Cuckoo pint

This spring a large number of plants started popping up at the bottom of the garden. To begin with we were concerned that they might be something that we would want to get rid of, but it turns out that they are an English wildflower - cuckoo pint or lords and ladies.

Whilst digging the pond area I filled three pots with them and there are still dozens more at the back left of the garden underneath the ivy and scattered at other locations. A couple of weeks ago I was surprised to find that those in the pots had already flowered. Unfortunately they have been blown about in the recent gales and are rather the worse for wear. Those in the ground are just beginning to flower and I'm greatly looking forward to them coming into berry later in the year.