Random Ramblings

Random Ramblings: Personal observations on a wide variety of subjects. Photographs of creatures and things that are taken on seeing the unusual as well as everyday things.

January's journal

This month has provided its usual challenge of Winter's offerings with ice, snow, rain and wind. At the moment, it is overcast but the plants are forever reaching into the new year. There are thick lustrous leaves on the bamboo, which although is not of natural origin in England has made its home in so many areas. Sometimes it is even now found wild.
There are probably very few natural plants here now as so many have been introduced over the years. In fact, if it hadn't been for the Romans we would have a very different diet than the one we enjoy today.
Besides their armies, their culture and their habits they brought over members of the onion family. These included garlic, leeks, shallots and onions. There were beautiful varieties of apples to add to the wild crab apple. Various roots including radish and turnips were all planted along with peas, plump celery which replaced the wild variety, asparagus, etc. They transported animal stocks such as rabbits, hares, chickens, pheasants and guinea fowl. They brought over varieties of herbs, cherry trees, mulberries and probably the very first grape vines.
Since these early times more and more plants, animals, birds and fish have extended the natural country stocks sometimes their introduction has been welcomed but occasionally a new species has caused problems and very often once introduced they cannot be eradicated.
Perhaps the old saying 'think on' is well suited to this rather than romanticising a land that can incorporate all plants and animals without any consequences.

2 comments:

Ann said...

Very interesting. Now I wonder how many plants and animals around here are native or which ones were brought here from different countries

Con Artist Trickster said...

The presence of new species or plant in a certain area will surely affect the balance of the ecosystem. The result could be good, or bad. But I think ecosystem (by its nature) has the ability to balance itself, as long as humans "behave" well.