Conservation

Over many many years efforts have been made to conserve a very small viola the white flowered version of which is confined in the UK to Arnside Knott. Seed has been collected and is held in long term safe storage in the Kew seedbank.
In addition seed has been used to grow new plants in greenhouses in the village. These have been planted out to reinforce the original colony and to start up a second colony elsewhere on the Knott.

Some were planted out a week ago. They are quite small and delicate and with the present days of sunshine there was concern that they might dry out. So here they are being given some water to tide them over until the next rain due next week.

My extra shows that the Butterbur  ( Petasites hybridus ) is growing well. A plant where the flowers appear before the leaves. Its common name is thought to stem from the fact that the leaves, which grow to be very large and do not split when folded, used to be used for wrapping blocks of butter.