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| Hogweed |
On Sunday May 3rd we should have been welcoming hundreds of visitors to our annual Open Day and celebrating the start of our new season. Luckily the lockdown hasn’t affected the flowers, trees, butterflies, bees, newts and the other creatures that make their home in the Park. The newts may even be relieved to miss being dipped out of the pond every Sunday afternoon.
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| Dog Rose |
We are lucky that Hilary has been able to take some photographs recently. This spring is running several weeks early! Out in flower on 2 May, when they are usually at least 2 weeks later, were hogweed, dog rose and elder. This means plenty of nectar and pollen now, but what will be flowering come July and August??
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| Elder |
Here are some more photographs from the Park. First is a shot of May-blossom itself – hawthorn.
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| Hawthorn |
The next shows ragged robin and cuckoo-flower (ladies smock) by the pond. Both were planted as plugs after the pond was re-lined in 2016, and have survived the drought of 2018. There are cowslips in the meadow behind.
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| Ragged Robin and Cowslips |
Finally bulbous buttercup in the meadow by the pond – to identify them look for the sepals turned back away from the petals. It has a crocus-sized "bulb" underground and dies back to that around midsummer.
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| Bulbous Buttercup |
Check our Facebook pages where we will keep you informed of progress. When we can eventually open again watch out for wardens sporting our new T-shirt.
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