A Botanical Journey mostly from Kent & SE England

This area is local to me and only a few hundred yards south of where I live. There are relicts of Beech woodland over chalk and a few unspoilt areas, so the flora is relatively good. In those woodland areas were numerous spikes of White Helleborines. In previous years I had counted 72 in one area with most being bitten off by deer before flowering. However, this year most were in flower or in bud, so it was a good year for this species. The flowers usually don't open much, but there are always a few that open a bit more than others, and these, unsurprisingly tend to get photographed the most. For those readers that don't know, this is a wild orchid and only thrives in heavy shade, usually under or around beech trees on chalk or limestone. It's relatively rare and a Kent RPR species. Cephalanthera damasonium Another beautiful plant was nearby on a road verge, but this time it wasn't a native plant but a garden

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