Today is #NationalMeadowsDay & here are some from Wiltshire looking their very finest @plantlifeuk.bsky.social @floodplainmead.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social

A visit today to the superb Sandscale Haws nature reserve, Cumbria, produced some lovely finds including several Round-leaved Wintergreen plants (Pyrola rotundifolia) just coming into flower. @cumbriawildlife.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social

A rock like an altar in the woodland #Dartmoor #Devon

Very happy to find three Dark Red Helleborines (Epipactis palustris) including one peachy one at Gait Barrows NNR, nr Arneside today. @bsbibotany.bsky.social @ukorchids.bsky.social

Enjoyed a gorgeous Secret garden walk in Bradford-on-Avon today and came across this patch of Altar lily (Zantedeschia aethiopica) on the bank of the River Lower Avon. An escapee, or maybe planted? Beautiful, but classified as a potentially invasive species #InvasiveSpeciesWeek #WildflowerHour

A fitting example for #InvasiveSpeciesWeek: Buddleja growing at Chippenham station during this week's heatwave. Thanks in part to climate change, it's a species that's thriving. 🌿 #WildflowerHour

Clattinger Farm is looking absolutely magnificent right now, despite the heat & drought. One of the finest species rich hay meadows in the lowlands. We are so lucky places like this are protected & still exist. #WildflowerHour @wildflowerhour.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social

Some non-native and #InvasivePlants in N. Wilts. for the #wildflowerhour challenge. IDs provided in ALT Text. @bsbibotany.bsky.social @wildflowerhour.bsky.social

Two collages of some of the finds from a wonderful visit to Wiltshire Wildlife Trust’s superb Distillery Farm Meadows with #WiltsBotSoc (IDs in ALT). #Wildflowerhour bsbibotany.bsky.social @wildflowerhour.bsky.social

After missing out last weekend, some orchid therapy was required. It was such a tonic to see lots of beautiful Marsh Helleborine & Marsh Fragrant Orchids emerging through a carpet of Seaside Centaury & Yellow-wort at this interesting ex-industrial site in Cheshire #wildflowerhour

Some places remind you just how rich nature can be. Today's Wiltshire Botanical Society field meeting at Distillery Meadows was one of those experiences. I was amazed by the variety of wildflowers. Thanks to Nick Self (WWT) and everyone for an inspiring walk through these flower-rich meadows. 🌿

Also Saw-wort Serratula tinctoria beginning to flower 😍

After hiding away from the heat this week, what a tonic - Wiltshire Wildlife Trust’s superb Distillery Meadows with #WiltsBotSoc (names in Alt)

Always a handy tip if in any doubt as to Small or Field Scabious, Small has the dark bristle tipped bracts underneath the flower head and Field does not, as can be clearly seen here. @wildflowerhour.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social

Please consider signing this petition to save the Botanic Gardens in Dundee, my home town. The gardens are a place of learning, solace and inspiration, and are cherished by both Dundonians and visitors to the city. Its closure would be a terrible loss. c.org/syGLMR2NQL

His Majesty, the Purple Emperor (Apatura iris), taking salts from my hand. Wiltshire, UK. #UKButterflies #Butterfly

We saw 3 rather special plants this week in N Wilts & S Glos - Cut-leaved Self heal, Round-headed campion & Field cow wheat. #WildflowerHour @bsbibotany.bsky.social @wildflowerhour.bsky.social

Today’s sun brought more #PollinatorPals out. Pollen Beetles and ? In the centre of a glorious Chicory flower, bumblebees on Meadow Cranesbill and Marsh Woundwort, and a sawfly on Meadow Buttercup #WildflowerHour

Not many #PollinatorPals about in yesterday’s humid overcast but Pollen Beetles on Hemlock Water-dropwort, a hoverfly on Hogweed, a Harlequin larva on Rough Chervil, Andrena sp. bee on Hogweed and another type of hoverfly also on Hogweed #WildflowerHour

Long Hoverfly nectaring on Marsh Stitchwort in a floodplain meadow, Leicestershire. #PollinatorPals #wildflowerhour

Three collages of #PollinatorPals in N. Wilts. for the #Wildflowerhour challenge. Plant and pollinator pal IDs in ALT Text. @bsbibotany.bsky.social @wildflowerhour.bsky.social

I had a lovely time at Sandwich Bay the other day, spotting members of the fabulous Fabaceae: Clustered Clover Rough Clover Bur Medick Toothed Medick Subterranean Clover Lesser Trefoil Hop Trefoil Haresfoot Clover Common Restharrow Greater Birdsfoot Trefoil

An anthill garden - albeit rather a monoculture of Thyme - hosting a Burnet moth and five Buff-tailed Bumblebees; you only have to zoom in; I had to stagger up a near-vertical lump of chalk! (Cley Hill) #WildWebsWednesday

This week’s challenge is #PollinatorPals! Find a flowering wild or naturalised plant with a pollinating visitor & snap away. Of course it’s not just about bees! Butterflies, moths, wasps, flies & beetles can be #pollinators too! Share your pics for #Wildflowerhour Sunday 8-9pm 🪲🦋🪰🐝

Two attractive orchid hybrids seen during an excellent visit to WWT's Morgan's Hill reserve on Monday with @timnmosborne.bsky.social. IDs in ALT text. #orchid @bsbibotany.bsky.social @ukorchids.bsky.social @europeanorchids.bsky.social

An excellent visit to WWT's Morgan's Hill reserve with @timnmosborne.bsky.social on Monday, during which we saw a variety of orchid species and met, unknowingly at the time, @henk-janvdveen.bsky.social. IDs in ALT. #orchid @bsbibotany.bsky.social @ukorchids.bsky.social @europeanorchids.bsky.social

Crown Vetch (Coronilla Varia) this morning. An extensive patch on north side of A420 west of Ford nr Chippenham, Wiltshire. Been increasing over many years at this site from a single plant. Alien but naturalised. Very pretty! @bsbibotany.bsky.social

Gunna take a deep breath for this Common Broomrape, Orobanche minor ssp minor Var pseudomethystea forma lutea Crosby Dunes #wildflowerhour @bsbibotany.bsky.social @panspecieslisting.bsky.social

Meadow Crane’s-bill (Geranium pratense) looking fabulous in this morning’s sun in North Wilts. @bsbibotany.bsky.social

Two collages of #ChurchyardFlowers in N. Wilts. for the #wildflowerhour challenge. IDs provided in ALT Text. @bsbibotany.bsky.social @wildflowerhour.bsky.social

Beautiful Brooklime (Veronica beccabunga) now flowering by a spring here in North Wilts. @bsbibotany.bsky.social

The green place #Dartmoor #Devon

Thrilling visit last Sunday to @gloswildlife.bsky.social 's Badgeworth reserve with @timnmosborne.bsky.social to see the critically endangered Adder's-tongue Spearwort, Ranunculus ophioglossifolius. An impressive display this year due to ideal conditions. #WildflowerHour @bsbibotany.bsky.social

A very pretty raspberry ripple-esque Heath Spotted Orchid, Dactylorhiza maculata, on a road verge in the Ashdown Forest. 😍

A variety of pleasing finds at @gloswildlife.bsky.social's Daneway Banks reserve with @timnmosborne.bsky.social, including Dark Mullein and Wild Liquorice. IDs in ALT Text. #WildflowerHour @bsbibotany.bsky.social @wildflowerhour.bsky.social

Other pleasing plants seen last Sunday at @gloswildlife.bsky.social's Badgeworth reserve with @timnmosborne.bsky.social. IDs in ALT Text. #WildflowerHour @bsbibotany.bsky.social @wildflowerhour.bsky.social

Thrilling visit last Sunday to @gloswildlife.bsky.social 's Badgeworth reserve with @timnmosborne.bsky.social to see the critically endangered Adder's-tongue Spearwort, Ranunculus ophioglossifolius. An impressive display this year due to ideal conditions. #WildflowerHour @bsbibotany.bsky.social

Also from last Sunday, but at Daneway Banks, Glos, Wild Liquorice, Astragalus glycyphyllos just coming into flower. Pleased to catch up with is species in company with @jeremyjem.bsky.social @gloswildlife.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social

Excellent visit yesterday to Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust Badgeworth reserve to see the rare Adder’s-tongue Spearwort, Ranunculus ophioglossifolius. A superb showing this year along with other interesting plants of which more later, in company with @jeremyjem.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social

#WildflowerHour I believe this is Common Meadow-rue, Thalictrum flavum in a wet meadow on the bank of the River Wye near Tintern. The plants are robust and in a substantial patch about a metre high.

The Common Dodder, Cuscuta epithymum, at Incleborough Hill in North Norfolk is a sight to behold. It covers the Common Gorse bushes, resembling some very silly string indeed. www.jeremybartlett.co.uk/2021/07/28/d... #WildFlowerHour

Lots of Common Broomrape, Orobanche minor, at Roundshaw Downs. #WildflowerHour

#Wildflowerhour #Lawnchallenge Part 2. So many flowers in this patch of unmown grassland. Lesser Stitchwort, Bee Orchid Common Knapweed, Oxeye Daisy, Black Medick, Common Daisy and Selfheal.

#Wildflowerhour Water Violet (Hottonia palustris) seen in South Cumbria whilst out with the Wildflower Society.

Knapweed Broomrape, Orobanche eliator, with its host, Greater Knapweed, Centaurea scabiosa, on Roundshaw Downs. #WildflowerHour

#Wildflowerhour Found some huge Bee Orchids (Ophrys apifera) in North Lancashire with well over a dozen flowers/ buds.

Meadow Buttercup and Bush Vetch this week for #lawnflowers challenge. #wildflowerhour

For this week's #Wildflowerhour challenge #Lawnflowers here's a glimpse of my current #NoMowSummer lawn Red Clover, White Clover, Lesser Trefoil, Bird's-foot Trefoil, Ribwort Plantain and a smidgen of grass

Eyebright in calcareous grassland, Leicestershire, this week. #wildflowerhour

Heath Speedwell was abundant on the Bodmin Moor today, but without the flowers you wouldn't see the leaves. The sheep graze them so short they're almost invisible. #wildflowerhour Veronica officinalis