Seaching in the Pennines again

Mon. 7th June 2010.
                            Yesterday was a humid day with periods of rain but we still set off into the Higher pennines around Ribblehead in upper Ribblesdale. Above 1000 ft  spring still lingers on and the Bluebells and Marsh Marrigolds were still putting on a good show. Amongst  the Blue bells we found the Mossy Saxifrage an alphine of high grassland. Audrey discovered the tiny Frog Orchid amongst the Twayblade Orchids and there was still a good showing of Early Purple Orchids and the tiny Birds-eye Primrose.

                                   Pen-y-Ghent aross the valley

                                                  Rock Rose

                                          Mossy Saxifrage

                                       Early Purple Orchid

This was Audrey's best find of the day the Frog Orchid , it's very difficult to see because of its low height about 3-4 inches and its ability to blend into the surrounding foliage

                     The Frog Orchid is to the left of Audrey's shoe

Frog Orchid, because of the damp conditions the flowers and stem
tend to be green. In a drier location they take on a more reddish brown appearance

         Twayblade Orchid the flower spikes are just beginning to open

                        Twayblades amongst the Marsh Marrigolds

Its June but the Marsh Marrigolds are in full flower at these higher altitudes

                 Bird-eye primrose in one of the small hidden valleys

Good and not so Good

Sat. 5th June 2010.
            The second half of this week has been warm and fairly sunny and the countryside is quickly changing into early summer. Somethings have fared well whilst others are struggling, I'm refering to this years Bee Orchids which are going to have a poor season on a couple of sites that I've visited.The sites are too dry with the lack of rain and it looks like they've all suffered from frost damage and on one site the orchids are growing on a hillside which is on a geoligists trail and where the rock samples are being extracted the orchids are being trampled on.

    Better news from my own little garden , it's now taken on its early summer look around the stream and pond  with all the late spring flowers at their best. In my old alpine trough the first of about 80 wild orchids has just opened, the seeds have just blown in over the years and germinated and established themselves. In the next few weeks many more orchids will start flowering around the garden and I hope I can beat last years total of 184 orchid spikes.

                                 Under the shadow of Pendle Hill

                            The small stunted Bee Orchid

                                   Stunted and frost damaged

                  Back home the  Scree garden's bursting into colour

                 The first wild orchid has opened in my alpine trough

                             Early summer look around the pond

                                Red Campion by the stream

                                            Water Avens

                          One of my favourites... Ragged Robin

                       The minnows have ascended the stream
                       into the top pond and are ready for spawning

The Moor Garden has almost recovered from the ravages of Winter

Find the Garden on the following link    http://w

Tuesday 1st June 2010

     Last Sunday was a cool blustery day with the odd passing shower and only fleeting glimpses of the sun.Having spent the last 12 months filming the Garden on the Moor the last  sequence was filmed in April at daffodil time, so from the experience of last years seasons and allowing for the colder winter I though it was about right to visit the garden when the Spring colours were at their best.This was a shortish walk of about about 5 miles over the Pennine moors into Noah Dale where the Garden sits on a north facing slope 1000 ft above sea level, this time we were with four of our friends who make sure they visit the garden once a year.The garden this year still looks blooming and colourful but has lost a little of its sparkle because of the ravages of the winter and also some of the plants and shrubs have had some late frost damage.Anybody on their first visit to the garden it will look superb but it just lacks that brilliance of previous years.

                                  The Moors above Noah Dale

                                 The Moorland Cotton Grass

                                        Above Hebden Dale

                The garden is well known for its Himalayan Blue Poppies

                       To all gardeners out there... visit this garden
                       and I guarantee you won't be disappointed