Moschatel, Adoxa moschatellina, in the village woods this afternoon.

Common Field Speedwell, Veronica persica, at the Stour Meadows in Blandford Forum #wildflowerhour

The woods in Dorset are carpetted in Bluebells now, Hyacinthoides non-scripta, in the village woods. #wildflowerhour

Field Woodrush, Luzula campestris, Good Friday Grass, on the downs #wildflowerhour

Ivy-leaved Toadflax, Cymbalaria muralis, adorning a wall in Charminster on Friday #wildflowerthour

Heath Milkwort, Polygala serpylifolia, on a Dorset Heath this week. #wildflowerhour

Pendulous Sedge, Carex pendula, in the village woods #wildflowerhour

A teeny tiny Cowslip, Primula veris, on the local downs this morning #wildflowerhour #cowslipchallenge

Common Stork's-bill, Erodium ciconium, amongst a carpet of Cladonia rangiformis on a Dorset Heath. #wildflowerhour

Rue-leaved Saxifrage, Saxifraga tridactylites, my favourite pavement plant #wildflowerhour

Salad Burnet, Poterium sanguisorba, just coming in to flower on the local downs. #wildflowerhour

Broad-leaved Hyacinth, Muscari latifolium, at the edge of the village woods, it probably arrived from people tipping garden waste but happily doesn't look like it'll cause a problem. #wildflowerhour

A Wood Anemone, Anemone nemerosa, in the village woods this afternoon. #wildflowerhour

🚨 SAVE UPTON HEATH 🚨 Dorset Wildlife Trust is urgently raising funds to protect vital internationally important heathland at risk. ⚠️ Home to rare species such as smooth snake and Dartford warbler, this special place could be lost. Donate and share 💚👉 bit.ly/4mbKIqQ ~ Jack

Wood Anemone, Anemone nemerosa, in the village woods #wildflowerhour

Field Woodrush, Luzula campestris, in the ancient wood pasture down the lane #wildflowerhour

A native Bluebell, Hyacinthoides non-scripta, in the village woods #wildflowerhour

Moschatel, Adoxa moschatellina, in the village woods yesterday #wildflowerhour

The village woods are waking up again.

Sometimes when we are botanising we can forget to look up! Which would be a shame as #treeflowers are both fascinating & beautiful! This week’s challenge is to go looking for wild & naturalised trees that are blooming. Share your finds for #WildflowerHour this Sunday 8-9pm!

Native Bluebell, Hyacinthoides non-scripta, in the village woods at the weekend.

Herb Robert, Geranium robertianium, traditionally carried to bring good luck, possibly named after an ancient house goblin from English folklore named Robin Goodfellow (Shakespeare's Puck) to harm this plant is to court disaster. #storyplants #wildflowerhour

Common Milkwort, Polygala vulgaris, it's name comes from it's traditional use as a remedy to help milk production in nursing mothers. It's also a food plant of the Common Blue Butterfly, can be used to create a blue dye and is believed to ward off evil spirits. #storyplants #wildflowerhour

Greater Stichwort, Rabelera holostea (Stellaria holostea), has lots of country names like Snap-Jack and many kinds of shirt buttons, associated with children enjoying popping the seed-heads. This was the first I've met in flower this year. #wildflowerhour #storyplants

Early Dog-violet, Viola reichenbachiana. I read the godess Diana turned some nymphs into violets to protect thier virtue when they were persued by Apollo. There was no mention of whether she ever turned them back again. #storyplants #wildflowerhour

Moschatel, Adoxa moschatellina, also known as Townhall Clock or Herb Peter, has been used as an ingredient for perfumes due to it's musk scent, and folk medicines, for centuries. Another plant it was a tonic to meet this week. 💚 #wildflowerhour #storyplants

Narrow-leaved Lungwort, Pulmonaria longifolia, in folk lore it it said to lift the heaviness of despair, grief and depression and open you to celebrating life and letting your own light shine in the world. It certainly lifted my spirits meeting it this week. #wildflowerhour #storyplants

Early Spider Orchid, Ophrys sphegodes, on the Purbeck coast yesterday. #wildflowerhour

Orange-tip in my garden.

It’s now officially Spring in the northern hemisphere, so it’s time to crack out some beautiful frescoes of warmth, abundance and nature reborn from Livia’s villa in Rome. Just the ticket after a long winter. #AncientBlueSky 🏺

Our native, Narrow-leaved Lungwort, Pulmonaria longifolia, that I met this week, a rare ancient woodland indicator plant here in Dorset.

Another Wood Anemone, Anemone nemerosa, in the village woods yesterday.

As we wait for the arrival of spring to catch up in some places, something a bit different for this week’s challenge! Many wild plants have interesting stories to tell. Find one & share your pics with a fascinating fact using hashtag #storyplants for #wildflowerhour Sunday 8-9pm!

A Wood Anemone, Anemone nemerosa, I met on a lunchtime wander in the village woods.

Cherries in blossom in and around the village.

Moschatel, Adoxa moschatellina, just starting to open it's multiple flowers, under the shade of a Hazel coppice stool in the ancient wood pasture up the lane #wildflowerhour

Hundreds and hundreds of Barren Strawberry, Potentilla sterilis, flowering in the wood pasture this morning #wildflowerhour #whiteflowers

Toothwort, Lathreae squamaria, in the village woods #wildflowerhour

Herb Robert, Geranium robertianum, in the village woods #wildflowerhour

Sweet Violet, Viola odorata, in the ancient wood pasture up the lane #wildflowerhour

Wood Anemone, Anemone nemerosa, staring to flower in earnest in the woodlands & hedgebanks in North Dorset. #wildflowerhour #whiteflowers

Snake's Head Fritillary, Fritillaria meleagris, in damp grassland in North Dorset. #wildflowerhour

Early Dog-violet, Viola reichenbachiana, flowering this moring in the ancient wood pasture up the lane. #wildflowerhour

A 2nd edition of my Plants and Habitats book is now out and available from the Natural History Book Store: www.nhbs.com/plants-and-h.... Main differences from 1st edition: many species added and nomenclature & further information (e.g. habitat classifications) updated. I hope people find it useful!

Red Dead-nettle, Lamium purpureum, on the village playing field #wildflowerhour

Primrose, Primula vulgaris #wildflowerhour

Almost in flower, Bluebell, Hyacinthoides non-scripta & Early Dog-violet, Viola reichenbachiana, in the ancient wood pasture up the lane. #wildflowerhour

Ivy-leaved Speedwell, Veronica hederifolia #wildflowerhour

Barren Strawberry, Potentilla steralis, in the ancient wood pasture up the lane. #wildflowerhour