NEW YEAR PLANT HUNT   2 January 2022

On a wonderfully mild winter’s day a group of around a dozen set off to explore the gardens and reserve at Natural Surroundings, noting a variety of ‘weeds’ in flower as well as the likes of Hazel in the woods and Marsh Thistle and Wild Angelica in the meadows. We then headed off into the Bayfield Estate, taking our usual route up the hill through the woods, across the fields to the back road betweem Letheringsett and Cley, then over the river at Glandford to the rich hunting grounds at Manor Farm, before returning along the valley to Natural Surroundings. We saw a very respectable total of 63 species of wild-growing plants in flower, despite the lack of arable weeds (the best fields had been ploughed before Christmas!). Nationally, the New Year Plant Hunt was more popular than ever, with 1,291 lists submitted, and we were surprised to discover that our tally of 63 species earned us the rank of joint 18th in the country!