The swallows have gone from Cowbar and it’s time for the fungi to make an appearance. Spikes of sheep’s sorrel and rose hips are the richest colours against the greys and greens and ochres of the grassland. A few days of pure blue skies and warm sunshine have encouraged a mass of green growth along the bund – tiny green fronds and mystery cotyledons are encouraging signs that this year’s wildflowers – some sown by us last winter, some already waiting in the seed bank of the soil – will be back next spring.
We have gently raked some of the cut stems and grass from the bund so this new growth isn’t smothered. Some of the hollow stems of dead thistles will provide shelter for hibernating insects over winter.
It’s still possible to spot the tiny dots of colour which are the last of the summer flowers. In the middle of October, we have photographed scarlet pimpernel, purple thistle heads, red clover, yellow nipplewort, cinquefoil and dandelions, small heads of charlock and yarrow, daisy and scentless mayweed flowers, a couple of speedwells and a single white and a single red campion.
