A Botanical Journey mostly from Kent & SE England

While I am recovering from my operation, my travels are somewhat limited. As such, my recording trips are less arduous than normal and this one was on a flat country lane. However, it is surprising what can be found on foot, that are all completely missed by those whizzing past in their cars (me included normally). Cuckooflowers are on their way out now for another year, so it was good to find an all white flowered form by the roadside.  Cardamine pratensis f. albus Wood Spurge don't only grow in woods. They are also found on some beaches, field edges and here by the roadside. The flowers look particularly bright and fresh at this time of the year. Euphorbia amygdaloides subspecies amygdaloides Herb Robert will now flower on into the winter months, but it is now when their flowers are the brightest pink. Geranium robertianum Spotted Medick can be found almost anywhere in much of Kent. Their leaves with the joined triangular dark blotches are e...

Scotney Castle is right on the Kent border with East Sussex. However, the house and its grounds lie in VC14, botanical Sussex and not Kent so any finds go to that county recorder. It's an interesting place for both planted and wild flowers, though it is the latter I am concentrating on today (as usual). Nearest the car park is the house with its SSSI lawns. Growing here are wild Green-winged Orchids, often hundreds of them. However, it was too early and for them and I couldn't find any up, though I did find several rosettes. I then started talking to one of the gardeners about leaving me some "weeds" to photograph and she mentioned one orchid was actually in flower on the lawns. I went back and looked again, and yes, there was just the one orchid hiding in the grasses.  it was very small and so easily missed, but clearly in flower. By the beginning of May there will be a fine display on this lawn of thes orchids, along with several on the estate walk ass well (bl...

This walk was exactly a week after I had a serious heart operation. Following it, I had been feeling very rough with the sensation that someone with big boots had stamped repeatedly on my chest! Having said that, this day was the first where I felt good. My heart rythm was normal, I had rosy cheeks and the weather was warm and springlike, I must now be better. Provided I took things easy I thought it would be nice to visit my local woods to see the springtime flowers. These woods were on a steep hillside, but I took it easy and photographed some flowers along the way. It felt vry good to be out and about again. Below are some naturalised garden Grape Hyacinths surrounded by Lesser Celandines. Muscari armeniacum Another common garden escape is Green Alkanet, with its bright blue flowers that I found by a road verge on the way to the woods. Pentaglottis sempervirens In my last blog, the Cherry Plum was in flower. Now however, those were fading and the main tr...

This was my last day out before I was scheduled to have heart surgery and the plants I would find  gave me some peace from the constant mental worries churning through my head at this time.   First stop was the seaside car park at St. Margaret's Bay, accessed by going down the steep chalk cliffs through a series of very sharp hairpin bends. Alexanders is very common in the coastal areas of Kent and was now in peak flowering form in several areas of the car park and cliffs. Smyrnium olusatrum Sea Mayweed decorated the edge of the car park within the spray zone of the sea front. It looks very similar to its inland cousin, Scentless Mayweed, but has fleshy leaves in comparison. Tripleurospermum maritimum Musk Storksbill is spreading rapidly through the county and I have seen it in numerous places in north Kent. It's now spreading along the coast as well. It's generally much bigger than Common Storksbill, with ve...