Spotting flowers growing wild in South East UK
Autumn leaves in Wiltshire An October break in the van Mike and I take Ethel the campervan out for the weekend about once a month from March to October and it’s a great way to get away from work when you’re self-employed! The wildflowers are often looking a bit tired at this time of year…
Wildflowers spotted in Zakynthos Greece on holiday I was on a family holiday, so not botanising religiously, but I did come across a few things of interest. Sea Squill – Drimia maritima As an amateur gardener, when I saw this substantial plant I assumed it was Foxtail Lily. But I looked it up when I…
Two Water-Lilies and a Small Teasel We stayed in Arundel for the weekend for our wedding anniversary and had a lovely time looking round the Castle and Wetland Centre. After a very dry month (see my previous post) it was actually drizzly the day we went to the wetland centre! Small Teasel – Dipsacus pilosus…
Still some plants in flower Despite being a dry month there were still some species flowering Rosebay Willowherb – Chamaenerion angustifolium Wild Carrot – Daucus carota gall – Keifferia pericarpiicola This was the first time I’d found these little pink balls on Wild Carrot, and I had to look up what they were. Old mans…
I was up on Seaford Head in August again for the Moon Carrot survey. There were about ten of us and the numbers of Seseli libanotis were good. I haven’t included photos of them here because I did that last year! In 2022 we had a very dry late summer and the Moon carrots were…
In August we took Ethel the campervan for a long weekend to Hayfield in High Peak, Derbyshire which is directly west of Sheffield and not far from Kinder Scout. The pic above was taken from out of the van window only ten minutes from Sheffield – glorious! It was beautifully lush compared with the arid…
Water loving wildflowers of Lechlade Mike and I stayed in a moored narrowboat for the weekend in Lechlade which is on the edge of the Cotswolds in Gloucestershire. We went for some lovely walks along the river Thames and visited nearby Buscot Park. July riverside flora Who needs net curtains when you’ve got Meadowsweet and…
This was the second year I counted wildflowers at Gayles Farm So I’ve tried not to take all the same pictures as this time last year! Although I was out with the same two recorders – Colin and Chris, and the horses were still there! Other fauna included a Wasp spider Argiope bruennichi – a…
Burnt-tip Orchids in Sussex Neotinia ustulata grows in a few places locally The Orchid is on the Red List but locally frequent because it likes the short chalk downland turf. I’ve heard that another local haunt is Mount Caburn near Lewes. Last year I was pleased to be able to catch it in flower in…
Flora of Dorset We took Ethel the van for a weekend away last June. We had booked a boat trip to see the few puffins that can be found on the coast nearby during the summer but unfortunately it was cancelled due to high winds. Instead we spent a lovely day rambling over RSPB Arne. June…