The arrival of May means we are entering late springtime, augering the arrival of warm days and our early orchids. Here are two you can see readily in Norfolk:
First the Early Purple Orchid (orchis mascula), which can be seen in ancient woodland where it is often a companion plant to English Buebells.
Secondly the very small Green-Winged Orchid (Anacamptis morio), a later flowering orchid that is happiest in open unimproved grassland.
After the fresh whites, greens and yellows of early spring, now a beautiful, pinker palette emerges among our countryside wildflowers. Among others, the pretty Red Campion (silene dioica) and Herb Robert (geranium robertianum), one of several elegant native geranium species, both come into bloom during in the month and if you’re lucky, you might even see an early Poppy.