Life on the (edge of the) road

THERE are many road verges that I find utterly depressing, as us Brits like to use them as rubbish tips.  However there is also sheer, wild beauty to be found along some road sides, as nature finds a small pocket of ground to exploit.

Just off the A46

Where the soil is thin and alkaline, and the sun beats down to dry the ground, the grasses do not always get the upper hand.  This leaves space for species such as red clover, lady's bedstraw, wild basil, bird's-foot trefoil and marjoram to grow, along with wild carrot supporting its disks of delicate white flowers.

Here are some images from July which I thought were worth another look at.

 

St John's-wort