Colin's Wildflower Meadow - and a new book on local walks

Greetings, folks! 

In 2018, Colin Carr, with the aid of our chairman Brian, seeded part of his paddock with wildflowers. The results are nothing short of wonderful, as you can see from the delightful photos that Colin has submitted. 

Colin's wildflower patch - Blackfordby

 Here are some of the beautiful wildflowers it contains.

Yellow Rattle (Rhinanthus minor) - Colin's Wildflower Meadow

Meadow Cranesbill (Geranium pratense) (white form) - Colin's Wildflower Meadow

Oxeye Daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare) - Colin's Wildflower Meadow

Viper's Bugloss (Echium vulgare) - Colin's Wildflower Meadow

I suspect that everyone knows by now that bees, and many other invertebrates, are perilously declining in numbers, largely due to farming methods and also through loss of habitat to human occupation. I have heard it said, on many an occasion, that if bees disappear the human race will soon follow. It is my belief that we should all be looking for ways to provide places for insects to thrive - whether we have a large plot of land, like Colin, or just a 'postage stamp' sized garden, or even just the ability to have a window box.

Many people are trying to persuade local councils to stop mowing verges and allow wildflowers to re-take posession - unless there's a safety issue - thereby doing something towards saving the planet, and money too! 

Next time you get frustrated by persistent Dandelions, please remember that they're great for wildlife. Take joy from a verge filled with Dandelions - or even Dandelions in your lawn. In fact, consider the possibilities of converting your lawn into a relatively maintenance-free flower meadow.

 

Colin also sent in a photo of a Squirrel dray at the edge of his meadow.  I'm not about to get into the pros and cons of Grey Squirrels here!

Squirrel dray - Colin's Paddock

Colin also kindly notified Brian and I of a short 'e-book' produced by local walker, Mark White, covering local walks in West Ashby. Mark has kindly given permission for me to publicise it here. If you are interested, it's available free-of-charge in .pdf format by emailing Mark at walkingwestashby@gmail.com

 
Take great care, and stay safe. We'll meet again someday - unlike Vera Lynn, I suspect I know where - I just don't know when!