One of the loveliest spots in Adel Woods in the Summer is the orchid meadow which has a wonderful display of wild flowers – and in particular of common spotted orchids.
Four years ago, the meadow was in danger of disappearing under encroaching trees, bracken and himalayan balsam. However, after careful work by Friends of Adel Woods and Steve Joul and other volunteers, the meadow is looking fantastic.
In September 2018, Steve and a volunteer spent a day mowing the meadow with a mechanical mower and this made a fantastic difference. Today they spent the day mowing the meadow again.
Steve also found this fine specimen of an artichoke gall on a pedunculate oak.
To see more of the transformation of the meadow from 2016 to 2020, see this blog entry: Wednesday, 24th June 2020: the Orchid Meadow
Friends of Adel Woods 