Flower of the day

[KeenTeen17]

Originally Posted by Pete Collins

My first ever White Helleborine (at least I think that's what it is!). I'd seen the leaves before (in the same location near Dunstable) but not seen it flowering.

Saw my first poppies, foxgloves and bladder campion of the year too.

Very nice Pete. Its one we don't get up here unfortunately and its how Leifus has gotten ahead on the orchid count. It is indeed the White Helleborine because of the small number of flowers and the shape of the leaves. Sword Leaved Helleborine has much narrower leaves as the name implies

[Pete Collins]

Thanks KeenTeen17. It was right next to a very popular footpath, so I could hardly miss it. Somebody had told me a few weeks ago that it grew at a location just a few hundred yards from where I saw it.

[Adam Cheeseman]

Cornflower for me today. My cornfield mix is just starting to bloom Trouble is the rabbits have now taken a liking to it

Cheers,

Adam

[blacknest]

Ox-eye daises are making a lovely show on the verges:
I was always under the impression Leucanthemum vulgare was a non-native...which intrigued me as they're so widespread all across the countryside and look so "at home" here...lo & behold I check the book and they're as native a part of the Briitsh scene as warm beer, The Beatles or expense-fiddling MPs.

It's the giant flowered "Shasta Daisy" (L.maximum) such as I have in my herbaceous border which is sometimes seen growing feral

[leifus]

goat's-beard and yarrow for me today

[leifus]

small toadflax and equal-leaved knotgrass both on my local patch

[blacknest]

My ordinary garden water lillies are out

[leifus]

a melilot (either ribbed or tall), welted thistle...

and I went to a site that had three fly orchids in 2003. However no one has recorded there since and there are now over 50 (!!!!) making it the largest population in wiltshire

[IanS]

Cool! Must have been a good sight to see! I finally found Fly orchids this year but only in ones and twos! (Chilterns)

[leifus]

Originally Posted by IanS

Cool! Must have been a good sight to see! I finally found Fly orchids this year but only in ones and twos! (Chilterns)

it was amazing! They were everywhere you looked! I got to 50 and gave up