Wild Orchids at West Wycombe

[Bob Hobden]

Visited the "Hell Fire Caves" at West Wycombe yesterday and after parking in
the car park next to the old closed Garden Centre we walked straight across
the hill to the caves. The grass was peppered with the Pyramidal Orchids,
there must be thousands of plants there. I have never seen them in such
abundance especially near the road to the caves but they were all over the
hill too. Also noticed some wild Oregano flowering amongst the grass along
the track and wondered if it had escaped from the old GC.

-- Regards
Bob Hobden
Posting to this Newsgroup
from the W.of London. UK

ps The George and Dragon in the village is good for lunch, it's just a tight
squeeze getting into their car park through the old coaching arch.

[Mike Coon]

Post by Bob Hobden
ps The George and Dragon in the village is good for lunch, it's just a
tight squeeze getting into their car park through the old coaching arch.

And motivation for the driver to have an alcohol-free lunch? ;-)

Mike.

[Bob Hobden]

Post by Mike Coon

Post by Bob Hobden
ps The George and Dragon in the village is good for lunch, it's just a
tight squeeze getting into their car park through the old coaching arch.

And motivation for the driver to have an alcohol-free lunch? ;-)

Getting out again is easy except for the potholes, different exit, it's one
way.

[Darkside]

Post by Bob Hobden
Visited the "Hell Fire Caves" at West Wycombe yesterday and after parking in
the car park next to the old closed Garden Centre we walked straight across
the hill to the caves. The grass was peppered with the Pyramidal Orchids,
there must be thousands of plants there. I have never seen them in such
abundance especially near the road to the caves but they were all over the
hill too. Also noticed some wild Oregano flowering amongst the grass along
the track and wondered if it had escaped from the old GC.

It's a particularly good year for Pyramidal, there are thousands on a
bit of spare ground between the M4 and a service road a quarter of an
hour's walk from here. They're giving a good show at better-known sites
too.
Origanum vulgare is native to the UK (AFAIK) and traditionally called
Wild Marjoram. The book says "dry grassland, usually on lime" and you
certainly get acres of it in the Chilterns but there's a clump in my
garden which must've grown from a seed knocked off my boots.

[Malcolm]

Post by Darkside

Post by Bob Hobden
Visited the "Hell Fire Caves" at West Wycombe yesterday and after parking in
the car park next to the old closed Garden Centre we walked straight across
the hill to the caves. The grass was peppered with the Pyramidal Orchids,
there must be thousands of plants there. I have never seen them in such
abundance especially near the road to the caves but they were all over the
hill too. Also noticed some wild Oregano flowering amongst the grass along
the track and wondered if it had escaped from the old GC.

It's a particularly good year for Pyramidal, there are thousands on a
bit of spare ground between the M4 and a service road a quarter of an
hour's walk from here. They're giving a good show at better-known sites
too.
Origanum vulgare is native to the UK (AFAIK) and traditionally called
Wild Marjoram. The book says "dry grassland, usually on lime" and you
certainly get acres of it in the Chilterns but there's a clump in my
garden which must've grown from a seed knocked off my boots.

A sand-dune site here on Islay which I monitor for Pyramidal each year
has 1,000–1,200 flowering spikes this year which is roughly three
times the most I have seen in the last 10 years or so.

[Larry Stoter]

Post by Malcolm

Post by Darkside

Post by Bob Hobden
Visited the "Hell Fire Caves" at West Wycombe yesterday and after parking in
the car park next to the old closed Garden Centre we walked straight across
the hill to the caves. The grass was peppered with the Pyramidal Orchids,
there must be thousands of plants there. I have never seen them in such
abundance especially near the road to the caves but they were all over the
hill too. Also noticed some wild Oregano flowering amongst the grass along
the track and wondered if it had escaped from the old GC.

It's a particularly good year for Pyramidal, there are thousands on a
bit of spare ground between the M4 and a service road a quarter of an
hour's walk from here. They're giving a good show at better-known sites
too.
Origanum vulgare is native to the UK (AFAIK) and traditionally called
Wild Marjoram. The book says "dry grassland, usually on lime" and you
certainly get acres of it in the Chilterns but there's a clump in my
garden which must've grown from a seed knocked off my boots.

A sand-dune site here on Islay which I monitor for Pyramidal each year
has 1,000–1,200 flowering spikes this year which is roughly three
times the most I have seen in the last 10 years or so.

Around 1,000, maybe more, Pyramidal orichids on a roadside embankment
just outside Baldock services on the A1M.

Haven't had the chance for a close look yet - the Pyramidals are very
obvious but there are also good numbers of Bee orchids mixed in but you
need to be on foot to see these. Having a look today - hope the Bee
orchids are still there.

Larry