....Don't expect this to be an informative post! I only know half a dozen wild flowers and they are REALLY common! But today Julian Branscombe, of the Scapa Flow Landscape Partnership, came over and led a walk looking at Graemsay wild flowers. We started down at the old croft of Quoys, which has a burn running beside it, and old, mostly native (to Orkney) trees. Probably the only patch of native trees on Graemsay. I love going down to the old croft house and hearing the sound of the "babbling brook".
Anyway, here is Julian explaining the finer points of....um.... a plant....oooh I remember now, it was a "wild" variety of forget-me-not.... I think......
There were also tree ferns (no not the tropical ones!), these really are ferns that grow on trees (well on Graemsay they do anyway).
And one of my favourites - a moss covered tree.
Then there was "hay rattle" (ok a bit blurry)
This is Ladies Smock
This one is a potentilla (the wild variety not the cultivated garden one).
And this is a wee Water Sprite!
I remember when we were--maybe we were in Scotland amusing ourselves--and stumbled across a group of nature explorers. I remember the woman calling the group to come over and admire a teeny little flower that was apparently quite rare. Seemed strange to see 10 people all standing in a circle squinting at this tiny flower. (lucky nobody stepped on it!)
ReplyDeleteYup - that was the Primula Scotica. Quite rare and only grows in certain places. It's an alpine primrose - lovely, and, er, easy to step on... we don't have any of those on Graemsay so it's OK to visit!
ReplyDeleteAnd to think that most garden varities come from the wild plants. It is truly amazing.
ReplyDeleteHere in Western Australia we have had rain, which means the wild flower season [around August] should be excellent:) In ground that is often dry and seemingly barren carpets of flowers appear as if by magic.