A first!

Tootling along on our summer hols, I found myself having a picnic at the edge of the Lake District. That's interesting, I thought. These meadowy slopes look just like the ones I've been featuring on Orchidmania. The photos were full of colourful British orchids.

I decided to take a closer look.

I did and boggled.

As you all know, I love orchids, but I've never seen any growing in the wild, to my shame. But there they were. Just simple common spotted orchids, but still. They were fantastic. It was rather thrilling.

Thank goodness for the strange spring we've had, which seems to have produced more native orchids than ever before.

By Pamela Kelt