Meadows, Bee Orchids and Pot-Pourri!

With temperatures hovering around 30C for the past few days I think high summer has arrived and definitely time 'to make hay while the sun shines'. Our wildflower meadow mentioned in my earlier blog was a riot of colour and insects back in June,but on the 5th of July it was cut to make hay.Five days later under a baking sun the hay was baled after being repeatedly turned and dried in the sun during the intervening days.In a damp corner of the meadow is a colony of Heath Spotted Orchids ( I counted 132 plants) many of which had not set seed.These plants were cordoned off and not mown to allow them to finish flowering.This year has been a good one for orchids.I saw huge numbers of Heath Spotted Orchids on a recent trip to the Outer Hebrides.Further south in the Cotswold while walking in the valley of the Windrush I came across three spectacular Bee Orchids right next to the footpath ..........wow!But the best was still to come; last week I took a walk in the sanddunes at Morfa Harlech and found another five Bee Orchids and hundreds of Pyramidal Orchids,Northern Marsh Orchids and Marsh Helleborines.


Bee Orchid

In addition to the orchids there were lots of colourful plants including Evening Primrose, Ladies Bedstraw, Carline Thistle, Rest Harrow,Portland Spurge, Birds-Foot Trefoil and Yellow Rattle.
I wonder whether any former A-level Geography and Biology students will read this and remember their field work in Harlech dunes? The one thing I remember is always smelling like  'pot-pourri' after spending a day in the dunes with all those lovely scented flowers!