Wow! A Bee Orchid................just one and difficult to photograph being so close to the netting.
Here is what it says on Wiki............
In the UK, it has a distinct southeastern preference, being more common in England. Recently it has been found in the southwest of England in Butleigh near Glastonbury in Somerset; whereas it is only to be found in coastal regions of Wales as well as the Hodbarrow Nature Reserve in Millom, Cumbria,[13] and some parts of Northern Ireland. It is relatively common in the northeast of England and in recent years large numbers have appeared in the grass verges surrounding the Metro Centre in Gateshead.[14] In Scotland, it was thought to be extinct, but was rediscovered in Ayrshire in 2003. In some countries the plants have protected status. They are unusual in that in some years they appear in great numbers, then sometimes only reappear after an absence of many years.
and from The Wildlife Trusts Website..........
The Bee Orchid is a sneaky mimic - the flower’s velvety lip looks like a female bee. Males fly in to try to mate with it and end up pollinating the flower. Sadly, the right bee species doesn’t live here, so this orchid is self-pollinated in the UK
Bee orchids can be really unpredictable and may disappear from an
area where they have been flowering successfully. They are usually found
where there is drained base rich soil in areas such as scrubland,
coastal sand dunes, chalk grassland and occasionally un-mown lawns.
It is best to leave an area of bare ground for the seeds to settle on as this is a colonising plant, however only those seeds which gain nutrients from fungal hyphae will begin to develop. Cutting should be avoided.
It is best to leave an area of bare ground for the seeds to settle on as this is a colonising plant, however only those seeds which gain nutrients from fungal hyphae will begin to develop. Cutting should be avoided.
It sounds as if I may never see another
Back Tomorrow
Sue
This is wonderful - a really beautiful gift from Mother Nature, well spotted. It seems to have been a very good year for orchids, but this is elevating things to another level!
ReplyDeleteHow lovely! Can't remember when I last saw a wild orchid.
ReplyDeleteIt probably liked the hard winter we had. It is a good year for all wild flowers this year.
ReplyDeleteWell spotted. It's lovely.
ReplyDeleteHow lovely! Bee orchids are incredible aren't they.
ReplyDeleteWhat a little treasure. Some years ago one of the farms I worked for had an orchid grow in the middle of the track to the orchard so the men built a new trackway to protect the orchid in the hope of more.
ReplyDeleteDidn’t realise they were such pernickety things! Didn’t Andy do well? Hopefully he will not play Wimbledon as I think potential 5 setters could be too much.
ReplyDeleteLittle simple things give us so much pleasure, well done you for spotting it.
ReplyDeleteAs you say nature is amazing. Whilst we were on holiday recently we saw quite a few orchids but not bee orchids. Patterns in nature are so beautiful whether they are on a bird's feathers, ripples on the sea, in the spray from a waterfall, petals of a flower......I could go on for ever but you know what I mean! The verges, where they've been allowed to grow have been stunning this year.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I learnt yesterday though, is that buttercups are poisonous to cattle unless they are dried, ie made into hay. I always thought that a field full of buttercups was very nutritious as well as beautiful.
Sue
Cows will normally eat around them because they are not daft I suppose. But dairy farmers keep their pastures clear of buttercups. Dairy farmers do not want buttercups in their hay crops either.
Deletei will find out the type growing in the mini orchard . i never considered they might be rare just that they were a result of 10 years of no chemicals
ReplyDeleteHow fantastic - a gift from Mother Nature just to you. Both orchids are absolutely beautiful.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful little plant. I do hope it stays.
ReplyDeleteMitzi
Nature is truly wonderful, Sue.
ReplyDeleteit is wonderful, they are so pretty. We had them three years running in our front garden, always in different areas, but only in the front garden. Sadly I've not seen one now for a few years, which is a shame. It feels like a real honour when they choose to grow in your garden :O) x
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful. It would be fantastic if they reappeared.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely find. The variety of wild flowers in the UK has always been a source of joy. Glad you have had the pleasure of finding a few special ones popping up in your garden.
ReplyDeleteHow lucky you are to find that lovely flower. I hope they continue to grow in your garden.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful volunteer to appear in your garden.
ReplyDeleteWhat a delightful find, especially in your own garden.
ReplyDeleteI have never seen a Bee Orchid. What a lovely gift from nature for you. Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful-well worth photographing and sharing.
ReplyDeleteWe had orchids on the farm in one or two of the meadows but I see the fields have been ploughed recently so whether that will move them for ever remains to be seen.
ReplyDeleteWhat a neat flower to find volunteering in your garden! I wish we had those here. ((hugs)), Teresa :-)
ReplyDeleteWhat a joy to find in your garden. Yes I went on an orchid walk in the Lea Valley near me and the ranger explained about the vagaries of orchid growing. It was really interesting.
ReplyDeleteI'm very envious of your find, having only ever seen them as illustrations in books etc. I hope that it not only stays put but multiplies too. A very special find.
ReplyDelete