Friday 20 January 2012

The orchids are coming! The orchids are coming!

In April 2008, Her Outdoors noticed some wild orchids in écovallée. The following year, we paid more attention and photographed 10 on the land and another two across the road for good measure. Since then I’ve been too busy to record the dates they were spotted (but those I have are shown in brackets).

Early Purple Orchid (24/04/08, 18/04/09, 9/04/10, 27/03/11, 04/04/12)


Burnt Orchid (24/04/08, 18/04/09, 20/04/10, 10/04/11, 10/04/12)


Lady Orchid (18/04/09, 10/04/11)


Fly Orchid (18/04/09, 08/05/12)


White Helleborine (30/04/09, 20/04/11, 05/05/12)


Pyramid Orchid (18/05/08, 30/04/09, 26/05/10, 25/04/11, 03/05/12)


Red Helleborine (14/06/08, 31/05/09, 10/06/12)


Tongue Serapia (05/05/09)


Bee Orchid (across the road - 13/05/09; in écovallée end May 2012)


Greater Butterfly orchid (13/05/09)


Common Twayblade (16/05/09)


Lizard Orchid (across the road - 16/05/09; in écovallée - 10/06/12)



This is as close to scientific study as you get on this blog. The Early Purple’s an interesting case, having appeared earlier every year for four years. Seems to be true with some of the others, too. Then you look at the Pyramid dates and see they’re all over the place.

Orchids, eh?

5 comments:

Archie said...

Hi Alex I wonder if their early ? Does anyone know
We have the odd one up here on our land ( N Yorks ) will keep an eye out this year
Snowdrops out at moment !
was watching the Little England program again and you have a real sweet spot in that valley great for the children reminded me of summers when I was a small child in Co. Down.

the devolutionary said...

Apparently we have snowdrop and crocus greenery poking through the ground, but they're not really here yet (and we're hundreds of miles south of you!). Tulips as well, so I'm told.

We haven't really had a winter yet this year. I know one season does not a trend make, but it's a worry...

Archie said...

Can't say that it feels like winters here yet but there was a little sleet yesterday ? Sun then got out, today warm out was working in T-shirt inside my Irish yurt ( oblong monopitch scaffolding pole frame clad in old tarpaulins and full of holes it's sort of like being at sea under sail at times ) now it will snow but please snow god please don't as todo list so very long and her who must be on horseback will kill me. How's your todo list shaping up ? Hope your making good progress and not day dreaming up in the woods, must admit I like a good day dream good for the soul if not the pocket but moneys overrated !

the devolutionary said...

I'm having my ill for a week in January week. Could do without it, as I have fields to fence, tree bog to build, floors to lay, shower to build, road to lay, wood to cut and more. Not as hard as last year's to-do list, physically. But it all takes time.

Archie said...

It's strange that list of yours is uncannily like mine almost to a word ?
Only with an other ending so can sympathize totally lots of honey and lemon hope you feel better soon.
Her who must be on horseback did start to try and kill me today because I broke off for lunch early !
I think it's good to enjoy the process of work and then you get there in the end, nothing like a ' work in progress ' to stir the blood. The suns out now the days are lengthening
What joy and happiness it's good to be alive on this little planet, what do you say ?