Description
The Field Forget-me-not has many cousins in the marsh and garden varieties. The true field variety has minute flowers of a soft mauve, blue-grey or occasionally pink colour, measuring only 2 or 3mm across. Forget-Me-Nots are members of the Borage family whose offspring are universally hairy. The buds of the "True" variety, although larger, are almost indistinguishable from the "Field" variety. It flowers from April to October.
Habitat
Fields, hedgerows, verges and gardens.
Sowing
It grows well in disturbed soils and meadows and the tiny seeds are best sown in the Autumn. It will happily self sow and be quite prolific.
1000 seeds/g
Where Past and Present, wound in one,
Do make a garland for the heart:
So sing that other song I made,
Half-anger'd with my happy lot,
The day, when in the chestnut shade
I found the blue Forget-me-not.
Alfred Lord Tennyson
(Excerpt from "The Miller's Daughter")