Yippee: the Wood Sorrel is flowering in Lesnes Abbey Woods

Having done some work in the Garden at Home (digging, sowing wild flower seeds, cleaning out the bird bath &c.) in the morning we didn't feel at all guilty about popping out to see if the Wood Sorrel (which is on the Kent' Rare Plant Register) was flowering in Lesnes Abbey Woods and Yippee, our luck was in viz.

The flowers really are super-attractive. There are quite a few plants; seemingly more than last year but we cannot be sure on that point. It is difficult to pinpoint the exact location of the population due to the tree cover but we think the Grid Reference to be somewhere in the region of TQ 47783 78582.

They are growing in the shadow of a large Tree, a Sweet Chestnut, we think viz.

But it was not just the Wood Sorrel that drew our attention since we also noticed:

Wild Bluebells viz.

(a few) Wild Daffodils are still in flower viz.

Sweet Violet viz.

Greater Stitchwort viz.

Ground-Ivy viz.

Lesser Celandine viz.

Wild Garlic viz.

and Wood Anemone viz.

Magical; quite, quite, Magical.

We are intending to make regular visits to the Woods this year. Sadly though, we do not anticipate many visits to the nearby Lesnes Abbey Park viz. the area around the Lesnes' Abbey Ruins. Whilst we are hoping that the so-called enhancements/improvements currently underway will not result in the total destruction of the area as a place to look for Butterflies, Wild Flowers &c., we fear the worst.

We also assume that should these so-called enhancements/improvements attract more people to the Ruins &c. then we will surely see more people clambering about on the Ruins, despite notices asking people not to do so. We also imagine that vandalism will become a bigger problem.

Postscript: we also paid a fairly fleeting visit to the Erith Marshes (aka the Crossness Nature Reserve and Surrounding area) in search of Butterflies &c. and spotted: Brimstone, Comma, Green-Veined White, Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell and Small White Butterflies. No Orange-Tip Butterfly yet but the recent weather hasn't really been the sort to encourage anyone to want to escape from a cosy cocoon!