14th August 2014, Severn Valley C.P.

Though it was two weeks later than our trips to Wenlock Edge and Coalbrookdale the Violet Helleborines there were just starting then, so these should be not far past peak flowering. However, searching the site for some time revealed not one plant, in flower or not. We could only conclude, bearing in mind damage seen to helleborines at other sites, that the wet spring had been a boon to slugs and the like, and these had had the bumper year.
We made up for this with a steam train ride on the Severn Valley Railway; the country park has its own halt.

 

2nd September 2014, Great Orme

Rather than finishing with a damp squib, a bright day after two weeks of miserable weather for August was an opportunity to visit Llandudno and see the Autumn Ladies Tresses on Great Orme. I had seen reports that suggested that 2014 might be a good year for these, so was a tad disappointed that there wasn't a swathe of them on the grassy slopes. Nevertheless, there did seem to be more than last year over a greater area. A decent enough finale to the orchid season