Wild flowers in Creusefond; and one or more herbe-à-roberts
It is unremarkable to say that the flowers in bloom in Provence are very different to those here, back in Burgundy; but it is striking that with only some 250 miles (400 kilometres) between Bedouin, below Mont Ventoux, and here there is such a difference in the flowers in the countryside. I can only think immediately of broom as being in flower here and there; though I am sure we’ll have poppies here before long.
One flower I noticed in the limestone countryside – but I think I may have paid inadequate attention – was what I took to be a very small herb robert (Latin: geranium robertianeum; or in French herbe-à-robert). My French flower book describes the common herbe-à-robert as a ‘plante à odeur désagréable’ – a little harsh perhaps? But yes, back to my ‘inadequate attention’ as we walked near Mont Ventoux. I know the geranium family has a variety of different types. Looking at my French and English flower books I find ten pink or near pink types of wild geranium in the first (of which the herbe-à-robert is only one); and in the English book are eleven of the geranium family, including cranesbill (seven), a couple of storksbill and herb robert itself (the first in the batch below).
Truly, I should have noted the Mont Ventoux tiny geranium more carefully. Just outside our backdoor we have herb robert and alongside it and throughout our garden a much smaller small pink geranium family member. I didn’t pause to note the difference – if any – between the limestone geranium to compare it to the small geranium in our garden, namely shining cranesbill or geranium luisant (L: geranium lucidum).For the rest I offer a collage of wild flowers from the side of the lane to Noiron by our house.
David Burrows
14 May 2024