tony from suffolk
Well-known member
Meadowsweet's very prolific this year up in The Lakes.
Wild flowers
- Thread starter Lankyman
- Start date
bagpuss
Well-known member
A few from Burrington Combe, Mendip
Hedge Bedstraw
A type of scabious, possibly small scabious
Apparently this one is what old man's beard looks like when it's in flower! I've used the dried seed heads in wreaths before but hadn't learned to recognise the flowering plant.
Hedge Bedstraw
A type of scabious, possibly small scabious
Apparently this one is what old man's beard looks like when it's in flower! I've used the dried seed heads in wreaths before but hadn't learned to recognise the flowering plant.
kay
Well-known member
I have counted at least 9 pyramidal orchids in my "lawn" this year. I have a fairly large area which I have deliberately left unmowed every year for the last 10 years and all sorts of things are now appearing. The maximum no. of these orchids we had was 53 one year and the minimum since they first appeared around 2010 is 3. The first ones appeared at the western end of the patch of "lawn" close to where we get out of a parked car onto the driveway so assumed it was seeds carried on shoes. The spread and number of them must depend on the prevailing west wind blowing the seeds further along the area. The year when we counted 53 the furthest ones had actually crossed the road and appeared on the grass verge around 50 yards to the east from the first ones in our grass area. (They never spread the other way, i.e. upwind.)
Sadly the council grass verge mowers now eradicate the orchids before they get a chance to flower. The cowslips just about escape before the first mowing of the verges and I now have hundreds of these all around the grass areas and even growing on the edges of paths.
Karen L might like to note that there are orchids alongside the track to the Cottage, just above the bridge gate, and that twayblades have been found in the past on the embankment just over the stile leading to the new SRT setup.
Sadly the council grass verge mowers now eradicate the orchids before they get a chance to flower. The cowslips just about escape before the first mowing of the verges and I now have hundreds of these all around the grass areas and even growing on the edges of paths.
Karen L might like to note that there are orchids alongside the track to the Cottage, just above the bridge gate, and that twayblades have been found in the past on the embankment just over the stile leading to the new SRT setup.
Lankyman
Well-known member
That's a good spread of species. I can't recall seeing any orchids at all around where I live (mostly farmland at the north part of the Fylde). We saw lots of orchids on Orkney, more than I've ever seen anywhere, but overwhelmingly just Northern Marsh with the occasional Common Spotted (or hybrid). Going into a quieter part of the Lakes tomorrow so maybe better luck there although I suspect the bracken will be out big time.
Lankyman
Well-known member
Tell me about it ... a bridleway near Crosthwaite (the South Lakes one)
Fortunately not totally wet.
RobinGriffiths
Well-known member
Seems you can make a similar drink to Elderflower Champagne with meadowsweet.
bagpuss
Well-known member
Axbridge Hill, Mendip, an abundance of wildflowers, tried to limit myself to mostly only photographing ones I've not already added to the thread. If you like your wildflowers (and butterflies) it's one of the best spots I've been to on Mendip.
Common Agrimony
I thought this was betony on first glance, but looking more closely looks to be wild basil?
Common Centaury
My thistle ID skills are useless, google suggests Musk Thistle
Dropwort (the white flower), Ladies Bedstraw in the background.
Wood sage
Having said I'm not repeating photos of ones I've already added... couldn't resist this display of Ladies Bedstraw and creeping thyme in a natural rockery on the limestone.
Fairy flax, a really tiny flower
Not a wild flower unless you count nettle, but I've not seen a dragon fly consuming a butterfly before!
Common Agrimony
I thought this was betony on first glance, but looking more closely looks to be wild basil?
Common Centaury
My thistle ID skills are useless, google suggests Musk Thistle
Dropwort (the white flower), Ladies Bedstraw in the background.
Wood sage
Having said I'm not repeating photos of ones I've already added... couldn't resist this display of Ladies Bedstraw and creeping thyme in a natural rockery on the limestone.
Fairy flax, a really tiny flower
Not a wild flower unless you count nettle, but I've not seen a dragon fly consuming a butterfly before!
Attachments
Lankyman
Well-known member
I remember my dad making wine from all sorts of things (it seems to have been a popular thing in the early seventies). He used to get overripe fruit from wholesalers but also used 'wild' sources for his alcoholic adventures. I recall gorse flowers and rose petals but not meadowsweet (or elderflower).
RobinGriffiths
Well-known member
Similar family here! I remember tea and parsnip wine in particular. I bet you had a copy of C.J.J. Berrys home made wine book.
tony from suffolk
Well-known member
It's a hell of a year for wildflowers & certain plants, particularly camomile & its close relation, pineapple weed (the latter makes a nice tea). Here's a massive drift of the former, just down the path from me here in Suffolk -
Lankyman
Well-known member
I had to google the book but as soon as I saw the cover I recognised it! A past world of fermenting demijohns and bubbling airlocks. One memory is of exploding glass bottles (strawberry wine?) which fortunately were outside in a big packing crate.
Similar threads
