A Botanical Journey mostly from Kent & SE England

Most people associate this venue with the Kent Wildlife Trust reserve and indeed this was where I originally intended to walk. However, on arrival I decided to record what I saw and so took a different route along the track parallel to the M2 to see what I could find. At this time of the year, the thought is always present that I might find nothing! However, as usuaal, I needn't have worried. There had only been a few frosts and the plants seemed to be just fine. The first two could be found in most places in the UK, White and Red Clover. Trifolium repens Trifolium pratense Hawkweed Oxtongue will flower well into Winter, it's bright yellow flowers only opening when conditions are good. Picris hieracioides Strap like leaves and the lack of a big ruffe of bracts under the flowers tell this apart from the similar Bristly Oxtongue Spotted Medick is often found in lawns, pavements and waste g...

I was very surprised at the number of flowering plants I found in this stunning wood this day. As there are so many, I'll keep the writing to a minimum and the photographs to the max! Situated just outside the M25, these woods are an oasis in the urban jungle not too far away. Along the woodland border of the photo below, lives a colony of protected Deptford Pinks. These are now a rare wildflower and the main flowering period is in the Summer, but I did hope to find the odd straggler in flower still. You can see from the photo that Autumn was in full swing with the leaves now turned into a coppery shimmer in the Autumn breeze. The flowering plants in the photo are of course, Hogweed. However, I didn't start in this area, so read on to see if I found those elusive wild Pinks still flowering! These were pink but not the ones I was looking for. Common Centaury which only fully opens in sunlight, mainly a Summer species, but till a few to be found toda...