Tag Archives: British orchids

The last orchids

28 Sunday Aug 2022

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Perhaps it’s a consequence of this summer’s exceptionally hot dry weather or maybe it’s due to the location’s proximity to the recently rejuvenated children’s playground and trampling by eager feet; whatever the reason, this year’s display of Autumn lady’s-tresses at Cosmeston Lakes Country Park is disappointing to say the least. Last year (Spiralling orchids, Sep 2021), I counted at least 30 flower spikes; this year so far there are just five.

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An opulence of orchids

24 Sunday Jul 2022

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I took these photos of Broad-leaved helleborine (Epipactis helleborine) ten days ago, on 13 July, and even then I had expected them to have shrivelled in the sweltering heat. Now, after the heatwave, I imagine they will have wilted, drooped, possibly died off completely but I will go back soon to check on them as they have such lovely flowers.

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The Bees are buzzing

29 Wednesday Jun 2022

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Yesterday I went for a meander to check how the orchids were doing this year on the Cardiff side of the River Ely. You might remember in early June last year I blogged about the Fiesta of Bee orchids happening along the verges of Ferry Road near Cardiff Bay. I hoped I hadn’t left it too late for this year’s display; the verges are a little more overgrown, the grasses taller, but the Bee orchids are flowering again in their hundreds and look just as amazing.

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Thousands of Pyramidal orchids

26 Sunday Jun 2022

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I learned, earlier this week, that the rangers and volunteers at Cosmeston Lakes Country Park do an annual count of the orchids growing in the east paddock. On Friday 17 June, they counted an amazing 4828 Pyramidal orchids (as well as 5254 Common-spotted and 155 Bee orchids). These are just a few of those splendorous Pyramidals.

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An orchid surprise

05 Sunday Jun 2022

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The site where I usually see Southern marsh-orchids (Dactylorhiza praetermissa), Cardiff’s Grangemoor Park, has been closed for several months (it’s a former landfill site and the aged infrastructure that manages escaping methane gas and the leaching of contaminated water into the adjacent river is being upgraded). So, it was a thrilling surprise to discover three of these beauties in the damp lower edge of a local meadow where they’ve not been recorded before.

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First and second

22 Sunday May 2022

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It’s amazing what a bit of rain can do. I’ve been watching the rosettes of Common spotted-orchids in various locations over the past week or so as their leaves flesh out and their flower spikes develop but I was still surprised to see this year’s first two plants with open flowers during my morning walk.

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They may be common but they are truly glorious, and I can’t wait for the time when the meadows are full of their flowers.

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Twayblades

15 Sunday May 2022

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You could’ve knocked me down with a feather when I spotted these Twayblades (Neottia ovata) during this morning’s walk. I’ve visited this place at least once a month for the last five years, probably more frequently at this time of year to look for butterflies and other insects, yet I’d never noticed these orchids before.

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And there were plenty of them – 20, 30, possibly more. Their green colour does mean they blend into the background of other plants but still. It was a lesson, to always pay attention … because just look at the beauty I’ve been missing!

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