a stem with a green seed pod.
Muscari are still flowering.
Crocus tend to have a stripe.
Bluebells are out or they were the other week.
If you post some photos there are some folk on here that excel in plant recognition.
If your leaves are bluebells they never seem to be bothered.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I brought some ransoms from my Belgian garden but they haven't survived but I have just found a website that offers "unusual" edible plants and have ordered some seeds. I know the garden and its soil mixes and so on a bit better now so fingers crossed.
Proper bluebells grow in the hedgerows here so I'm hoping the ones I planted here a couple of years go will do well but they're being shy. On the other hand, we've just had to pull up yet another batch of persistent Spanish bluebells but not as many as last year. Constant vigilance.
"We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw