Visit to an Ancient Hay Meadow and a few Garden Flowers

I made my annual pilgrimage yesterday to Notcutts (Monkspath) Meadow - apologies to anyone who has been visiting my blog for any length of time as I do tend to do a post on this each year. This ancient hay meadow is believed to be around 800 years old and is a site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). It's owned by Notcutts Garden Centre and managed under the supervision of Natural England. Around 150 species of flora can be found found including several grass species commonly found in old meadows, marshland and ancient woodland. The meadow is only open for a couple of weekends in June each year under the guidance of Warwickshire Wildlife Trust.

Tormentil (Potentilla erecta)

Greater Burnet (Sanguisorba officinalis)

Lesser Stitchwort (Stellaria graminea)

Yellow Rattle (Rhinanthus minor)

Yellow Rattle and Bird's Foot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus)

Red Clover, Yellow Rattle, Lesser Stitchwort and Bird's Foot Trefoil

A few of the many species of grasses

Common Sorrel (Cumex acetosa)

Germander Speedwell (Veronica chamaedrys), Lesser Stitchwort and Clover

The stars of the show - Heath Spotted Orchids (Orchis ericetorum) - photos show the different variations in colour.

I had a quick look round the Nurseries before going home and spotted this beautiful peony

There were lots of displays of pollinator friendly plants

and insect homes.

I rather liked this "green" car!!

Garden Flowers

Petunia flowers

Cosmos now planted and they will hopefully be attracting lots of hoverflies and bees in a month's time. Having seen the price of these plants at the nurseries I am feeling rather smug that we grow them from seed :)

White Peony

Yellow Flags in the bog garden - they are flowering several weeks earlier this year

Ox-eye Daisies, Red Campion and Meadow Buttercup in the wildflower meadow.

Honeysuckle (hopefully it will attract some moths!) and

foxgloves are in flower too.

A Wander Round an Ancient Hay Meadow

Last Sunday I went along to the annual opening of Monkspath Meadow - an ancient hay meadow believed to be around 800 years old. The Meadow which is a Site of Special Scientific Interest is owned by Notcutts Garden Centre and managed under the supervision of English Nature. The meadow is only open one or two weekends a year under the helpful guidance of Warwickshire Wildlife Trust.

The meadow supports 150 species of flora including various grass species, commonly found in old meadows, marshland and ancient woodland.

There were far fewer species in flower this year than in the past following the trend of so many flowering plants this Spring.

Apologies that the photos aren't that sharp - it was rather windy and, in addition, Brian and David had decided to come along and as they had completed the entire circuit whilst I was still at the beginning(!), I couldn't spend as long as usual taking photos or even changing to the macro lens for some of the shots.

The star of the show are the displays of Heath Spotted Orchids (Orchis ericetorum)

The Meadows are open again this weekend and I would imagine far more of the orchids will by then be flowering.

Tormentil (Potentilla erecta)

Bugle (Ajuga reptans)

Burnet spp

Yellow Rattle (Rhinanthus minor)

Ribwort Plantain and a mixture of grasses

Lesser Stitchwort (Stellaria graminea)

Meadow Buttercup (Ranunculus acris)

I was thrilled to see my first Common Blue Butterfly of the year - as usual with most butterflies I see it didn't linger so a poor record shot!!

Meadow Buttercup and Germander Speedwell (Veronica chamaea)

I couldn't help thinking of Edith Holden (who wrote the Country Diary of An Edwardian Lady and Nature Notes in 1905 and 1906) as I walked round the meadow. Until the 1930's traditional hay meadows, such as this one, full of insects and butterflies, were found throughout Warwickshire and she must have walked through meadows like this every day in the summer months.

Sadly during the course of the twentieth century England and Wales have lost around 97% of their traditional haymeadows due to intensification of agriculture. New roads and housing developments have led to the loss of many other such meadows.

Apologies to any long time readers of my blog who have already "walked" round this meadow with me at least twice before. At times I do worry that my blog is very repetitive visiting the same old places and seeing the same old things year in and year out!