Tag: wild flowers

August 29th – In complete contrast to the day before, I travelled to Darlaston in a rainstorm. Wet and miserable, I slid through the streets of Walsall. Fed up of the traffic, at Bridgman Street, I dropped onto the canal towpath for peace and quiet. Near Bentley Bridge, I suddenly noticed these flowers growing in the reed-beds at the side of the water. They instantly cheered me up. I have no idea (as usual!) what they are, but their dainty blooms were just the tonic on a damp and chilly journey to work.

August 25th – Common toadflax is a late-flowering joy. Attractor of bees, it’s a relative of the foxglove, whose yellow flowers remind you a little of the snapdragon. They’re growing along the towpaths of much of the canal aroundabouts, and this clump was near the Pier Street bridge pool on Clayhanger common.

The tall, slender neck of the flower is loaded with nectar that bees love, but is often counterproductive as frequently bees bite through the neck of the bloom and drink the goodness without pollinating the plant.

July 28th – After going to see some mates in Walsall, I returned down a somewhat breezy Goscote Valley on a sunny afternoon. Joining the cycle route at the Butts, though Mill Lane Nature Reserve, I was immediately struct by the range and beauty of the plants and flowers, which were alive with awakening insects. The elegant, almost Francophile church spire of Rushall was visible above the trees across the valley, and this old railway line just screamed for attention. A wonderful place. Get your arses down there before summer passes. 

June 1st – In total contrast to my dismay at the arboreal destruction in Stonnall, the roadside verges on the Lichfield Road at Sandhills are, like just about everywhere else at the moment, a delight. A riot of colour and wildflowers, just as one species finishes flowering, it passes the colour baton to another in a delightful natural relay. All of these gorgeous examples were spotted in a hundred yard stretch between Lanes Farm and Shire Oak House.

The dead nettles are a particular delight – lovely to pluck a flower or two and suck the sweet nectar from it’s base. Worth checking they’re out of dog pee reach first, though…

July 26th – The Goscote Valley cycle route is beautiful at the moment. Traversing it yesterday on my way home I was struct by the profusion of wildflowers and fruits creating a riot of colour. Everything from thistles to vetch, ragwort to rowan is loud and colourful, just fighting for our attention. I notice that on the banks of the Ford Brook, Himalayan Balsam is proliferating. This pink and white, tall flower is an invasive species but is itself rather beautiful. It has a peculiar scent and smells metallic. Let’s hope it doesn’t force out any of the equally beautiful native species.