”It’s May and celebration is the order of the day…Everywhere is froth and fullness. It’s fulsome and wonderful, it’s lush and exuberant, it effervesces. Ditches and hedgerows are thronged with clouds of cow parsley.
Carol Klein, Life in a Cottage Garden
I was looking through my book collection to find a quote that described the month of May and I thought these words from Carol described May perfectly. She has such a wonderful way with words, as well as being an inspirational gardener.
Names for cow parsley
May is one of my favourite months and I am a huge fan of cow parsley. Its rather mundane name disguises how pretty it is. Other names used in Ireland include dog parsley and hare’s parsley. According to ‘ An Irish Nature Year’ by Jane Powers, these names refer to the plant’s inferior taste compared to its culinary relative, parsley. Don’t be tempted to eat it though unless you are absolutely certain you have the right plant as it belongs to the same family as hemlock !
Another common and much prettier name is Queen Anne’s lace. Some sources say that this refers not to a monarch, but to Saint Anne, the mother of Mary and patron saint of lacemakers. It grows everywhere here, its thrifts of lacy white flowers softening the edges of country lanes and hedgerows. It’s important too for a variety of insects, including bees and hoverflies as it is an early source of pollen.
Photographing this wildflower
Not everyone is a fan though. But from a photographer’s point of view, I find it very photogenic, particularly in that lovely dappled light that May brings. I always make a point of photographing it every year, to try and capture a little of its beauty, its movement, its sheer frothiness. So I just thought I’d share a few recent images of this humble wildflower. These were captured on an early and rather magical morning walk through woods covered with a white froth. I always try to photograph early in the morning as the light is softer. I love to get up close and capture the details, watching where the light falls, making use of both light and shade.
So what’s your take on cow parsley – is it a ubiquitous weed or a welcome wildflower ? If you thought it was a weed, perhaps these images will make you change your mind ! Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below.
Thank you for taking the time to read this post,
Wishing you all a lovely Sunday,
Paula
Useful Links
The Wildlife Trusts Cow Parsley
Other posts from Typewriter Girl to enjoy:-
Exploring Candle Photography: A Creative Day with Wick and Fern
I love it and I always think Queen Anne’s Lacey is such a pretty name and suits it well. X
*Lace
Lol…although I do quite like Queen Anne’s Lacey 🙂
I love the froth of cow parsley, I always make a trip to the cemetery at this time of year, where there’s lots of it, I haven’t yet done that trip!
Hopefully you can get time to make the trip. The forecast is looking pretty decent for the next few days 🙂
Cow parsley is so beautiful and so are your photos of it – it is such a familiar and a welcome sight along country waysides in late spring. I love the quote you found to describe the month of May! Thanks for sharing, have a wonderful day and thanks for stopping by my blog! Aiva 🙂 xx
Oh thank you. You are very welcome. Hope to be on here a little more often 🙂
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