Flowers of The Dales 6

Our local Lotus flower the locals call it Eggs and bacon due to its reds and yellow, Birds foot Trefoil, in a good season the flower throughout the summer, this is why traditional meat is so sweet where the sheep are fed on the natural herbage.

Next to a trickling brook in Wensleydale is a very nice colony of Grass of Parnassus and either side of the brook is a huge blanket of wild Thyme and other plants, as you walk through the public area and nearby car park you can smell the flowers from a good ways off, the bees go crazy in here for the nectar flow.

And in the brook itself are these Brooklime suculents which thrive of of the chalky ingredients.

An early riser is the Lords and Ladies of cuckoo pint, the ivy shaped leaves appear well before the flower which turn quickly into the tiny red berries that follow after the leaves have withered.

Another spectacular damp meadow this time in Littondale with its millions of Common Bistort and a plethora of other wild herbs, too many to mention, well worth a visit in late May early June.

Another Teesdale speciality is the field Gentian, found on the same nature trail as the Northern Marsh Orchid but later in July to August, this is one of the countries best walks for flora and fauna, we have often seen the Common Lizard basking in the sun here too.

The Heath Spotted Orchid can be seen in Mid June along the footpath to Cronkley Fell at Haughs Bridge, here nature truly open her arms for the flower lover, on top of the fell your greeted with huge syands of Spring Gentians and Mountain Avens are to be seen growing right out of the sugar limestone outcrops.

The delicate flowers of the Common primrose adorns the local woods along with the Early Purple Orchid, later knewts can be seen in the many woodland pools that have a sun window.

Taken here in our garden are these Common Vetch which grown in amongst our raspberry patch, this help attrack the bees to the fruits and give us a reward for letting them comanion the raspberries.

We found this local colony of Bee Orchids when our dog ran off after a rabbit and went missing, it is in a local dissused quarry at the top of a huge embankment, some of the plants had seven flowers and stood over a foot hight, what a find.

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