• OT(?): New Year Plant Hunt

    From David Entwistle@qnivq.ragjvfgyr@ogvagrearg.pbz to uk.rec.gardening on Sun Dec 21 11:00:31 2025
    From Newsgroup: uk.rec.gardening

    Possibly slightly off-topic, but I see the Botanical Society of Britain
    and Ireland are organizing a New Year Plant Hunt for Thursday 1 January to Sunday 4 January 2026.

    "By recording the wild plants in flower in your local patch in the depths
    of winter, you can help us gather valuable data about how our wild or naturalised plants are responding to a changing climate, and how this
    might impact the other species that rely upon them".

    https://bsbi.org/take-part/activities/new-year-plant-hunt

    I'll be trying to get out and about and, if no one objects, will post any sightings here.

    PS Longer days are on the way...
    --
    David Entwistle
    --- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From N_Cook@diverse@tcp.co.uk to uk.rec.gardening on Sun Dec 21 11:10:04 2025
    From Newsgroup: uk.rec.gardening

    On 21/12/2025 11:00, David Entwistle wrote:
    Possibly slightly off-topic, but I see the Botanical Society of Britain
    and Ireland are organizing a New Year Plant Hunt for Thursday 1 January to Sunday 4 January 2026.

    "By recording the wild plants in flower in your local patch in the depths
    of winter, you can help us gather valuable data about how our wild or naturalised plants are responding to a changing climate, and how this
    might impact the other species that rely upon them".

    https://bsbi.org/take-part/activities/new-year-plant-hunt

    I'll be trying to get out and about and, if no one objects, will post any sightings here.

    PS Longer days are on the way...


    Last week I did notice a small tree in what was presumably bloom.
    Spherical blobs of pink and white littering the pavement like small
    confetti, a cluster of small black berries left over from earlier in the
    year on one branch, not elderberry is about all I can say, no leaves
    noticed.
    No idea of the identity which will be a problem , more so in winter for
    such a survey, unless knowledgable botanitst.
    --
    Global sea level rise to 2100 from curve-fitted existing altimetry data <http://diverse.4mg.com/slr.htm>
    --- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From The Natural Philosopher@tnp@invalid.invalid to uk.rec.gardening on Sun Dec 21 13:54:13 2025
    From Newsgroup: uk.rec.gardening

    On 21/12/2025 11:10, N_Cook wrote:
    On 21/12/2025 11:00, David Entwistle wrote:
    Possibly slightly off-topic, but I see the Botanical Society of Britain
    and Ireland are organizing a New Year Plant Hunt for Thursday 1
    January to
    Sunday 4 January 2026.

    "By recording the wild plants in flower in your local patch in the depths
    of winter, you can help us gather valuable data about how our wild or
    naturalised plants are responding to a changing climate, and how this
    might impact the other species that rely upon them".

    https://bsbi.org/take-part/activities/new-year-plant-hunt

    I'll be trying to get out and about and, if no one objects, will post any
    sightings here.

    PS Longer days are on the way...


    Last week I did notice a small tree in what was presumably bloom.
    Spherical blobs of pink and white littering the pavement like small confetti, a cluster of small black berries left over from earlier in the year on one branch, not elderberry is about all I can say, no leaves noticed.
    No idea of the identity which will be a problem , more so in winter for
    such a survey, unless knowledgable botanitst.


    Maybe a winter flowering viburnum? Mine's in full bloom now.
    --
    rCLThe ultimate result of shielding men from the effects of folly is to
    fill the world with fools.rCY

    Herbert Spencer

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  • From David Entwistle@qnivq.ragjvfgyr@ogvagrearg.pbz to uk.rec.gardening on Sun Dec 21 15:58:26 2025
    From Newsgroup: uk.rec.gardening

    On Sun, 21 Dec 2025 11:00:31 -0000 (UTC), David Entwistle wrote:

    https://bsbi.org/take-part/activities/new-year-plant-hunt

    I'll be trying to get out and about and, if no one objects, will post
    any sightings here.

    Wildflower flowering here in the mild coastal location of north Wales:

    Common gorse (Ulex europaeus) (most plants in bloom)
    Red campion (Silene dioica) (very common)
    Herb-robert (Geranium roberianum) (a few)
    Common dog-violet (Viola riviniana) (a couple of isolated individuals)
    Common daisy (Bellis perennis) (a few)
    Smooth sow-thistle (Sonchus oleraceus)(quite a few)
    Yarrow (Achillea millefolium agg.) ( a couple of individuals)
    Sea mayweed (Trileeurospermum maritimun) (in full bloom on the shore)
    Angled onion (Allium triquetrum)(just starting to flower)
    Smooth hawk's beard (Crepis capillaris) (one individual plant. several flowers)
    Groundsel (Senecio vulgaris) (as weeds in community garden)
    Wavy bittercress (caedemine flexuosa) (as weeds in community garden)
    Red clover (Trifolium pratense)
    Marguerite daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare agg.) (sheltered spot)
    Lesser knapweed (Centaurea nigra)
    Wild carrot (Daucus carota) (just coming into bloom)

    I wasn't paying much attention, but some garden plants:

    Berginia
    Hebe
    Winter jasmine
    many others.
    --
    David Entwistle
    --- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From David Entwistle@qnivq.ragjvfgyr@ogvagrearg.pbz to uk.rec.gardening on Thu Jan 8 10:00:13 2026
    From Newsgroup: uk.rec.gardening

    On Sun, 21 Dec 2025 15:58:26 -0000 (UTC), David Entwistle wrote:

    Wildflower flowering here in the mild coastal location of north Wales:

    In the end I recorded the following 23 wildflowers in flower between 1st
    and 4th January 2026. A hard frost, before the start date, put pay to the Common dog-violet and the Wild carrot didn't quite make it into flower. It
    was a fun exercise and the relatively small number of species in flower
    made it easier to get to grips with each one. I've since seen Lesser
    celandine in flower.

    I'm still working to establish an area of wildflower. That's certainly
    been a learning experience and all knowledge in that helps in that respect
    is a bonus.

    taxon name, common name
    Achillea millefolium, Yarrow
    Allium triquetrum, Three-cornered Garlic
    Bellis perennis, Daisy
    Cardamine flexuosa, Wavy Bitter-cress
    Centaurea nigra, Common Knapweed
    Centranthus ruber, Red Valerian
    Crepis capillaris, Smooth Hawk's-beard
    Fumaria capreolata, White Ramping-fumitory
    Geranium robertianum, Herb-Robert
    Heracleum sphondylium, Hogweed
    Hypochaeris radicata, Cat's-ear
    Leucanthemum vulgare, Oxeye Daisy
    Nasturtium officinale, Water-cresses
    Ranunculus repens, Creeping Buttercup
    Rubus subg. Rubus, Blackberry
    Senecio vulgaris, Groundsel
    Silene dioica, Red Campion
    Sonchus oleraceus, Smooth Sow-thistle
    Taraxacum, Dandelions
    Trifolium pratense, Red Clover
    Tripleurospermum maritimum, Sea Mayweed
    Ulex europaeus, Gorse
    Vinca major, Greater Periwinkle
    --
    David Entwistle
    --- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From David Entwistle@qnivq.ragjvfgyr@ogvagrearg.pbz to uk.rec.gardening on Thu Jan 8 10:06:17 2026
    From Newsgroup: uk.rec.gardening

    On Sun, 21 Dec 2025 11:00:31 -0000 (UTC), David Entwistle wrote:

    Possibly slightly off-topic, but I see the Botanical Society of Britain
    and Ireland are organizing a New Year Plant Hunt for Thursday 1 January
    to Sunday 4 January 2026.

    Results:

    https://nyph.bsbi.org/results.php
    --
    David Entwistle
    --- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From Stewart Robert Hinsley@{$news$}@meden.demon.co.uk to uk.rec.gardening on Thu Jan 8 17:46:49 2026
    From Newsgroup: uk.rec.gardening

    On 08/01/2026 10:00, David Entwistle wrote:
    On Sun, 21 Dec 2025 15:58:26 -0000 (UTC), David Entwistle wrote:

    Wildflower flowering here in the mild coastal location of north Wales:

    In the end I recorded the following 23 wildflowers in flower between 1st
    and 4th January 2026. A hard frost, before the start date, put pay to the Common dog-violet and the Wild carrot didn't quite make it into flower. It was a fun exercise and the relatively small number of species in flower
    made it easier to get to grips with each one. I've since seen Lesser celandine in flower.

    I'm still working to establish an area of wildflower. That's certainly
    been a learning experience and all knowledge in that helps in that respect
    is a bonus.

    taxon name, common name
    Achillea millefolium, Yarrow
    Allium triquetrum, Three-cornered Garlic
    Bellis perennis, Daisy
    Cardamine flexuosa, Wavy Bitter-cress
    Centaurea nigra, Common Knapweed
    Centranthus ruber, Red Valerian
    Crepis capillaris, Smooth Hawk's-beard
    Fumaria capreolata, White Ramping-fumitory
    Geranium robertianum, Herb-Robert
    Heracleum sphondylium, Hogweed
    Hypochaeris radicata, Cat's-ear
    Leucanthemum vulgare, Oxeye Daisy
    Nasturtium officinale, Water-cresses
    Ranunculus repens, Creeping Buttercup
    Rubus subg. Rubus, Blackberry
    Senecio vulgaris, Groundsel
    Silene dioica, Red Campion
    Sonchus oleraceus, Smooth Sow-thistle
    Taraxacum, Dandelions
    Trifolium pratense, Red Clover
    Tripleurospermum maritimum, Sea Mayweed
    Ulex europaeus, Gorse
    Vinca major, Greater Periwinkle


    I found 24 species on the 1st, and 22 on the 2nd. I think it's 32
    species in toto across the two days.
    --
    SRH
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