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FLOWERS

Visitors to the Peninsula in the height of summer are missing a real treat - the wonderful display of hedgerow and clifftop flowers which are characteristic of local scenery in the earlier parts of the year.

The calendar starts very early in the year with snowdrops, primroses, Alexanders and white cushions of Danish scurvy grass on the hedge-banks. In May Skomer is covered with a carpet of Bluebells. By the end of May the Red Campion is taking over on Skomer and on the hedge-banks, and the wetter areas are covered with Yellow Flags. Next, it is of course the Cow Parsley and Foxgloves in the hedge-banks while the cliffs burst into colour with Sea Thrift, Sea Campion and various yellow vetches and trefoils. Meanwhile there are Marsh Orchids and Yellow Rattle in the grasslands and the dry walls along the coast path are decorated with Wild Thyme and studded with the bright blue jewels of Sheepsbit Scabious.

Meanwhile, village stone walls are cloaked with multi-coloured Valerian.

In a field close to Marloes Mere you will see an amazing display of “cornfield weeds” such as Corn Marigold - this field is cultivated especially to  preserve these fast disappearing plants. And not forgetting the gorse - the common gorse blooms for most of the year, except midsummer, and the heady scent of coconut and honey can be almost overpowering. The rarer, and shorter, western gorse blooms in August at the same time as the heather - seen together these create a fantastic carpet - there is a patch above the eastern end of Marloes Sands, at the far end of Dale airfield.