A Botanical Journey mostly from Kent & SE England

I visit this KWT managed reserve at least once a year if I can, as it is one of the few remaining alkaline fens remaining in the county. Not surprisingly it has a varied and interesting flora. This plant is actually a previously un-recorded hybrid between Early Marsh and Southern Marsh orchids. I found this very surprising as I had photographed this same hybrid here back in 2013 but not put in a record as it was a highly recorded area. I thought someone would have found this already! Dactylorhiza praetermissa x incarnata = D. x wintoni  TQ7062 Holborough Marshes It goes to show there are always surprises and new things to see, whether in a new area recording for the first time or a well worn nature reserve. Last year I found a first ever record for Birds Nest Orchids on the nearby Ranscombe Farm, a very heavily recorded area, so it's always worth putting a record in if you find something unusual or rare. It's better to have duplicate sightings r...

The Low Weald doesn't get a lot of botanical attention so I intended to put this right with a visit to Headcorn. Parking at the station and walking a circular walk using public footpaths and roads - this is what I found. Columbine is an awkward species to record as it is both a native and a garden escape. Native forms should have blue flowers and long, curled spurs. This then is obviously a garden escape! I commonly find it near gardens in various colour forms and usually with short spurs. Aquilegia vulgaris I had parked at the railway station and as I walked across the railway bridge to access south of the railway I found this plant on the footbridge! This is Small Toadflax, a plant I'd only seen before in arable fields, but here it was effectively a pavement plant. Chaenorhinum minus Hawthorn isn't necessarily straightforward, There are Hawthorn, Midland Hawthorn and the hybrid between the two to c...