Here’s quote from the newsletter of my publisher today, which I haven’t seen before:
“There is not one blade of grass, there is no color in this world that is not intended to make us rejoice.”
John Calvin
This put me in mind that our flower meadow is at its best at this time of year, so I thought I should share some grass and some colours with you, for your rejoicing.
It was about six years ago when, with the removal of my wife’s ponies from the paddock, I decided to manage it as a wild-flower meadow, and the first few orchids appeared that very year. They have increased year on year (now comprising three species and some probable hybrids), apart from 2020 when a spring drought diminished them. But this year, for the first time, the orchids are literally too many to be counted.
Without further ado, some pictures.
I count six species of flower in this small field, plus some plantain leaves and a few bits of grass.
Heath spotted orchid, birdsfoot trefoil and more
Common vetch – but an uncommon colour complement to trefoil
Stars and galaxies
The humble sorrel – subtly coloured
Yellow rattle – the only thing I deliberately seeded (because semi-parasitic on grass, encouraging other flowers)
Southern marsh orchid (and lawn daisies, each one also a masterpiece)
Bee orchid – our swankiest flower.
They seek him here – the scarlet pimpernel, exotica on a tiny scale
And Calvin’s blades of grass…
… undoubtedly cause for rejoicing
About Jon Garvey
Training in medicine (which was my career), social psychology and theology. Interests in most things, but especially the science-faith interface. The rest of my time, though, is spent writing, playing and recording music.
