November roses

The morning sunshine lured me today into my local Bishop’s Park on the bank of River Thames. It was not as warm as I felt through a window at home so I kept my hat and gloves firmly on. The park was already full of joggers and dog walkers braving the weather, not so many people wandering with cameras though. It was breezy by the river and the last leaves were shaking and shivering in the cold air. This time I went down the stairs into the park and almost walked into another snowdrops sighting. They were growing somewhere random between the clumps of stinking iris and under the holly shrubs. I was glad I chose this way otherwise I would have missed them! Now I know where to check on the again in springtime.sdrops

The roses in the Rose Garden were absolutely splendid in summer and some of them are still in flower but probably will be  gone in a couple of weeks. As I crave colour in those grey and gloomy days I could not walk past their shades and shapes without stopping by.rose1rose2rose3rose4rose5rose7rose6rose9

Advertisement

November wildflowers

Every Sunday evening Twitter hosts #wildflowerhour by @BSBIbotany and @fennelandfern. Everyone is welcomed to post photos of wildflowers found in the nature to keep track of what is still in bloom. I have joined on the couple of occasions and yesterday there was a really good turnout and lots of lovely photos. This Saturday Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland hosts an annual exhibition meeting in Natural History Museum in London. They also organise the New Year Plant Hunt which sounds really interesting and I am willing to find out more about it.

I went yesterday for a usual walk down the River Thames and spotted just few flowers. So today, after my dentist appointment I nipped into the Bishop’s Park on the other side of the river and got few more photos. There was a light frost in some places of the park and the leaves and grasses looked beautifully framed. Might save those for another post!

I hope I did get all the identifications right but if any mistakes, please let me know. Are there any wildflowers still blooming in your places?

IMG_8558
Yarrow
IMG_8531.JPG
Hogweed
IMG_8563.JPG
Bramble
IMG_8696.jpg
White dead-nettle
IMG_8737.JPG
White cyclamen
IMG_8579.JPG
Green alkanet
IMG_8591.JPG
Red campion
IMG_8686.JPG
Red clover
IMG_8711.JPG
Pink cyclamen
IMG_8723.JPG
Periwinkle
IMG_8732.JPG
Crane’s-bill
IMG_8603.JPG
Nipplewort

River Thames weekend walks

The weekend was a tale of two seasons. Saturday felt like the last day of summer with the sunshine, blue skies and very mild temperatures making it a perfect day for a walk by the river. This time I took the south bank of Thames and headed west towards Hammersmith. The river was busy with boats, kayaks, paddle boards; the walking path busy with runners, dogs, cyclists.

Sunday felt like a proper first day of autumn. I have gone out quite late and the fog was already rolling in around the river. I crossed the bridge to head towards the north bank and then walked through the woods first. Still lots of greenery mixed with the autumnal shades. By the time I got back to the river I welcomed a completely different world. The river disappeared in the dense fog making it a quite surreal place.