A Botanical Journey mostly from Kent & SE England

This is the concluding part of my explorations into Cornish botany from last August, scroll down for parts 1 and 2 if you missed them. The blog starts off with a trip to the bog. Locally called Davidstow Moor, it was a bleak, cold and wet looking place, not helped by me visiting on a wet day in late afternnon with fading light. I knew that Bog Orchids had been found here in the recent past, though I also knew that I was 2-4 weeks too late to see them, but I thought I would have a go at finding one anyway. Needless to say I didn't find any, but I did find some interesting things along the way. First off was Devil's Bit Scabious, this one with a female Common Blue butterfly on it (I think). Succisa pratensis A view from the moor - my feet were sinking as I took this photo. This is a very rare plant in the dry south east, but more common in the wetter west - it's Common Valerian, not to be confused with the very common garden escape, Red Valerian. ...

I hope you enjoyed Part 1, but if you missed it, just scroll down past this blog to see some beautiful wildflowers and views from Cornwall. Of course, any trip to Cornwall isn't complete without a trip to Land's End and while the majority of the tourists were in the shops and taking selfies by the famous mileage signpost I went for a short walk to take in the flora. Heather, Bell Heather, Gorse and assorted yellow daisy composites made for a breathtaking display all around the area. These photos really don't do the colours justice, but it was a joy to take it all in along with lungfulls of fresh and unpolluted oceanic air. Look a bit closer between the plants mentioned above and you could see the pastel blue flowers of Sheep's Bit, an uncommon plant in Kent, but prolific here.   Jasione montana A close up view of Heather, so common in the north and west of the UK yet now on the Kent RPR due to its rapid decline in our ...

In August we had a short break to the north Cornish coast for a few days near to Delabole. Despite it being the height of the school Summer holidays, the roads (once in Cornwall) were relatively quiet. Perhaps living near the Dartford Crossing and close to Bluewater means that almost anywhere else will seem quiet! Of course, Cornwall has a different flora to that found in Kent with some species new to me. Whilst we explored various hidden coves and small villages I also kept an eye out for botanical surprises, or to be honest just some nice wildflowers. The weather wasn't kind to us either, though by leaving early in the morning we missed much of the rain (and crowds) on our days out. This is Common Scurvygrass, and it's actually common, which is surprising given that many plants called "common" are now actually quite rare.  What is unusual about this plant is that it doesn't like the South East of England and is completely absent from Kent. So...