The Last Flowers of Summer

Whilst the skies have been mostly grey and the wider landscapes rain swept and dull, when visible at all, this summer has seen a wealth of flowers in the woods and meadows. Look closely at the brown fields and stony banks and amongst the sodden trees and brightness transform the scene. White eyebright is everywhere, yellow tormentil, red clover and tiny blue forget-me-not hide amongst the grasses, purple vetch climbs the reeds. Also purple is Scotland’s flower, the thistle, many species of which rise above the long grass. The pale blue Scottish bluebell is prolific too, lining verges and woodland edges. In wetter areas creamy Meadowsweet and pink Ragged Robin give colour to the sedges and rushes. Perhaps my favourite of these flowers is the foxglove, whose pink spires stand out against the sombre tones of the conifer forest. But all the flowers are lovely and their presence gives colour and light to nature even in a dismal summer like this. There is always something to see. Now at the end of August the flowers are beginning to fade, soon to be replaced by the yellows and reds of dying leaves.

The picture shows a foxglove growing beside the roots of a fallen tree.