New Year Flowers

In the first 4 days of 2016 I have found 52 species of plants in flower. 48 of these have been in our patch, from the ubiquitous Daisy and Canadian Fleabane to the less prolific Common Fumitory and Shaggy-soldier.  The extremely mild weather has kept some species, such as Lesser Hawkbit and Yarrow, flowering much later whilst encouraging other species, such as Sweet Violet and Red Dead-nettle, to flower much earlier.  A single stem of Alexanders was in full flower as were several bushes of Gorse.  Out of our patch a single flowering stem of Winter Heliotrope stood proud above a large patch of leaves near Courtyard Farm and the first of the Winter Aconites were in flower at Summerfield.