32!

Thirty two different plants! In only 30 metres where at first glance you’d think “that’s just grass and a few trees”.

On a cold and sunny weekend I surveyed a 30 metre “weed-ridden” bank by a taxi rank at Sevenoaks Station. This is what I found as I opened my eyes and a plant ID app…..

Firstly a load of plants you might recognise…

1. Moss

   

2. Lichen

   

3. Red clover

   

4. Nettles

   

5. Bramble

   

6. Snowdrop

   

7. Buddleia

   

8. Burdock

   

9. Orchard grass

   

10. Chives

    

11. Rocket

How many of those did you know?

This border might have been partially planted up in recent years and so that could be where the chives and rocket came from - because it’s not usual for them to self-seed on an area like this so far away from any gardens.

Next a lot of plants that sort of all look the same but the Picture This app didn’t think so and nor do my eyes now I look more closely! (Do tell me in the comments if I’ve made any mistakes!) Do you know any of these?

12. Ribwort plantain

    

13. Yellow trefoil

    

14. Purple deadnettle

    

15. Cleaver

    

16. Common sowthistle

    

17. Cow parsley

    

18. Purple toadflax

    

19. Hedge mustard

    

20. Common mallow

    

21. Curly dock

    

22. Bristly oxtongue

    

23. Gray field speedwell

    

24. Vetch

    

25. Black medick

    

26. Chickweed

    

27. Black horehound

    

28. Black nightshade

    

29. Wood avens

    

30. Ragwort

    

31. Tansy

I was expecting not to know many of the names…. but wow there were so many different plants here. Some of the names are so evocative too “black medick”, “black horehound”….. I feel like I can go and research a witch’s potion now.

There are also trees there, but I could only identify one at this time of year:

32. Sycamore

And wildlife? Sitting quietly with a tea for 15 minutes, I spotted just a single Pied Wagtail flying between the taxi rank and up to the station building roof. What beautiful energetic birds they are. No photo of this one though!

I’ll be surveying this bank throughout the year to see what plants appear so subscribe here if you’d like to follow along…

We’ve got permission to plant this bank up to support wildlife better. What do you think we should plant? I’m wondering about more herbs to continue the edible theme which would also give some flower for pollinators and maybe the commuters could enjoy them too! Or some small shrubs to give cover for wildlife. Tell me what you think…

I was partly inspired to survey this bank after a foraging walk run by Gemma Hindi. She leads regular walks at Bore Place near Sevenoaks.

And finally DM me, comment or email me at lauramargaritaduncan@gmail.com if you’re local to Sevenoaks and would like to get involved. I’d love to find more people who want to garden-random-patches-of-land-for-wildlife in the area.

See you next post!