25 Sunday May 2025
Posted in flowers, wildflowers
≈ Comments Off on Orchids already?
This year seems to be flying by. I mean, how can the Common spotted-orchids be flowering already?
Maybe it’s just me, and the house move, and everything associated with that that’s made this year seem to be passing so quickly. Or maybe it’s just old age – when I was young, time often seemed to drag; now it zips by too quickly.
Anyhoo, whether or not I was ready for them, the orchids are out and looking as gorgeous as they always do. I hope you get to enjoy them too.
30 Sunday Jun 2024
Posted in flowers, wildflowers
≈ Comments Off on Variations on a theme
Presumably because of our very wet Spring, the orchids are enjoying a magnificent season hereabouts, with more Bee and Pyramidal orchids than I’ve ever seen before. The beautiful blooms collaged below were all growing within a metre of each other at a local park and, in theory, they’re all Common spotted-orchids. You can see what a wide variation of hues and patterns they exhibit, though I suspect a couple of these may have a few grains of Southern marsh-orchid mixed in to their DNA. Both species grow at this park and are known, sometimes, to cross-pollinate.
02 Sunday Jun 2024
Posted in wildflowers
≈ Comments Off on Grangemoor’s orchids
Tags
#WildflowerHour, Bee orchid, British orchids, Common spotted-orchid, Grangemoor Park, native orchids, Pyramidal orchid, Southern marsh orchid
This week’s Wildflower Hour challenge was to find orchids in flower. I love these gorgeous native plants so was very happy to include orchid spotting in a walk to Cardiff’s Grangemoor Park. And I was not disappointed, finding these four species currently in flower.
Southern marsh-orchid (Dactylorhiza praetermissa)
Common spotted-orchid (Dactylorhiza fuchsia)
Pyramidal orchid (Anacamptis pyramidalis)
Bee orchid (Ophrys apifera)
22 Sunday May 2022
Posted in flowers, wildflowers
≈ Comments Off on First and second
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.
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.
25 Friday Jun 2021
Posted in flowers, wildflowers
Tags
British orchids, British wildflowers, Common spotted-orchid, Dactylorhiza fuchsia, native orchids
I mentioned recently how I sometimes find orchids difficult to identify. These photos illustrate why. As far as I can work out, as they all had spots on their leaves, and in spite of the variation in colours and patterns, these are all Common spotted-orchids (Dactylorhiza fuchsia).
