27th February 2023
It is late February and still too cold for much growth on the wildflower meadows, but there are one or two harbingers of spring. Some crocuses (or croci?) are flowering having self-seeded in the front meadow from neighbouring gardens. Although not part of my plan for the meadows they are cheery and not doing any harm.
< Crocuses
However there are also bluebell leaves encroaching. These are of the Spanish variety, were all over the garden when we arrived, and are not going away no matter how many we dig up. We tolerate them being colourful in wilder areas but I don’t want them in the meadows. Without the disruption of digging up the bulbs I will probably just keep them in check by pulling off leaves and flower stalks when I get around to it.
Bluebell leaves >
At this time of year I look closely in the hope of seeing orchid leaves. Bluebells can look very like orchid leaves in early spring, being long, strap-shaped, slightly folded, and mid-green. They tend to be larger and more numerous than any orchid leaves, however. There are some wintergreen orchid leaves to be seen, namely several Loose-flowered orchids (Anacamptis laxiflora), one of which is doing particularly well. These are not unlike bluebell leaves but more deeply folded and rather apple-green, with a smaller, fairly upright rosette.
< Loose-flowered orchid leaves
I don’t have any Pyramidal orchids (Anacamptis pyramidalis) at the moment, but they are also wintergreen and quite similar to the A. laxiflora rosette, although the leaves can often be quite curly in the horizontal plane.
There is a healthy looking Green-winged orchid (Anacamptis morio) on the back meadow which has a very flat rosette of short, wide, mid-green leaves.
Green-winged orchid leaves >
The Bee orchid (Ophrys apifera) I featured last time, is looking a bit pale and sickly now for some reason! It is still too early to see any Dactylorhiza leaves, as they are winter-dormant. When they appear may depend on how quickly the ground warms up. Probably in late March or early April they can be first be seen. Common Spotted (Dactylorhiza fuchsii) and Heath Spotted (Dactylorhiza maculata) orchid leaves are quite easy to see when unfolded, because of the dark spots. I can hardly wait!
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