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We went in search of wild orchids today!

54 comments


Cooler today so off we set driving towards Lullingstone which is really only a short/ish drive away from us, we live on the boarders of Kent but are only twenty minutes from London on the train so we have the best of both worlds on our doorstep.

The fields were full of tiny wild flowers

This seed head was everywhere, waiting for a breeze.


The insects were busy.


The minute flowers were a delight.


Caterpillars munching. Still no sign of these orchids though.

Ladybird resting.


Where to look next?


At the top of this picture is a field of red poppies that could be seen for miles. It was stunning.


I sent OH in front to search for orchids! While I took photos. As you walk along here you are in the middle of a golf course!

No none here!

This field was close by, how lovely, like Provence!


Time for a sit down! These benches are different.


No time to sit because my OH called me over, are these what your looking for? Oh! delight.

Little gems in the middle of nowhere.


Wow.
We had a lovely walk, a friend told me that the Orchids were in flower as they had found some the week before and we were delighted to have found some too. We found the southern marsh orchid, Dactylorhiza praetermissa. (I think!)

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Comments

 

You really do have the best of both worlds there GG! I am envious!

28 Jun, 2011

 

They are so dainty, pleased you found some and of course that you had the camera...

28 Jun, 2011

 

ohhhh they are lovely , lucky you ..........

28 Jun, 2011

 

Very nice blog with great pics - love the caterpillars - even though they munch it was a nice pic. The table and chairs were so cool :))))) great scenes :)))))

28 Jun, 2011

 

oooo i like that tooo.....

28 Jun, 2011

 

What a privilege to be able to see something so fleeting! Thanks for showing us these lovely pics!

28 Jun, 2011

 

Hello all, Karen, Lincs, Cristina, Paul, & Libet, we only went to this place because a friend told me but we really enjoyed our walk together such a lovely day, not too hot like yesterday and before the rains fell! We took the camera just in case! Paul I was happy to see the caterpillars munching because it wasnt my garden, Lol. I love your comments, thanks.

28 Jun, 2011

 

That was a very lovely walk, thank you, I love all those mini-beasts!

28 Jun, 2011

 

Beautiful! And that table and benches just lovely, made me want to sit down on them!

29 Jun, 2011

 

Glad you both had a lovely day out,Grandmage..what a nice place to walk..I haven't seen one of those orchids before,so thanks for sharing..the bench and seats are ace,aren't they ?..loved the look alike'Provence' too.:o)

29 Jun, 2011

 

That's wonderful :) Nice to see wild flowers and views. I'm pleased you found the orchids.
I saw some last week but they were by a busy road so couldn't stop to see them properly.

It's nice on the Kent border. I had a cousin living there once, and went to stay a few times. Lovely scenery and countryside close by :)

29 Jun, 2011

 

Thanks Tet, for taking your camera on your lovely walk to share with us. Great to see wild orchids, and what a brilliant way to carve a tree trunk for that original sitting spot!

29 Jun, 2011

 

Love the Lavender fields. So glad you found the Orchids!!
What a wonderful place to walk about in!

29 Jun, 2011

 

Thanks folks, glad you all enjoyed the walk with us, I must say that the camera hasnt really captured just how lovely these little flowers are and they were spread out too far so could only take close ups, but thought too, that it was a treat for you all.
Lulu, dont think the dogs are allowed off the lead there because of the golf! Sheila, Bloomer & Raquel those benches were everywhere a great way to recycle eh! Hywel I know you love wild flowers, they really are such a pretty sight. Sticki, I kept getting told to hurry up as I would still be there now watching the wild life!! We dont always appreciate whats on our doorstep do we?

29 Jun, 2011

 

Lovely pics and well-described :o)

29 Jun, 2011

 

lovely pics... glad you had a nice day out..

29 Jun, 2011

 

Lovely bog and pics Grandmage. Loved the lavender field. Would have sat down in it and not moved. OH could have finished the walk himself and called back for me on his way back. lol. :o)

29 Jun, 2011

 

Lindaloo. I love it Lol. you did make me laugh, but i know what you mean, thanks Holly & TT you are too kind!

29 Jun, 2011

 

Ho,ho,ho. What am I like, lol. Meant to say, lovely blog, not bog. lol.
As for me getting down on the ground, if I did, I'd have to stay there, as I'd not be able to get back up. hehehe....

29 Jun, 2011

 

You sound just like me!! Once down, thats it! I have only just read that you said 'bog' L.loo, you should have kept quiet!! Lol.

29 Jun, 2011

 

I only noticed it when I read your reply. lol. :o)

29 Jun, 2011

 

I was laughing at you on the ground and your hubby strolling in the fields on his own!!! He could have had a game of golf while he was there too. Lol.

29 Jun, 2011

 

We went for a walk a few weeks ago, and I did land on the ground. Face down. Lucky I didn't hurt myself, but what with my hood up, OH said I looked like a sea lion, 'basking in the sun'. He did say it in the nicest possible way. I laughed so much, I couldn't get up. lol. :o)

29 Jun, 2011

 

that made me laf l.loo lol sorry !!! haha

29 Jun, 2011

 

Well Cristina, I hope you weeeed yourself, laughing at me. lol. Cheered you up though, haven't I? lol. :o))

29 Jun, 2011

 

Nice blog. Some lovely photos. We forget how beautiful England's countryside is don't we?

29 Jun, 2011

 

Linda, think you should take more water if you keep falling over that is!!! Lol. I did laugh though, like cristina! Thanks Sheila, yes we do forget whats around the corner, shame really, it is all taken for granted.

29 Jun, 2011

 

Glad I put a smile on your faces. Bet you were trying to picture what I looked like laying flat out, belly down. Lol. :o)

30 Jun, 2011

 

Linda, pity your hubbie didnt take a photo!! Lol

30 Jun, 2011

 

Guess what? no camera with us. hehehe :o)

1 Jul, 2011

 

Maybe just as well!!! he he

1 Jul, 2011

 

What a great blog Grandmage.While reading it, I felt the freshness of the breeze and the sweetness of the wild and the miracles of the nature too.Thanks for taking us tour with you.

4 Jul, 2011

 

Thank you so much Camillia, it was a perfect day for walking, not too hot and a slight breeze too, I love seeing wild flowers in their natural habitat, I wish you could have been there too.

5 Jul, 2011

 

It is so nice of you to think like that.Thankyou.

6 Jul, 2011

 

What a lovely blog and great shots a lovely table and bench to sit out its so unusual lovely views and great capture of the catapillar lovely photo.

9 Jul, 2011

 

Thansk so much 6d, we had a lovely walk and enjoyed it so much, we both said that we should do that more often!! That plant with the caterpillars on was covered and was being eaten rather fast!

9 Jul, 2011

 

Yes its would be great for you to do walks like that more often, I wonder what kind of caterpillar it was.

10 Jul, 2011

 

Now not sure at all about that, I could look it up though, Lol. x

12 Jul, 2011

 

There is one that Surreylad put on which with sting and can cause a fatal asthma attack so now I am wary of touching any, would be interesting to see what this one is though. Were they orange and black or yellow and black as yellow and black would be a cinnabar moth.

12 Jul, 2011

 

They were very orange ones 6d. And I wouldnt have touched them anyway, dont like wriggly things! only from a distance.

13 Jul, 2011

 

I don't blame you I shall look out for it on net see if I can find it then.

13 Jul, 2011

 

http://89.242.10.97/2010_07/2010_07.html

Scroll down and you will see it, it is the Cinnabar moth.

13 Jul, 2011

 

Clever girl! Lovely photo and thanks for the I.D. They are not poisonous then they only eat poisonous ragwort plants!! Amazing creature.

14 Jul, 2011

 

Yes they are was counting today how many butterflies came into the garden I counted 20 in about 2 hours one had a black centre and an orange edge.

14 Jul, 2011

 

Oooohhh lovely, thats good news isnt it? They were saying that they are becoming a rare specie.

14 Jul, 2011

 

Yes but I live close to a nature reserve so perhaps thats why next door is a grave yard and canal close by too, but when I water I do water the leaves too, and they said this year has been dry so not moist leaves to lay their eggs on, also with fields being used for housing, motorways, etc I m not suprised they are becomming a rare specie. I seen lots of Cabbage butterfly's little blue tips, frittella, meadow brown I think it was peacock only one of those though.

14 Jul, 2011

 

Well we need to encourage them dont we 6d! It would be a sad world without them.

14 Jul, 2011

 

Yes it would defienetly be sad and less colourful too, this is what worries me with goverments, the greed will be their down fall keep letting so many in we are an island not a continent keep distroying wild life land to build houses, which is not only distroying the natural habitat but us too, don't they learn from history the more people crowed into area s the more deseases to the human, which are fatal as past history shows.

14 Jul, 2011

 

Oh dont get me started 6d!! Lol. Now where is my soapbox! ha ha. x

14 Jul, 2011

 

Outside perhaps or speakers corner haha.xx

14 Jul, 2011

 

No straight to the house of commons!!!!! Lol. x

14 Jul, 2011

 

Yes like my dad use to do and say don't bother with the under dog go straight to the top man :o))

14 Jul, 2011

 

Too right!!!! :~)

14 Jul, 2011

 

:o)) Nite night X

14 Jul, 2011

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