For Day 17 of 30 Days Wild I went to visit one of my favourite roadside verges.
As hundreds of cars and lorries thunder past one of Oxfordshire busiest dual carriageways, a few metres away, up on the slip road, two species of wild Orchids can be found.
Each year the verge hosts an array of wild flowers, starting with thousands of cowslips in Spring, turning the whole verge yellow. As the year progresses Knapweed and Selfheal mix with Bee and Pyramidal orchids.
Road verges are a vital refuge for wild flowers that have been put under increasing pressure from housing developments and intensive farming. These wild flowers support wildlife including bees and other insects as well as birds. I’m so glad that Oxfordshire county council let these plants be.
Plantlife have a campaign to help protect nature on roadside verges.
Appleton Wildlife Diary by Alex White 