Today we are doing a biodiversity audit in the garden. I am using the Flora-for-Fauna Postcode Plants Database which is a record of all species recorded historically in the local area. We shall cross off any plants that can still be found and add any others.
A lot of planting (and new building work around the edges) has happened since this aerial view was taken. The pond and its edges are completely planted up with native plants and the whole area is alive with frogs.
A wonderfully knowledgeable man called Roy came with a more useful and somewhat simplified list but was impressed with what he saw and named some things for us that we were stumped about.
UPDATE: The wonderfully knowledgeable man is Roy Vickery. He was Curator of Flowering Plants at the Natural History Museum from 1965 until his retirement. He has also written books on plant lore, one of which, The Oxford Dictionary of Plant Lore, is in my hand at this very moment and is not only erudite but also very entertaining.
This is his new book which will be out in September 2010.
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