SPRING FLOWERS 1: MARSH MARIGOLD

'And winking Mary-buds begin to ope their golden eyes'

William Shakespeare

At the edge of the hilltop pond at Filnore Woods, there are a couple of plants of Marsh Marigold or Kingcup.  The flowers don't last long so hurry if you want to see them.  Hopefully they will increase year on year.

They were known as Mary-buds because they were holy to the Virgin Mary, and used to be placed on window sills, doorsteps and around cows' horns to protect them from evil, especially just before May Day or Beltane.

In the play Cymbeline the phrase 'winking Mary-buds' occurs in the song 'Hark hark the lark'.

Hark, hark! the lark at heaven's gate sings

And Phoebus 'gins arise,

His steeds to water at those springs

On chaliced flowers that lies;

And winking Mary-buds begin

To ope their golden eyes:

With everything that pretty is,

My lady sweet, arise:

Arise arise.

 I'm going to post a lot of flowers in close succession on this blog before they all disappear.