#Wild Plants

[blog-bellle]

Author: Krzysztof Kocierz Photography, fb. Lipowiec Castle, Kraków Częstochowa Upland, Eagle's Nest Trail.

[themorningowl]

My five most memorable nature moments in 2024

This was a day in the middle of February when the cold returned after a period of milder, overcast weather. The cloud cover that had long separated the sky from the earth dispersed, exposing its glacial blue arch. Covered with crystal chandeliers of ice, the tree branches illuminated the forest canopy with their frozen light. A gray, chirping cloud of redpolls passed over - a few days later I would count them in the hundreds upon hundreds in the area - and a couple of crows cawed enthusiastically, invigorated by the rays of a sun that felt more and more like a spring sun. In that moment everything felt complete.

Midsummer was approaching and the world was awash in a floral splendor born of the recent days’ rain. On this day the rain clouds had parted and a light mist was drifting through the trees in the forest, leaving glittering dewdrops where it passed. A cuckoo accompanied me on my walk through the forest, sometimes so close to me that I could glimpse its blue-gray form in the dense foliage. The magic of summer danced in the air – along with the mosquitoes, of course.

There were many days of thunder this summer and this morning was the prelude to another such day. Nature was preparing for thunder and a cloud cover built by giants rolled in. The wind rested and a stillness almost unreal held the world in its grip while the electric charge slowly increased in the air. Isn't that the best thing, the drama before it gets too dramatic?

It was the middle of August and the vegetation had brought out its first autumn colours. The mist hanging over the forest revealed the spiders' nocturnal activities; drop after drop from it was caught by the silk threads of the spider webs, nature's own raincatchers. As I crossed a stream on my way further into the forest, a grey heron flew up a few meters from me and disappeared into the fog with slow, mighty wingbeats. It was in no hurry, just as nothing in nature seemed to be then. Neither did I need to be.

This was another foggy day – I love them! The deciduous trees burnt a fiery orange, sharp against the white veil that surrounded them. As I turned off the road into the woods, I found myself face to face with three roe deer, a buck, and two does. For a few seconds, we just looked at each other, sharing a mutual surprise. Then they took a few graceful leaps aside into the shelter of the trees. A few meters away from me, they stopped and looked at me as if they were urging me to move on. I did as they wished and with their eyes on me I slowly walked further into the autumn forest. When I turned around, they had returned to their foraging.

These were my five most memorable nature moments in 2024. I hope your year 2025 will contain many beautiful and memorable moments - in nature as well as elsewhere - and that you now have a great continuation of this new year!

[himekokosu]

Lilium auratum var. rubrovittatum

[lindamarieansonsnaps]

Veronica chamaedrys

[lindagoesmushrooming]

Happy Summer Solstice! 🌼

[jillraggett]

Plant of the Day

Wednesday 4 September 2024

The evergreen fern Blechnum spicant (deer fern, hard fern, herringbone fern, northern fern, rusty back, snake fern) has thick, glossy fronds with a feather-like appearance. Here it was thriving in the cool, moist, shade of a Scottish conifer forest.

Jill Raggett

[henricoudoux]

© Henri Coudoux

[noseysilverfox]

November 2024

[geopsych]

Bladder campion, not a native. It is edible, even sought after in some places but I haven’t tried it.

[mushroomgay]

This is how I use pickled magnolia petals - as ginger on homemade sushi! I also love it enough to enjoy wrapping a fresh blossom around each piece to eat it too.

The miso soup features wild garlic, another wonderful spring time edible.

[wailveid]

~

[dutchdude]

Italy 🇮🇹

[henricoudouxbw]

© Henri Coudoux

[himekokosu]

Lilium auratum

[lindamarieansonsnaps]

[lindagoesmushrooming]