05.03.2026 11:42
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I was watching the new BBC sitcom Small Prophets this evening and had to pause when, in episode 3, there appears to be a lot of Aponogeton distachyos, Cape-pondweed, in the canal!
#TVBotany
@bsbibotany.bsky.social
Seeing this a lot: hedgerow and in-field trees coming to the end of their lives with no replacements being planted or allowed to regenerate. Combination of natural ageing (Enclosure period hedges now c. 250 yrs old), Ash Dieback & other stresses. Important biodiversity resource at risk.
Large Tort appears to be using Sallow down here in East Kent, it's fairly numerous in some large woods without any Elm.
My local council has been taken in by this gimmick unfortunately, am curious who sold the idea to them.
I can't help wondering if Mediterranean Spurge is going to start to become a problem at some sites, it seems to be increasing around here.
I only ever seem to have small quantities of fruit available to me as most is out of reach, would be lovely to have buckets of them one year to do all kinds of drink and pudding experiments! Good luck with seed, I always failed but a farmer told me he had success by cleaning the seeds before sowing.
The only thing I can compare the taste to is some kind of delicious fruit crumble, I love them! Not usually many hanging low enough for me to reach though :-(
Oops!
That's right, everyone else seems to know about them already it seems :-)
Still seeing these beauties in the garden every day, after a late start (presumably due to poor overwintering) they've had a good year again.
Had a lovely surprise this afternoon, found the rather rare Deptford Pink growing by a roadside on Romney Marsh.
A late Wall appeared briefly in the garden this morning.
Super shot!
Going to try both, also grafting onto one of @ruckingemoths.bsky.social orchard trees as insurance against disasters!
Yep, presumably seedlings from discarded cores or the many orchards which used to be in the area. Curiously there are quite a lot of thorny young Pear Trees (so suggestive of pyraster) dotted along the East Stour Valley. Quite variable in form so I wonder if they originate from ornamental varieties.
No that's a fab tree but it's Pyrus communis rather than pyraster, I mean the one by the roadside on Birchett Lane which has been declared as a real deal pyraster. Used to have a 'V' shape but one of the sides collapsed a couple of years ago, now suckering vigorously. Easiest to find when in flower!
This thread has reminded me that I need to check to see if any fruit has fallen from the Orlestone Wild Pear, I want to grow some
It's a random seedling (wilding) rather than a named variety so it was just my description :-) I'm sure if it was taken into cultivation the sellers would come up with some fancier name! I really like hunting for decent tasting wild growing apples at this time of year.
The unusual 'white' wilding Apple tree in the village is fruiting well this year. Rather thick skin & somewhat bland flavour so it might originate from a discarded Golden Delicious or Granny Smith core. Interesting enough for me to try top working a piece onto one of my own trees this Winter.
I thought I recognised the view! If you picked up any other interesting records I know the warden would be interested to have them :-)
My local river (East Stour) is dreadfully low, possibly the worst I've ever seen.
A very pretty farmland bird mix down by the river this year, let's hope it works!
Finally caught up with some stunning Wasp Spiders in the village this evening. By all accounts they're having a much better season locally after a good few years where numbers have been fairly low.
Southern Water, I hate you, & I hate the parasitic international 'investment' funds who own you & profit from the disgusting mess you've made of this tiny little river which I love. Pic shows a filthy East Stour River, Kent, several miles downstream of sewage release. Discharging 4 hrs & counting.
I always get a gloomy feeling that Summer's more or less over when these start appearing!
Just rescued this Large Tortoishell from my garage window, surrounded by spiderwebs! VC15 @savebutterflies.bsky.social
I've often wondered what species the bait fish are when I encounter this, any idea?
Four of the spectacular moth lifers that I saw among 160+ species in a Kent wood on Friday night with @mammalmark.bsky.social @dartfordtrapper.bsky.social @ruckingemoths.bsky.social & co. Light Crimson Underwing, Rose Plume, Olive Crescent & Bisigna procerella (Beautiful Silver-mark) #teammoth
Previously known as the Kent Tubic I think although I lose track of all these new names people are giving micros :-)