Have you noticed?

Ninathenana I have some snapdragons in my garden, and I haven't planted them! There is also one coming up through a crack in the paving by the house, I haven't the heart to pull it out. Can't beat free flowers I usually only get dandelions!

We have a strip of ground between our drive and next door which is planted with shrubs and flowering perennials - and, for the past three years, snapdragons! Don't know where they've come from but they do look lovely and I'll just let them get on with it.

Worcestershire.....many grass verges. Theyve been trimmed just at the edges for driving safety and grasses and flowers are growing at the back. Saves LA money and looks fab.

They are using wildflowers in Cheltenham on some of the verges and roundabouts, so beautiful

Lots of beautiful red poppies on drive from Hertfordshire to Cambridge yesterday.

Hi HildaJen, I've got that hawkweed in my garden. It first appeared a couple of years ago and I thought it was pretty, but my DiL warned me it was invasive. I should have ripped the lot up immediately. It's now smothered my lawn and is killing it off. I'm fighting back by ripping up handfuls but it's going to need to be nuked. I didn't want to use poison because cats come in the garden so I've googled it. Apparently there's some weedkillers that won't wipe out the cat population! I'm going to try those.

Our district council only mows a margin about two feet wide along the verges to give visibility, the rest is left to grow and looks wonderful. Full of bees and insects.

How about this for a wildflower meadow!? My dog's favourite zooming place. You can spot her if you look very closely.

West Midlands here. Just back from a ramble where we saw drifts of blue cranesbill, orange hawkweed (thanks, I didn't know what it was called) and those large white daisies - are they marguerites? just beautiful.

I don't know the correct name for the daisies, DM used to call them 'dog daisies'

Ox-eye daisies?
Leucanthemum vulgare?

Our Council planted roundabouts and verges with lovely wild flowers last year but then mowed them at the wrong time, so they are not doing well this year

we have fields and fields of dandelions - but at least the bees like them!

My council does that, Jalima, just as the spotted orchids are coming up. Then they express surprise that there are spotted orchids there!

I think the council of our nearest large town decided to let the grass verges and roundabouts grow wild last year and this so they look beautiful and full of wild flowers. Hope they don't cut them down!

They need to be mown but at the right time of the year
(some are spring flowering, some summer flowering)

www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=446

Lucky dog, there's something about a wild flower meadow, it just makes you want to walk through it. Is that the sea in the background?

The above message for judthepud2 (is there a judthepud1 ?)

Yes Starbird that is the sea: where Belfast Lough opens into the Irish Sea. At the moment the meadows around this country park are full of glorious wild flowers as there is no agricultural activity going on there any more. It has been laid aside for walkers and their dogs. We have had a lot of good weather in June and the whole place is just a wonderful sight. I go there with my dog a lot to ease my soul. she goes crazy with the freedom.

To my knowledge, there is no judthepud1. When I registered initially (some years ago) I did it as JudthePud and then messed the process up somehow. I just left it for a while and then came back and registered again adding the 2 which seems to me to have a ring to it

I am sure it sould ease any soul. We are so lucky to live in the beautiful UK, with so much varied and beautiful countryside, although nowadays when I look at all the open spaces and green fields I imagine all the refugees seeing it and wondering why we won't let them in to stay here. Of course I know it's not that easy, it's a hugely complicated issue, but the thought takes away some of my enjoyment of our countryside.