h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Met some friends in Wetherby for tea (compulsory fish and chips for their visit home to Yorkshire). I drove home by the back route through Sicklinghall and Kirby Overblow (good Yorkshire name there!) across to Harewood. The sun was shining and I could see for miles across the valley. The may is out in the hedgerows and there's huge amounts of cow parsley in flower on the verges - looking very pretty waving about in the wind.

I love these views at this time of year, when everything is so green, and the lambs are in the fields. Whenever I've been away (abroad) it's that green that means I'm at home again.

Sounds beautiful Hebe.

I love cow parsley too - isn't it also called Queen Anne's Lace - a prettier name, IMHO? There's a lot in the wild part of the college garden where I work, and the gardener has planted single bright red tulips at intervals all over the area, so they stand out in a sea of cow parsley. It's hard to describe - I'll try and post a photo in the Lockin.

Reading this, I realize that we don't seem to have a lot of it. I must go and try to see if there are any clumps that should escape the lawn-mower.

Queen Anne's lace is a far prettier name. I'm very fond of cow parsley partly because it reminds me of my early childhood walking along country lanes in North Essex. We used to pick it as we walked along (ok then my brother and I would attempt more or less to whip each other with it - not quite so idyllic!). All these memories are flooding back of an English village, playing on the swings while cricket was being played, overlooked by the church, and walking back along lanes overhung with greenery (and spotting water voles in the stream) and it always being sunny.... I remember my brother and I roaming widely across the fields down to the river, and we must have been no older than 9 and 7 as we then moved.

The red tulips sound wonderful, might give it a go in the wild part of my garden (otherwise known as the bit I can't be bothered to mow!).

Have you read Dirk Bogarde's Great Meadow? Just like your description.

OK - have put a couple of photos in the Lockin. They were taken last year when I was still completely bowled over by working in such fabulous surroundings - what am I saying, I still am!

Anyway, I'm not a great photographer and they are scanned from non-digital pics, but I hope you get the general idea.

Lovely pictures - with the buttercups as well adding a layer underneath. Wish I could think up things like the red tulips to add that extra something.

I might go and try to "acquire" some cow parsley / Queen Anne's lace tomorrow for the garden...

I haven't read it Martine, but I've just gone and ordered it!

just testing - and also to say I'm looking with horror at the abebooks comfirmations this morning. Did I really order that many books? I'll have to ban myself until the next payday.... (though it looks like I'll have plenty to read )