Budleigh Past and Present

 The trumpet-like flowers of Amaryllis belladonna Costumed ladies and the occasional besuited gentleman are usually what people come to admire at Fairlynch. But on Saturday 4 April the museum’s opening event will offer visitors plenty of outdoor interest in addition to a range of displays in the exhibition rooms. And just in case the weather is unkind, Fairlynch now has its own marquee!   Hot homemade soup will be available, and there will be a treasure hunt and a tombola. For keen gardeners the Museum has organised a plant sale which will include specimens of one of the late summer flowering glories of Fairlynch garden as well as many other popular varieties. Amaryllis belladonna – known by many as the ‘Naked Lady’ plant – is one of the items which are certain to be sought after, with their pink trumpet-like flowers.   Amaryllis about to flower with its 'naked' st...

The primroses came out early this year, heralding the arrival of spring. And now with May Day we enter a new season.   It’s no surprise that this pretty plant has been adopted as our county flower,   decorating as it does, in the words of the official website “countless miles of Devon's hedgerows and roadside verges in the early months of the year.” The flower has been chosen also for its value as a symbol of conservation.   “Common species such as the Primrose are often useful indicators of the world around us,” I read a little further on the site.   “Unless we succeed in maintaining the status of such common plants, we stand little chance in saving those habitats and species that are already rare or threatened. By promoting the conservation of the Primrose, we can help to look after the many habitats in which it is fundamental for growth and the many species that are typically found along side it.”   ...