Tower and Town, May 2024 (view the full edition)Nature NotesConsider the Lilies, and the Orchids too. From the middle of April to the beginning of May Snake's-head Fritillaries should be swaying in the breeze on North Meadow, Cricklade. But with flooding currently preventing access, my annual pilgrimage is on hold: despite the presence of thousands of bulbs of this exotic lily species, many simply will not flower if water levels do not recede in the near future. The situation may well be better at Clattinger Farm Nature Reserve, where the fritillaries compete for space with Primrose, Buttercup and Lady Smock. Here, in this unimproved grassland, there are Green-winged Orchids creating patches of bright purple in an adjacent damp meadow. And later in the season the Southern Marsh, the Common Spotted, the Heath Spotted, Pyramidal and Burnt-tip Orchid varieties will all appear. Orchids are one of the most popular and elegant flower families, with over 50 native species occurring in the U.K., flowering from mid-spring through to late summer. Searching for them is always a thrill, with a hint of magic to it, and Wiltshire, with its downland areas, mature woodland and abundant grassland habitats is a special county for these beautiful flowers. As many as eleven different species can be seen at Morgan's Hill Reserve, near Devizes, where monitored animal grazing, scrub clearance and reduction of the invasive tor grass help to create a favourable habitat for flowers. I wonder what the average dog walker makes of my activities when they find me kneeling on a slope smelling a Fragrant Orchid or measuring another flower with a tape measure to establish if it is the Lesser or Greater butterfly variety. In June and July there are masses of Common Spotted Orchids there: my favourite is the Pyramidal, with its conical shape and stunning purple colour. As its name suggests the Early Purple is the first of our common orchids to flower, the pinkish-purple flowers appearing on a spike of medium height above a rosette of spotted leaves in April and May. I have found this orchid in the Cherhill and Calstone Down areas alongside patches of bluebells. The leaves are shiny with dark purple blotches. When first in bloom it has a wonderful blackcurrant scent, but as the flowers fade it starts to reek!  It's good that enthusiasts delight in photographing rather than collecting the various species. In my case I often turn to my Keble Martin "Concise British Flora in colour" and marvel at the three magnificent plates of orchid paintings. Robin Nelson |