THE wheat now has sturdy green ears on it, though the stalks will grow taller before the corn is ripe. At the edge of the wheat, and sometimes out among it, the first flowers of high summer are starting to open. Scentless mayweed is a very common, ragged-looking white daisy that will still be flourishing among the stubble when the wheat has been cut. Also to be found in cornfields, though less frequently, is the scented mayweed, which has a faint chamomile scent, and is also known as wild chamomile. On this flower, the circle of white florets around the yellow centre all turn downwards, giving it a very droopy look. Some of the silky red petals have already fallen from the field poppies, leaving behind the seed pods that are shaped just like little caskets with lids.
One of the commonest British vetches is coming out on roadsides. This is tufted vetch, which grows into a bush and has numerous flowers with bright purple hoods and blue lips. It also has leaves with many leaflets ranged along the stem, and with tiny tendrils at the end to help it climb up hedges. DJM