Strobilus..

..of common Horsetail.

Continuing the botany lesson, horsetails are an ancient family of plants, giant forms felled, and compressed, form most of our coal reserves.

This is the fruiting body, which will shed spores to the wind. They are released in damp conditions. The strobili are normally borne early in the year on branch-less stems (branched stems appear later and have a "ferny" look). They are very deep rooted, and stems and roots are quite brittle, each piece being able to regenerate into a new plant. Because of this, it can be very difficult to eradicate from a garden.

Herbicides have little effect.

Got a lot of jobs done today in the poly-tunnel and greenhouses. Still haven't pricked out the antirrhinums though..

Much colder today with showers and increasing winds..

Booked flights to visit my mum in May..

Music..

..( and yes Sis, this was taken in your garden!!)..