It is late July in the Peak District and a pastel blue haze is everywhere. No, it’s not the blue sky but a wildflower growing along the verges and on wilder areas. What a show it is, more than in any year I can recall. It is not just the pure colour of the flower, but of the plant itself. It is a plant with gorgeous lobed leaves and it holds itself up well. Any horticulturalist would say that it could grace any garden, let alone the uncultivated areas. No flower could better express the glory of summer, its blue flowers reflecting the blue of the sky. I find it a real tonic, a harbinger of summertime joy. Watch out for Meadow Cranesbill or join me by visiting the Peak District in the next few weeks.

Stone walls

I would hazard a guess that this cranesbill (Geranium pratense) loves to be beside a stone wall. Moreover, that stone wall must be constructed of limestone. The lime washes into the ground at its base and sweetens the soil. Many plants love that but not the acid lovers like azaleas. Although this cranesbill is said to be common, that is very much in the south and on limestone soils. It is said to be a deeper blue when found on chalk soils.

Meadow Cranesbill

An odd aspect is that this plant features little in herbal books. That reflects that it does not seem to have any medical value. However, the internet suggests that the flowers and leaves are edible. Who ate them? It is rare for a plant that has been around for thousands of years not to have a mythology. Why would that be? Whatever, we must enjoy it for today. Such joys are free, providing you get out and experience the countryside. That is why we live in the Peak District, where everywhere offers beauty and pleasure. Well perhaps not all those slugs in my potatoes, but we can’t have everything.