Well first off, they’re beautiful spring flowers that can brighten up even a dull, wet day in the garden. I planted cowslips in the garden at the first house we bought. They grew and seeded themselves around, so I was able to give plants to friends for their gardens. When we moved, I dug up some plants for our new garden. Now every spring those plants, and many others that have grown from their seeds, produce a mass of flowers. Somewhere along the line a few darker, orange flowered plants have arrived to join the yellow of the originals. I love that the flowers are small and delicate, not like the big, blousy blooms of the cultivated primulas that are sold as winter and spring bedding plants. And it’s the fact that they haven’t been bred to death, to produce bigger flowers in a whole range of colours that makes them more valuable for wildlife.
Which brings us on to reason number two – cowslips are native wildflowers that have evolved alongside native British insects over thousands of years. The insects rely on the flowers for food and visit the cowslips to collect nectar, as they move from one flower to another they take pollen with them. And it’s this transfer of pollen that the cowslips need in order to produce seed. Cowslip numbers are declining in the wild. They saw a massive drop when agricultural practices became more intensive, herbicide use increased and meadows were ploughed up in favour of arable crops. A spring meadow dotted with cowslip flowers is a rare sight nowadays. But these pretty spring flowers are a good nectar source for bees, butterflies and moths making them great plants to include in a wildlife friendly garden.
And thirdly there is the history and folklore surrounding these plants, don’t you just love it when a plant has a story to tell? Folklore tells that cowslips first grew from the ground where St Peter dropped his keys, a story reflected in the fact that they are also known as Herb Peter and Key of Heaven. The cowslip has long been used in herbal medicine. The flowers, having a sedative effect, are used to make infusions for treating anxiety, insomnia and headaches. And if you want to get the children interested, you can them that the name cowslip is derived from the plant’s habit of growing in pastures among the cowpats or cowslops.
So, if you’ve got some space in your garden, why not plant a few cowslips? They are fairly tolerant of garden conditions, preferring a sunny position and neutral to slightly alkaline soils (if you have rhododendrons and camellias growing happily in your garden, cowslips will probably struggle to establish in the ground). If you garden on acid soil, or don’t have a garden, you can always plant cowslips in containers. They look fantastic in terracotta pots or window boxes. Enjoy the flower through April and May, but don’t be tempted to cut the spent flower heads off the plant if you want seeds for more plants. .. And one other thing, now that I’ve got you all enthusiastic about growing cowslips, please don’t go digging up plants from the wild (I know you wouldn’t even think of doing this) – there are few enough already. Best bet is to buy from a local nursery, especially if you can find plants grown from locally produced seed.
Oh, and if you still aren’t convinced, the cowslip flowers are edible. Sprinkle them over spring salads or, if you have a meadow full of flowers, why not try making some cowslip wine?
Lucinda said:
Such beautiful photos Sarah, I love that orange one, what a lovely deep colour it is.
Cowslips are a real favourite of mine and I look forward to their arrival on the Downs each year.
Thanks for the inspiration.
thegardendeli said:
Thanks Lucinda. They are beautiful flowers. I got lucky with the photos – managed to get them between the showers.
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The Sage Butterfly said:
What a wonderful ode to cowslips…they are so beautiful! You highlight them so beautifully with your words and your photos…Happy Earth Day!
Maggie said:
Lovely post – cowslips are one of my favourites too, and mine are just beginning to spread from my original plant. Great writing and beautiful photos!
Maggie x
Bridget said:
Delighted to have found your blog through Lucinda’s link. Lovely post too.
comfreycottages said:
I think your cowslips are so lovely , Sarah. Loved this post! Now you just need Cecily Parsley to make you some cowslip wine:) xxxx
thegardendeli said:
Thanks for all your comments. Glad to see that cowslips are so popular. Has anyone tried cowslip wine? – I’ve always left the flowers for the bees so have never made it.
madcrowherbals said:
Oh, nice. I think I found a new flower friend to get to know better. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen them in the wild here. But I’ll start keeping my eye and I’m certainly inspired to look into adding them into my future gardens!
Michael
Danielle Charles said:
You had me convinced from the very first line! I’ve been in love with cowslips ever since Lucinda wrote about them last spring. I love their delicate beauty, which you have captured so perfectly in your photos. And I loved hearing about the folklore – the story that each plant is waiting to tell 🙂 The orange one is particularly striking!
XOXO
D
stardragonfly said:
Your cowslips are gorgeous! I am definitely going to be looking for these at my local nursery! Or I suppose they can be ordered on the Internet. Thank you so much for your beautiful post! Susan
thegardendeli said:
Michael – would love to hear if you find any wild cowslips in your part of the world. I think they grow in the north east of the USA, so you may be in luck.
Danielle – you are right, the stories associated with a plant tell so much about it’s history and uses.
Susan – yes, the internet may be the answer – did a quick search for ‘wildflower nursery’ and got a long list of results.
silverbells2012 said:
My dad has just given me some cowslips from his garden. I’m so pleased to learn with these I will be helping the bees as well as keeping a native wildflower going 🙂
thegardendeli said:
And they’re a beautiful flower – so you get to enjoy them too!
Heather said:
Hi any chance you can send me some seeds I can exchange seeds with you if you are interested?
thegardendeli said:
Hi Heather. I’d be happy to send you some seeds if my plants produce some this year – they’re best sown fresh, so round about early July. Where are you based? I think it’s ok to send seed to Europe, but I’m not sure about further afield.
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