Thursday 21 April 2011

Three weeks early

Thursday 21st April 2011
                                     I've just been on my annual  visit to a local unremarkable Pennine valley to my secret Early Purple Orchid site. This is a small area of neutral or lime rich soil  from glacial deposit surrounded by a more acid type of vegetation such as Bilberry and Heather. The orchids are in flower almost three weeks earlier than last year. I counted 25 flower spikes, about the same as last year this is about the average, the colony is holding it's own but has not increased for several years.

                                The site on scrubby hillside



                      This orchid still had last years old flower spike


The young shoots of the Northern Giant Horsetail  some of the plants have already shed their spores

And finally I found my first Meadow Mushroom of year. I don't think Ive every found them as early as April before.








1 comment:

  1. Love the Orchid good to hear it's at least holding its own.

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