Green: meadows, rocks and reeds

At work I currently  have a visitor  from Finland  with me for a week 'shadowing' my bryophyte conservation activities. So a good excuse to go yesterday to the Natural History Museum and today to Wakehurst Place. It's ages since I've been there,  the meadows just fantastic at the moment with hundreds of orchids in flower.  

 After some discussions with staff and a tour of  the Millennium  Seedbank,  we  had privileged entry into the Loder Valley Reserve, which has this amazing sculptural gate.

 We spent some time looking the very special habitats for 'cryptogams' (just look at the diverse shades of green!) before  heading off to  the 'Tolkeinesque'  Rock Walk.

These rocks and yews are huge, still as inspiring as when they formed the basis of a journal quilt in 2009.

Now I just need to remove  the mud from my  boots and trousers....