The Wild Flower course sounds fascinating - I love that you have found and identified so many where you live. I keep meaning to do something similar. I will keep an eye out for the course, as it would be a good motivation!
It's amazing how quickly the wildflower count rises. You don't think there are that many but there are so many! I think 120 are enough to get you going, remember and identify.
Such a beautiful and inspiring post, Melanie! Congratulations on your residential course being fully subscribed - I'd prevaricated for too long and then found I'd missed my chance, but I'll be keeping my eyes peeled for another opportunity! 😊
I love the sound of your wildflower course. I had an absolute blast working with my photographer husband while he took the shots for a book about meadows across the UK over the course of 18 months, and it was so lovely getting to know his subject and 'putting names to the faces' of the flowers. The 'Seek' app was really helpful for identification.
Thanks so much Rebecca for the recommendation and I also had a peek at the book your husband took photos for- congrats to him it looks beautiful. I can imagine it was such an interesting and immersive project.
That's what I've found with putting together this course, loved reading up and finding out about all the flowers particularly how they are influenced by the rock and soil. I have a couple of nature apps on my phone, but to be honest I have preferred leafing through books, the ones I've found most helpful were written by local writers and then also a couple of older ones- Roger Philips and W Keeble Martin. Cross referencing what I've found with the images in the books really helped cement the names too.
I'm sure there will be another opportunity with the retreat and the lizard would certainly give yourself and husband creative inspiration to write, draw and photograph!
Such a pleasure, and oh, how lovely that you took at look at 'Meadow'!
I prefer identification books to apps, too, although apps certainly have their place 'in the field' when I want to identify something the second I see it without having to dig a book out of my rucksack (not that they always get it right, of course)!
I've always found it fascinating - and gorgeous - that my favourite nature books for ID-ing trees, flowers and birds etc are the traditional ones - you know, with drawings rather than photographs to illustrate them. So much detail - a distillation of many specimens examined by the artist, rather than a single snapshot - and with no distracting background in the way, either! The one bird book I have that DOES have photographs rather than drawings is useless.... 🙄🤣
The Wild Flower course sounds fascinating - I love that you have found and identified so many where you live. I keep meaning to do something similar. I will keep an eye out for the course, as it would be a good motivation!
It's amazing how quickly the wildflower count rises. You don't think there are that many but there are so many! I think 120 are enough to get you going, remember and identify.
Would love to take a class! A good reason to travel across the pond.
Such a beautiful and inspiring post, Melanie! Congratulations on your residential course being fully subscribed - I'd prevaricated for too long and then found I'd missed my chance, but I'll be keeping my eyes peeled for another opportunity! 😊
I love the sound of your wildflower course. I had an absolute blast working with my photographer husband while he took the shots for a book about meadows across the UK over the course of 18 months, and it was so lovely getting to know his subject and 'putting names to the faces' of the flowers. The 'Seek' app was really helpful for identification.
(Absolutely not a hard sell, but I just wanted to show you - https://shop.kew.org/meadow)
Thanks so much Rebecca for the recommendation and I also had a peek at the book your husband took photos for- congrats to him it looks beautiful. I can imagine it was such an interesting and immersive project.
That's what I've found with putting together this course, loved reading up and finding out about all the flowers particularly how they are influenced by the rock and soil. I have a couple of nature apps on my phone, but to be honest I have preferred leafing through books, the ones I've found most helpful were written by local writers and then also a couple of older ones- Roger Philips and W Keeble Martin. Cross referencing what I've found with the images in the books really helped cement the names too.
I'm sure there will be another opportunity with the retreat and the lizard would certainly give yourself and husband creative inspiration to write, draw and photograph!
Such a pleasure, and oh, how lovely that you took at look at 'Meadow'!
I prefer identification books to apps, too, although apps certainly have their place 'in the field' when I want to identify something the second I see it without having to dig a book out of my rucksack (not that they always get it right, of course)!
I've always found it fascinating - and gorgeous - that my favourite nature books for ID-ing trees, flowers and birds etc are the traditional ones - you know, with drawings rather than photographs to illustrate them. So much detail - a distillation of many specimens examined by the artist, rather than a single snapshot - and with no distracting background in the way, either! The one bird book I have that DOES have photographs rather than drawings is useless.... 🙄🤣