This week saw us at our second visit to Millenium Green in Ryde, and the lovely sunny weather ensured a good turnout of volunteers. This week’s tasks were general clearance work; a litter pick; removing new bramble shoots from the area we cleared last year, and building three more benches, although we only fully completed two. We also went to look at another area we cleared of bramble last year, and you can already see lots of wild flowers colonising the area including daisies, vetch and red clover (see image). We also found examples of a plant called “Bugle” in the woodland, which is an excellent source of nectar (see image).
Carrie's Nature Lesson.
Red Clover is used as a grazing food for cattle and other livestock, and has also been used medicinally to treat a wide array of conditions including jaundice, asthma and bronchitis. It grows wild in meadows throughout Europe and Asia, and the red flowers at the end of the branched stems are considered to be the source of its active properties. It is a source of many valuable nutrients including calcium, chromium, magnesium, niacin, phosphorus, potassium, thiamine and vitamin C. Bugle is a small spreading plant that produces a ring of blue flowers on top of each set of leaves, has a very dark stem and dark green leaves, often tinged with blackish violet. It is most often found in semi-shaded, moist conditions, but can also feature in sunny damp meadows. It is an important early source of nectar for butterflies, especially the Duke of Burgundy, Marsh Fritillary and the Pearl Bordered Fritillary.
Many thanks to Carrie for the text and some pictures - the others were from Eddie.
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