My love affair with hollyhocks continues, they must be one of the most cheerful flowers around. Tall and bright they immediately bring a smile to my face. Lots grow in Suffolk, the destination of numerous family holidays and day trips, so they also remind me of being on vacation.
They are coming to an end now, so it’s a good time to collect seed and spread their cheer somewhere else.
Closer to home we walked on Tiptree Heath this week, the largest area of lowland heathland in the country and the only place in Essex where you can find all three heather species growing together – Ling, Cross-leaved and Bell. Pink and purple mounds draw the eye, painting the landscape with their cheery colours. They are also a haven for bees, which gently hum and buzz around us. The heather smells of honey, or perhaps it is that honey often smells of heather?
I look forward to visiting Dunwich Heath in August, the best place I know to enjoy the scent and sight of summer heather blooming. There, a purple haze stretches in every direction, only stopping where the cliffs abruptly head down to the North Sea. On lucky trips we spot a herd of Red deer, pretty as a picture as they daintily step through the heather and bracken.
I’d love to know where you love to see wild heather grow in the UK – drop me an email and let me know!