nonington wildflowers

Aconites flower from January until April. They are perennials with six yellow sepals above a ring of leaves. They sometimes form carpets on woodland floors. These were photographed in Beauchamps Wood at the edge of the path in February.

Oxeye daisy is a perennial of dry grassy meadows and verges. This one was photographed in Fredville Park on the edge of a wheat field. Oxeye daisies are also known as moon-daisies or dog-daisies. They transform roadside verges into attractive splashes of yellow and white.

These primroses were photographed near the village pond in early April. The flowers are 2 to 3 cm across, pale yellow with a deep yellow centre .

Photographed on the bank near The Royal Oak in early April. Green Alkanet is found in shady hedgerows and on roadside verges. The flowers are 8 to 10 mm across, blue with a white centre.

The speedwell in the photo were growing in the margin of a field in Fredville Park. They were photographed in late May. Speedwell are perennials with creeping stems. They grow in grassy places, in meadows open woodlands, and verges. There are several different kinds of speedwell each with a different habitat.

These dead-nettle, photographed in early April, were growing on the bank near the Royal Oak. Dead-nettle is an annual which grows on cultivated soil and disturbed ground. It is wide-spread and common.

These dead-nettle, photographed in early April, were growing on the bank near the Royal Oak. White dead-nettle is an annual. It grows on verges,and disturbed ground in grassland and woodland margins. Its leaves are similar to a common nettle but without the sting.

Photographed in early April these ground-ivy were growing on the verge along Easole Street. They are perennial and tolerant of both shady and exposed locations. They are widespread and generally common.

The stitchwort in the photo were growing on the bank that borders Vicarage Lane in early April. The five white petals of the flower are deeply notched. The stitchwort is a perennial and is widespread and common.

These celandine were photographed in early April growing on the bank that borders Vicarage Lane. They are a perennial of hedgerows and open woodland and are widespread and common. The flowers have 8 to 12 shiny yellow petals.

Photographed in early April on the verge near Cerne House, Easole Street Honesty is a garden escape. It is often found in hedgerows and banks typically close to habitation. It has attractive seed cases which can be dried and used in flower arrangements.

The bluebell is a perennial which grows in woodland and also on coastal cliffs. These bluebells were photographed in early April in Beauchamps Wood just next to the new footpath. It can be distinguished from the Spanish bluebell (a garden escape) by the arrangement of its bells down one side of the stem.

The flowers of this violet are larger than the sweet violet and have no scent. These were photographed in Fredville Park growing between a field of rape and a small woodland.

The unusual flower of this plant has a pale green cowl- shaped spathe which has a purple margin. Sheltered within the spathe is a brown spadix which gives off a smell of decay. This attracts flies which crawl down inside the spathe and are trapped by backward pointing hairs. The flies then fertilize the plant. The lords-and ladies in the photo were growing near woodland in Fredville.

Garlic Mustard is used as a food plant by the caterpillars of orange tipped butterflies. It grows to about a metre and has heart-shaped toothed leaves. When crushed the leaves smell of garlic. These were photographed in late May along a field margin in Fredville Park.

Field Madder has tiny pale lilac flowers and is a very low growing creeping plant. It is found on arable and disturbed ground. These were photographed along a field margin in Fredville Park in late May. At one time the red dye extracted from the roots of the field madder was used to colour cloth.

Spindle is a deciduous shrub or small tree which grows mainly on chalky soils. This one was photographed in November on the edge of a small wood in Fredville Park.

The snowdrop is a perennial which grows in damp woodland. This clump was photographed in February near the path in Beauchamps Wood.

Traveller's-joy is a climbing hedgerow perennial which grows on chalky soils. This one was photographed in July growing along the edge of the field opposite Prima Windows. It's fruits are clusters of seeds with woolly whitish plumes which is why it is also called old man's beard.

This thistle has spear like shaped leaves. Its stem is also prickly. It is a great favourite of insects. While photographing it a number of different kinds of bees and a brimstone butterfly visited to drink nectar. This spear thistle was growing between 2 fields bordering on Bruderhof land near the footpath. It is often found growing on grassland and on disturbed land. It was photographed in July.

Field bindweed grows on disturbed ground and on arable land. It twines around other plants and is the bane of many a gardener. This picture was taken in July at the edge of a footpath at the top of Pinner's Hill.

Perennial sow-thistles grow to 2 metres in damp grassy places and on disturbed ground. This one was photographed in July in a wheat field near The Promis Centre.

This plant with its off putting name has since Anglo-Saxon times been associated with sorcery. On Midsummer's Eve it was said to secrete a 'coal' beneath its roots which would give protection from lightning, plague and carbuncles to anyone who dug it up and kept it. It grows on roadside verges and disturbed ground. This one was photographed in July between 2 fields near the top of a hill above the Bruderhof settlement. It is in bud. The flowers are red and it is a member of the daisy family.

Colt's-foot flowers early (Feb-Apr). It grows in bare and disturbed ground. These were photographed in Easole Street near the mini roundabout in mid March. It is widespread and common. It grows in the bleakest of places and prefers clay. The plants' habit of flowering before the leaves appear has given it the folk name of 'son-before-father'.

The flowers have a very strong scent and can also be white. They are found on chalky soil. These were photographed in mid March on the edge of a copse in Fredville Park. In the past they were strewn on the floors of cottages and churches to sweeten the air. Sweet violets are the only violet to have scented flowers.

This plant grows in damp woodlands. Its flowers are tiny 6-8mm across. I photographed it in early April in a small wood next to a field in Fredville Park. Adoxa, its generic name evidently comes from the Greek and means 'without glory'. It is tiny but when you look closely you can see that there are actually 5 flower heads-4 facing outwards and one upwards. This feature has given it the name 'town-hall clock'.

Anemones are found growing in woodland, sometimes forming large carpets. This one was photographed in April on a bank near woods in Cherry Garden Lane. In sunny weather the flowers open wide whereas on cloudy days they will droop and close. Evidently pheasants like to eat the flowers.

Upright or spreading perennial of disturbed ground. This plant was photographed in early July on the pavement near the cricket ground. It is alleged to possess medicinal properties. Pliny found that mallow sap mixed with water would protect him against aches and pains.

A perennial which grows on chalky soil this one was photographed at the edge of a field in Fredville Park in early July. In days gone by knapweed was used to treat wounds, ruptures, bruises and sores.

A perennial which is found in grassy places. This one was photographed on the edge of a field in Fredville Park in early July. Farmers plant clover as a crop which can be harvested as fodder or ploughed in to enrich the soil as the roots have tiny nodules which can fix nitrogen.

Poppies are annuals and often grow on arable land. These were photographed in Fredville Park bordering a wheat field in early July. Now that selective weed killers are used it is uncommon to find large numbers of poppies growing amongst the corn. Poppies were found growing on the fields of Flanders after the First World War and so became the symbol of Remembrance Day.

Selfheal is a perennial which has leafy runners which root at intervals. It is also pollinated by bees. Selfheal grows in grassy places - we have lots in our lawn! This one was photographed in Fredville Park in early July. As the name suggests it used to be used for medicinal purposes and was supposed to heal wounds.

Borage has narrow bright blue petals and black stamens. It is an annual which is found growing on disturbed ground. This one was photographed in Fredville Park at the edge of a field in early July. It is sometimes cultivated for both kitchen and pharmacy use.

Sainfoin is a perennial which grows in calcerous soils. It is possibly native to South East England but grown as a crop elsewhere. The name comes from the french - 'sain' meaning wholesome and 'foin' meaning hay.

Field forget-me-nots are annuals which grow in dry grassland, disturbed soil and arable land and verges. These were photographed on the edge of a field in Fredville Park in July. One day in medieval Germany, a knight and his lady were strolling along a river bank. The knight bent down to pick a bunch of flowers for her and overcome by the weight of his armour, fell into a river. As he was drowning he threw the posy to his beloved and cried: Forget-me-not!

Ivy is one of the few native climbing plants to reach any great size. In the autumn, the plant's greenish yellow flowers secrete abundant nectar and they are pollinated by flies and wasps. The leaves on flowering ivy stems are usually without lobes while the leaves on non-flowering stems have three to five lobes. These photos were taken during February in the wood which borders Sandwich Lane.