A Botanical Journey mostly from Kent & SE England

The word "wasteground" tends to denote wasted space that could be put to better use. It is often applied to brownfield sites and as such no-one really cares if they're then developed or built on. After all, it was just "wasteground". Unfortunately, nature thinks otherwise, and wasteground sites are often abundant with a diversity of insects and plants that have been eradicated elsewhere, either by building houses, roads or industrial estates, or by being sprayed to the point of extinction in arable fields by modern farming practices. I have some "wasteground" near me in Longfield, which, no doubt in time, will become a housing estate. Ever increasing population means an ever diminishing place for nature. Anyway, enough of the doom and gloom! I spent about an hour here and this is some of what I found. The area is basically rectangular on a South facing slope on chalk, bounded by a railway line on one side, an arable field on another and 2 roads f

So my Welsh Botanical Trip continued. If you missed Parts 1 and 2 please scroll down, they're well worth viewing for the rare flowers alone, let alone my evocative, witting writings - ok just for the photos then. After finishing at Cae Blaen-dyffryn I drove South to Kenfig in South Wales. Unknown to me I had set the satnav to take the easy route so it took about 3/4 hour longer in the school run traffic than it would have had I used my head and gone via the M4! Added to that, I stopped off en route a few times for a look around (like botanists do). This was the view South of Ammanford in the hills. A short way from this area, I descended a long steep hill and a small stream became a river creating bogs along the way. I stopped off at one - I have no idea where I was by now! I had to put wellies on as my walking boots were soaked through from Cae Blaen-dyffryn. It was worth it though, as I soon found the gem of the bogs, Bog Asphodel. As you can see it had been ra