Ornamental oaks

Britain's two native species of oak are the English Oak (Quercus robur) and the Sessile Oak (Quercus petraea). Both are relatively widespread, are often long-lived and have suffered greatly at the forester's axe. Today they are particularly prized for the great conribution they make to the richness of nature in the areas where they are found. More oaks were introduced into Britain following the exploration of North America, and decorative species such as the Red Oak (Quercus borealis), Scarlet Oak (Quercus coccinea) and Pin Oak (Quercus palustris) can now be found in parkland, large gardens and some woodlands. The leaves in the photograph above are on one of these non-native oaks.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Olympus OMD E-M10

Water lilies

The white water lily (Nymphaea alba) is the UK's largest wild flower. It is a very popular plant and is more usually found in garden ponds than the cultivated varieties that have coloured petals. A number of ponds in the Forest of Dean and surrounding areas have the wild lilies in them.

 However, when we were walking in the nearby Dymock Forest we came upon a pond that had a water lilies with pink petals as well as the commoner white variety. They must have been an introduction by someone seeking to beautify the stretch of water.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2