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    Nature

    Home » Nature
     The Desert Blooms of Namakwaland
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    By Alan Down
    In Nature, Succulent plants, Travel, Wildlife
    Posted November 14, 2016

    The Desert Blooms of Namakwaland

      I’ve been fortunate in visiting South Africa many times but still the sight of the Namakwaland Desert blooming eluded me. The Northern Cape, close to the border with southern Namibia, is [...]

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     Recollections of a hike in the Cape Fynbos
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    By Alan Down
    In Nature, Travel, Wildlife
    Posted November 12, 2016

    Recollections of a hike in the Cape Fynbos

    Cape fynbos is found only at the southern-most tip of that great continent Africa! Fynbos literally translated from Afrikaans means ‘fine bush’. It’s an area of extraordinary plant diversity and [...]

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     Great Brazilian Plants
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    By Alan Down
    In Bamboos, Exotic plants, Gardens Visited, Indoor Plants, Nature, Travel
    Posted August 13, 2016

    Great Brazilian Plants

    Brazilian plants are some of the most exciting on the planet! Currently all eyes on that fantastic city Rio de Janeiro and the Olympic Games being held there in 2016. I thought that I’d share [...]

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     Houseplants in the Forest
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    By Alan Down
    In Indoor Plants, Nature, Travel
    Posted October 6, 2015

    Houseplants in the Forest

    Introduction I’ve just returned from a few weeks break in Brazil. I spent much of my trip looking at spectacular wildlife such as jaguar, giant otter and fabulous bird life! During those ventures [...]

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     The Chillingham Wild Cattle
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    By Alan Down
    In Nature, Travel, Visit Britain, Wildlife
    Posted November 15, 2014

    The Chillingham Wild Cattle

    Chillingham Wild Cattle are fascinating rare wild things! I recently saw these in England. I’ve seen other wild cattle before but those were in more exotic places. The Chillingham Wild [...]

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    About Alan

    Flora and fauna have always fascinated me but it was a lifelong career in horticulture that filled most days.

    Having grown up on a farm where boyhood days were filled with discoveries of the natural world I soon found that my passion for plants – wildflowers at that time – would direct my career…

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    Alan E Down @AlanEDown
    3 hours ago
    Hungry gap? What hungry gap?
    Fresh #salad leaves from our @KederGreenhouse today.
    Just add wild sorrel for that extra special ingredient! https://t.co/mfrM3llhMY
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    Alan E Down @AlanEDown
    1 day ago
    Just look at this little beauty!
    Dwarf #daffodil Elka. A true miniature. Do you like it? https://t.co/pcUP2aSVN7
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    Alan E Down @AlanEDown
    1 day ago
    Hi @pow_rebecca -this makes no sense as I’m sure you’ll agree! Horti biz with perishable goods having to go jump through hoops atm. (Btw, hope you and family are well A&Fx) https://t.co/0P13NjJFjO
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    Neil Alcock @NeilAlcock
    I’m pleased I have found the easiest route to import and export our live plant material between Caernarfon 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 and Ireland! 😫 https://t.co/5FOBuidyfr
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    alanedown

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    alanedown
    Spot the butterfly! Brimstone butterflies for me Spot the butterfly!

Brimstone butterflies for me always signal the start of spring and this week I’ve seen two on the wing. They are strong fliers and rarely stay still for long. This is one I snapped two years ago on wild primrose where it’s colour provides excellent camouflage.

One that I spotted was on a sunny bank @thenewtinsomerset and not phased by all the large tree planting that continues there apace!

Have you seen any yet?

#gmgspring #springisonitsway #springisontheway #spring #signsofspring #march2021 #march #springflowers #springflowersmakemehappy #yellow #mellowyellow #butterfly #butterfliesofinstagram #butterflies #celebratethelittlethings #celebratetheseason #primrose #primula #wildflowergarden #wildflowerhour #wildflowers #somerset #somersetlife #thenewtinsomerset #horticulturelife #horticultura #brimstone #butterflies #lepidoptera
    Looking forward to Pink Dragonfly Bergenia blooms Looking forward to Pink Dragonfly Bergenia blooms again soon! This is an exceptional variety of pigsqueak or elephant’s ears and much more compact than most.
Bergenia are related to Saxifrage and come from Asia.

#gardening 
#horticulture
#garden #gardendesign 
#horticulturelife #horticultura 
#bergenia #pinkpinkpink #pink #colormehappy #color #colourpop #colour #march #marchmadness #celebratethelittlethings #celebratetheseason #pigsqueak #elephantsears #springblooms
 #mynewgarden #celebratetheseason #celebratethelittlethings #naturesway #inspiredbyflowers #alittlebeautyeveryday #slowsimpleseasonal
    Precision training @thenewtinsomerset . Fan traine Precision training @thenewtinsomerset . Fan trained plums and fig trained on south facing parobala wall. I love those (oak?) battens. Shoots held in place by recycled strips of fabric.

#gardening
#horticulture
#horticulturelife #horticultura 
#plum #fig
    Moth orchids offer such great value and are dead e Moth orchids offer such great value and are dead easy to look after. Little wonder that they are the most popular indoor plant. 
In my revisited blog I visit a large British grower but also describe new developments.
Link in bio

#mothorchid #phalaenopsis #phalaenopsisorchid #phalaenopsisorchids #doubleh #houseplantsofinstagram #houseplantclub #indoorplants #indoorjungle #indoor #indoorgardener #indoorgarden #miniorchid #plantsmakepeoplehappy #plantsplantsplants #plantparenthood #plantbased #plantsofinatagram #plantworld #plantwisdom
    Wonderful display and scent from this pot of #Narc Wonderful display and scent from this pot of #Narcissus Paperwhite from @HollandBulbs . Even the (unplanned?) mixture with Avalanche works! Perhaps that was their plan? Pic 2 Avalanche Pic 3 Paperwhite - might repeat this mix!
    Anemone blanda giving us a blast of blue! These ar Anemone blanda giving us a blast of blue! These are new corms planted in pots in autumn that will be planted very soon around shrubs where they will hopefully thrive and spread. We’ve white ones too but they are less well advanced. Should we mix them up or plant them separately?

#anemone #anemones #blue #windflower #springiscoming #springisintheair #gdnmediaguild #gmgspring #february #instablooms #slowsimpleseasonal #myquietbeauty #verilymoment #underthefloralspell #alittlebeautyeveryday #botanicalpickmeup #dsfloral #thebotanicalseries #noticewonderconnect #inspiremyinstagram #anemoneblanda #verilymoment #theslowdowncollective #thatvelvetfeeling #thebeautyofnature #thebeautyinwinter #blues
    Here’s a real early one! Thanks to @rogercrookes Here’s a real early one! Thanks to @rogercrookes , @taylorsbulbs1919 and Helen Brown of Little Ash Garden for the positive identification!
Need to get bulbs of this one from @taylorsbulbs1919 this autumn.

#springisonitsway #springisnear #springisnearlyhere #daffodils #daffodil #daffodilseason #yellowflowers #yellow #celebration #celebratethelittlethings #celebratetheseason #mybotanicalbungalow #february #february2021 #narcissus #gardeningismytherapy #garden #gardenerslife #springblooms #springbloom
    Iris reticulata Carolina #springiscoming #springi Iris reticulata Carolina

#springiscoming #springisintheair #blue #iris #irisreticulata #spring #celebratethelittlethings #celebratetheseason #botanical #flower #flowerbulbs #springbulbs #fresh #colourmyworld #aseasonalshift #myquietbeauty #allthingsbotanical #botanicalpickmeup #allwhatsbeautiful #verilymoment #dsfloral #inspiration #instagram #inspiremyinstagram #inspiredbyflowers
    The deer population is at heights never seen befor The deer population is at heights never seen before in Britain and the impact on gardens is now very significant. This alien muntjac species arguably poses the greatest threat to gardens and to wildlife diversity as it is destroying native understory vegetation. I took this photo in its home range Assam but you’re just as likely to see one in England!
In a recent blog I describe the threat and what plant species are least likely to be eaten. 
Link in bio.

#wildlife #wildlifephotography #gardensofinstagram #gardens #gardening #alien #deer #muntjac #gardenpests #alienspecies #nature #deerofinstagram #wilddeer #invader #wildworld #wildlifephotographer #wildlifeplanet #gardenexplorers #assam #reevesmuntjac #buck #plantworld #lecerf #hirsch
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