I don’t think this is the best photo I took today, but I’ve chosen it for my blip because I don’t believe I’ve ever posted spindle before. If you don’t know, these are the pink fruits and orange seeds of Euonymus europaeus, which produce an almost dazzling spectacle at this time of year. Having said which, I planted a Euonymus in our front garden a few years ago, and I’m still waiting for it to do something interesting; this one was growing near the greenhouse at Croome, where R and I went for a walk this morning in glorious sunshine. I’m fairly sure I’d have made a better fist of this photo if I’d had a macro with me, but a bad workman, etc., etc.
A fun fact about Euonymous: the wood is very hard, and can be sharpened to a point, and it was used at one time to make spindles for spinning wool – which I guess is how it came by its common name. A less fun fact: these fruits and seeds are poisonous, especially to small children, who might well eat them thinking they’re sweets. The leaves of the shrub are the preferred larval food plant of the Spindle Ermine Moth.
Back at home after our morning out, I managed to continue my recent administrative winning streak, crossing quite a few things off my to-do list. I even did some dusting – not a lot, but some – and I feel that this fact should be recorded for posterity: it may well never happen again.
