Natural Historian
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james99.bsky.social
Natural Historian
@james99.bsky.social
formerly @jahasse at X (formerly Twitter)

Still walking while attempting to naturally historicise; battling the wannabe wood to keep a “wildflower” garden intact
Bindweed swamped by Common Fleabane! #WildflowerHour
September 20, 2026 at 7:48 PM
Last of the Purple Loosestrife over a very dried out Epsom Common pond #WildflowerHour
September 20, 2026 at 7:45 PM
Reposted by Natural Historian
A rather grey walk was brightened up by this glorious Chicory flower. I love blue flowers so had to stop for a closer look.

The reproductive structures inside the flower are incredible - long blue & white striped tubes with branched tips curling out the top of each. Stunning. 💙

#wildflowerhour
September 20, 2026 at 7:03 PM
Not #WildflowerHour but today's BBC Radio 4 Food & Farming Awards nominee Fresh Flour Company in Devon is worth a huge shout-out..."fresh milling wholegrain flour on granite stones...heritage and population wheats into...[my fave] slow-dried pasta..."
www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
The Food Programme - The BBC Food and Farming Awards 2026: The Food Producers - BBC Sounds
Sheila Dillon and Paula McIntyre meet this year's Best Food Producer finalists.
www.bbc.co.uk
September 18, 2026 at 11:25 AM
There's something so unreal about Bladder Campion, a bunch of exploding mini-balloons that makes them my #FavouritePlant for #WidlflowerHour
September 13, 2026 at 7:19 PM
Very few flowers about as the heat and drought hit SE really struggles to recover despite some recent rain, but this resilient patch of Common Michaelmas-Daisy (Symphyotrichum × salignum) doing great work feeding the equally resilient Small Copper butterfly #WildflowerHour
September 13, 2026 at 7:13 PM
Good blooms of Devil's Bit Scabious along several semi-mown verges along farm trackways in the Surrey Weald despite the heatwaves and drought #WildFlowerHour
August 30, 2026 at 7:46 PM
Brown leaves carpeting the woodland floor so it's time for Autumn cyclamen (Cyclamen hederifolium) #WildflowerHour
August 23, 2026 at 7:42 PM
It may be super dry in the South but chalk is such a wonderful store of water that the Hog's Back above Guildford was full of blooms for #WildflowerHour much Burnet Saxifrage, Scabious, Knapweed in this area
August 2, 2026 at 7:28 PM
Some nice patches of Bell Heather in bloom at Brookwood Cemetery, loved by our target, the Grayling butterfly #WildflowerHour
August 2, 2026 at 7:21 PM
Little sun, little water, little soil, little problem for a deep purple Broadleaf Helleborine (Epipactis helleborine) #WildflowerHour
July 19, 2026 at 7:37 PM
Wild Teasel (Dipsacus fullonum) flowers down the flower head creating some very pretty pink ruffs #WildflowerHour
July 19, 2026 at 7:08 PM
Fetcham Downs seemed to be at peak for #WildflowerHour #StillFlowering I think because the chalk is near the surface and excellent at holding moisture (Wild Carrot, Yarrow, Scabious, Marjoram etc etc)
July 19, 2026 at 7:04 PM
Our back garden is more of a (sandy soil) woodland glade and it would rapidly go back to that in the absence of good grazing animals or me. #WildflowerHour - still puzzling about the walnut!
July 2, 2026 at 5:12 PM
Trying to rig up some temporary sun shade for our patio and plants in pots, was inspired by a new visitor to the #WildflowerHour back garden, a Silver Washed Fritillary - though the resident Comma not happy! Cue aerial battles.
June 29, 2026 at 7:56 PM
Yellow definitely the colour on uncut Surrey sandy gardens and verges, awash with ?Smooth Hawksbeard (Crepis capillaris) #wildflowerhour
June 28, 2026 at 8:05 PM
Never seen so much St John's Wort as in this Leatherhead chalk hillside garden, #CuratedMeadow #WildflowerHour
June 28, 2026 at 8:01 PM
25 of the best (for us) ... peak back garden #wildflowerhour before it's all eviscerated in the coming heatwave? Will report back next week.
June 21, 2026 at 7:35 PM
Very strange Common-spotted Orchid growing in fairly deep shade on Box Hill amongst normal CSOs, Twayblades and Narrow-leaved Helleborines. Tall, leaves all the way up the stem, and just a few flowers at the top, weird! #WildflowerHour #WildflowerID
June 14, 2026 at 7:50 PM
Box Hill for #OrchidChallenge for #WildflowerHour great variety, just 6 of the 8 or more available with a bit of hill walking and local knowledge: abundant Chalk Fragrants, Twayblades, Common Spots, Bees, Broad-leaved Helleborines (almost out) and Pyramids
June 14, 2026 at 7:42 PM
@wokingperegrines.bsky.social Is this one of yours? Square yellow ring on right leg, I think. Roosting on a church tower in Elmbridge. Often heard in the area, finally seen properly and recorded.
June 6, 2026 at 7:39 PM
And today competing in numbers with the Painted Ladies an amazing dozen or so White Admiral butterflies on the Brambles all across Bookham Common #WildflowerHour
May 31, 2026 at 7:55 PM
Need a #WildflowerHour nod to the massive influx of Painted Ladies adorning our UK wildflowers up and down the country - counted a dozen or more just in our OxEye Daisy-heavy back garden on one afternoon this week.
May 31, 2026 at 7:49 PM
Dames Rocket (Hesperis matronalis var albiflora) looking good on a Bookham Common bridleway - should go back for evening perfuming... #WildflowerHour
May 31, 2026 at 7:39 PM
Nice to see even the #NGS open garden at #Chilworth (the new owners so well continuing the long and glorious charitable tradition at that house) embracing the wild with flowering and bug-friendly Ground Elder as well as the Buttercup #WildflowerHour #WildflowerGardens
May 24, 2026 at 8:19 PM