Coming up in my cottage garden this month - a favourite of mine - snakes-head Fritillaries. This Spring bulb has had a chequered past with those who believe it to be native to Britain and those who favour a non-native status on account of the lack of cultural references in folklore, art, literature and architecture prior to 1736. It has therefore been (grudgingly to some) re-classed as a neophyte, having thought to have been introduced to botanical gardens for ornamental reasons and then managing to “jump the garden wall”. Their story reminded me of a BBC “You’re Dead To Me” history/comedy podcast I heard this week about Atlantis and how the lost city and civilisation was invented by Plato in 360BC (which I had no idea about). So many people believe its existence to be true but there is a distinct lack of reference to it in culture, art, religious texts and other literature before this time. I wonder if there are any other examples of this where we think of something to have existed for all time, but a lack of historic cultural reference prior to a certain time is evidence against it. . . . . #historymatters #snakesheadfritillary #fritallariameleagris #easterplants #eostre #ēostre #springflowers #flowerfables #nativeplants #wildflowersuk #neophyte #ornamentalflowers #chequerboard #snakeshead #ornamentalbulbs #lostcityofatlantis #youredeadtome #youredeadtomepodcast (at Harrowby, Lincolnshire) https://www.instagram.com/p/CqpwYFUoGJM/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=
