WalkwithTrees.com
  • Home
    • Devoted to plants!
    • About
    • Brighton Woodland Bard
  • Plant Folklore
    • Woodland Bard Foundation
    • Woodland Bard Course
  • Tree Folklore
    • Deeply rooted in Story
  • Woodland Bard LIVE
    • Blog
  • Recordings
    • Meditation Recordings
  • Contact

7/5/2020

Stanmer Nature Reserve

1 Comment

Read Now
 
Left to right - Field Scabious- Lady's bedstraw- Pyramidal orchid 

The joy of plants as I walked off the path into the chalk meadow at Stanmer Nature Reserve. When I arrived I was greeted by a storm of dust as builders dug and drilled at the entrance and beyond. In haste I nearly ran into the woods but instead stopped and walked into what appeared a field of grass. Then the magic happened as between the grass I saw fully developed scabious plants like the gentry of the plant kingdom with large blueish-lilac flowers known as blue bonnets or bachelor's buttons. I literally jumped for joy at the sight of vibrant pyramidal orchids amongst a matt of yellow bedstraw. Marbled white butterflies flitted from flower to flower to complete the delightful scene.


I couldn't help ponder once more on John Muir's words as I walked just a little way from dusty, noisy human endeavour to the bliss of landscape :

All the wild world is beautiful, and it matters but little where we go, to highlands or lowlands, woods or plains, on the sea or land or down among the crystals of waves or high in a balloon in the sky; through all the climates, hot or cold, storms and calms, everywhere and always we are in God's eternal beauty and love. So universally true is this, the spot where we chance to be always seems the best. 


Left to Right - Wild Carrot - Ribbed melilot- Restharrow- Agrimony

Stately wild carrot stood proud with slender agrimony and the bold displays of knapweed. 
The native peas included ribbed melilot, restharrow and some tufted vetch and the compact carpet of fragrant wild thyme weaved beneath them.

My guide switched from marble white to a red admiral butterfly as I entered the woods and although not ancient still exuded that sweet stillness erupting from the throbbing, pulsing activity of sap rising in trees characteristic of summer months. The corky bark of  elm and the smooth bark of hornbeam reminded me I was in  Sussex rather than Hampshire woods. On the wooded edge meadow cranesbill adequately ​competed with the grass sward and wood avens and herb robert grew in the shadier areas.

Out of the woods the flora changed to grey willows and vipers bugloss with a drift of ox-eye daisy followed by musk mallow, fleabane and bristly ox-tongue in more fertile grass-lands.  As I run out of words to describe this nature reserve on the edge of a city I will leave you with one of my favourite plant poems which I have quoted in part before but here it is in its entirety: 

O the prickly sow thistle that grew in the hollow of the Near Field
I used it as a high jump coming home in the evening -
A hurdle race over the puce blossoms of the sow thistles.
Am I late? Am I tired?
Is my heart sealed from the ravening passion that will eat it out
Till there is not one pure moment left?

O the greater fleabane that grew at the back of the potato pit:
I often trampled through it looking for rabbit burrows!
The burnet saxifrage was there in profusion
And the autumn gentian -
I knew them all by name before I knew their names.
We were in love before we were introduced.

Let me not moralise or have remorse, for these names
Purify a corner of my mind;
I jump over them and rub them with my hands,
And a free moment appears brand new and spacious 
Where I may live beyond the reach of desire.


Patrick Kavanagh


May Nature continue to inspire you wherever you happen to be!

If you have enjoyed this article you may wish to subscribe to our free newsletter packed with articles and updates on trees, plants and nature connection.
​
Subscribe

Share

1 Comment
custom dissertation link
8/4/2020 06:53:41 pm

Flowers are really beautiful and they are attractive to look at. I want to buy some roses for my house, I want it to look beautiful and one of a kind. It will be a great journey for all of us to appreciate and witness. I would also like to build a garden that is filled with wonderful roses. Roses that have different colors. I want it to be colorful and pleasant to the eyes. The visitors will adore the image that they about to see.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

Details

    Poetry of flowers

    Join me to explore the flora of the British Isles on this blog. My intention is to attempt to capture the unique quality and beauty of each species of flower, tree or shrub. For every species featured I will be growing many more wildflowers to celebrate the joy of their existence, their intrinsic conservation value and bewildering array of uses. For nearly 30 years I have noted, studied and explored wildflowers in the field much to the patience of the walker beside me. To share this passion is a heartfelt plea to respect, preserve and care for all British Wildflowers no matter how common they seem.

    Archives

    February 2024
    July 2023
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    January 2020
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    November 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017

    RSS Feed

    Categories

    All
    Woodland Bard Evenings

We Would Love to Have You Visit Soon!


Picture

Email : [email protected]

  • Home
    • Devoted to plants!
    • About
    • Brighton Woodland Bard
  • Plant Folklore
    • Woodland Bard Foundation
    • Woodland Bard Course
  • Tree Folklore
    • Deeply rooted in Story
  • Woodland Bard LIVE
    • Blog
  • Recordings
    • Meditation Recordings
  • Contact