Yarrow, Achillea millefolium, a late-flowering perennial, photographed by Ian Bushell, in the little triangular field between Simpson’s Field and Fiveways.
Continue reading “Yarrow”Yarrow
The tiny flowers of thyme-leaved speedwell (Veronica serpyllifolia) photographed in Cornfield.
A red tailed bumblebee worker (Bombus lapidarius) collecting nectar and pollen from a meadow cranesbill flower.
Photographed in the park, Friday 11th September.
Woody nightshade
A woody nightshade flower, photographed this week, in the car park.
Continue readingRagwort
Ragwort is extraordinarily successful; all the “injurious weeds” named in the 1959 Weed Act are.
Continue reading “Ragwort”A parasitic plant
Message from a park goer:
I took this picture this morning out in the park. I have no idea what it is – it’s almost heather-like. It’s in Lambrok Meadow by the stream near where there is a ford across into the Church Lane field.
Ragwort again
A version of this post was first published in July of last year.
This year the park produced beautiful hay: a variety of grasses, dry, sweet smelling, full of wildflower and not a single shred of ragwort anywhere. Already, we have turned our attention to pulling and digging the ragwort that might spoil the farmer’s next crop,
Continue reading “Ragwort again”
Field garlic
The extraordinary flowers of Allium oleraceum or field garlic, found growing at the bottom of Kestrel Field.
This is common fleabane (Pulicaria dysenterica); it is a plant that grows all over the place but nobody ever seems to know its name. As the park’s summer wildflowers go to seed, the fleabane is a welcome splash of colour beside the paths.
Continue readingBotanicals
Angelica, cannabis & scarlet pimpernel
Continue reading “Botanicals”
New species
Wed 15/07/2020 18:48; mail and pictures from Clive Knight
Walking round this afternoon spotted these. The first two pics are of a plant in Sleepers Field – no idea what it is and the bottom pic I found in the pathway through the woods at the top of Village Green. Both single plants.
Sent from my iPhone
Perforate St John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum) also known as common St John’s wort.
Header picture taken by Clive Knight, others by Suzanne Humphries
Hemlock water dropwort
This post was first published in June 2019 but the warning bears repeating.
This is hemlock water dropwort (Oenanthe crocata), by some accounts the UK’s most poisonous plant.
Continue reading “Hemlock water dropwort”
A marbled white (Melanargia galathea) on creeping thistle flowers, photographed in the park yesterday by Julie Newblé. If you look carefully, there are at least three common red soldier beetles hidden in the picture.
Thanks Julie.
The honeysuckle is in flower.
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The year’s best common spotted orchid, photographed last week by Ian Bushell.
Honey bee
A honey bee foraging for nectar and pollen among the flowers of hogweed.
Continue reading “Honey bee”Barbarea vulgaris
Barbarea vulgaris also called bittercress, herb barbara, rocketcress, yellow rocketcress, winter rocket, and wound rocket
Continue reading “Barbarea vulgaris”Ragged robin
Ragged robin (Lychnis flos-cuculi) growing next to the little tributary stream, between the Decorated Bridge and the Dog Pond.
Continue reading “Ragged robin”
Our fields are beautiful at the moment: full of yellow buttercups.
The park’s yellow iris are in flower, always worth a visit.
Ground Ivy
This is ground ivy (Glechoma hederacea), a little blue flower so common as to be almost invisible. It grows all over the park and flowers at any time of the year.
Continue reading “Ground Ivy”
Red campion (Silene dioica)
The park’s red campion grows up through tall vegetation at the edges of the fields and beneath the hedges. If you find it, take photographs and send them to us, please.
Bugle
Bugle (Ajuga reptans) photographed this week in the park’s copses.
Continue reading “Bugle”
Germander speedwell (Veronica Chamaedrys) in the hedge in Brunts Field.
Pictures by Suzanne Humphries
