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Ken's June Nature Note 22 July 2007 Nature Notes of June 2007
Fruits, from the Apples, Pears and Gooseberries, are filling up on the branches now as we enter the beginnings of June, all are growing wild in the surrounding hedgerows. Willow has now cast its fluffy seeds which dusts the paths with a cotton wool effect. The Beech has also begun setting its seed pods for ripening later. There is a vast array of colour in the wildflowers in our area as we journey through June and into July. One particular favourite of mine is curiously named Lords-and-Ladies, this is a small wild plant, normally flowering in May, but is visible now. These have a main green leaf, (called the spathe) shaped like a hood, with a stamen which attracts small insects by its unpleasant smell,( like rotting meat) these insects are thus trapped inside the plant and as they struggle to escape, pollinate the stigmas of the plant, as the bract gets less slimy the insects escape laden with pollen. These plants are very poisonous.
Well the first week of June seemed full of promise with hot dry days, then as we soon found out, it was as if we had passed into Saint Swithens, with the rain hardly stopping for a day. Shouldn’t be any shortage of water this year, however you never know.
The field poppies are still a wonderful sight, in the areas of the crops that have escaped the Sprayer. Last year I collected quite a few seed heads which I am hoping to propagate for planting out into our wildflower meadow in autumn.
Wild Geraniums with their blue flowers can bee seen around the Lumley Burn Park areas. Oxeye Daisy, a particularly good flower for the meadows is doing well, as are the Bladder Campion with their mix of pink and white flowers. All to be viewed only a stroll away.
The rain seems to have damaged any hope of raspberries being produced this season, so we have to hope that the blackberries stand a better chance.
They are putting on plenty of growth in the woods and hedgerows, nearly growing as fast as my Russian Vine, but not quite. When I first got a rooted plant from my Dad, he did warn me that I would be constantly trimming this evasive plant, however I was naïve, it certainly did the job I wanted, that was to cover my shed, but what a plant, it is well named the “Mile a Minute Plant” . So be warned!
I was quite surprised at the Barley crop growing at the rear of the Cricket Club, when you consider the heavy showers that have been pounding us all lately, it is amazing that the crop is still standing, and ripening well.
I have a family of toads in my compost heap; they seem to be thriving under the rubber mat that lies on top. I am always amazed how they manage to get into this heap, when you think it has sides of at least four foot tall. I call it a compost heap, but my better half begs to differ, saying it is a rubbish heap; it still makes compost whatever you call it.
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