June & July Nature Spotting
In this Blog Post I will be sharing with you the wildflowers, grasses and insects I have seen over the last two months! 🦋💐🍃
"To be thrilled by the stars at night; to be elated over a bird's nest or a wildflower in spring — these are some of the rewards of the simple life."
- John Burroughs
I have been enjoying many lovely walks around my little village here in France the last few weeks, hunting for wildflowers, hearing the sounds of crickets in the grasses and trying to photograph butterflies fluttering their wings as they fly from flower to flower. It’s much harder than you think! 😂
I have been so surprised at how many different species of wildflowers and grasses I have seen since being here in France. As some of you may know I live in France for parts of the year and in my homeland, the UK, for the other parts. I had forgotten how many wildflowers there are as even though I live in the countryside when I am in the UK I don’t see as many anymore… maybe I just haven’t been looking hard enough!
I have made a list of the wildflowers, grasses and insects I have seen below, I hope you enjoy reading! 💕
A List of Wildflowers & Grasses 💐🍃
Bird’s-foot-trefoil
Hardheads
Sheep’s-bit
Yarrow
Ox-eye daisy
Red clover
Bladder campion
White campion
Smooth hawk’s-beard
Germander speedwell
Foxglove
White clover
Common vetch
Herb-robert
Cow parsley
Woody nightshade
Cock’s-foot grass
Yorkshire fog grass
Deptford pink
Stinging nettle
Hedge bindweed
Ribwort plantain
Sticky weed/Goosegrass/ Cleavers
False oat grass
Selfheal
Creeping bent grass
Bitter vetch
Harebell
Bell heather
Mistletoe
Common mallow
Greater stitchwort
Daisy
Scentless mayweed
Blackberry bushes & flowers (the bees absolutely love them!)
Welted thistle
Rosebay willowherb
Reflexed stonecrop
Square-stemmed St John’s-wort
Meadow buttercup
Wild clary
Have you seen any of these flowers near you over June & July? Or are there any that you have not yet heard of or seen? Drop a comment below 🌼
There has been a few on this list that I have seen before, but I have always forgotten to take them back home with me so I can identify their names. I have spent the last few weeks collecting wildflowers and grasses, taking them home and flicking through stacks of my Grandma’s old flower and nature books, music softly playing in the background and a tea cup steaming with green tea!
A List of Butterflies & Insects 🦋🐝🐜🐛
Red Admiral
Honey bees
Bumble bees
Ants
A green caterpillar (not sure what butterfly it could be!?)
Large White (butterflies)
Damsel flies
Hover flies
Dragonfiles
And many, many butterflies I just can’t identify!
Have you seen any butterflies or bees this Summer? Drop a comment below 🦋
Help!?
I need some help with identifying these butterflies and two plants (the purple one that looks like a dead nettle and the white one which I found an ant on) , do you know what species they could be?? 😅 I have been flicking through my butterfly book and my flower book, but I can’t seem to find these anywhere or work out which ones they are. Comment your thoughts below if you know any of their names! 💐
It was interesting that, through the month of June & July the bouquets of wildflowers changed as the months drew on. When I first started to collect wildflowers in June my bouquets were manly Ox-eye daisies, Bird’s-foot-trefoil, Red clover, Sheep’s-bit & Bladder campion. But my bouquets are more pink in colour now in July, filled with Yarrow, Common mallow, Hardheads & Selfheal! 😊
What a lovely Sunday morning read 🤍 I have seen of a few of the wildflowers on my walks but never knew their names, so thank you for enlightening me.
How amazing! I live in the desert and I guess there are a few wildflowers during a very short period of time, but your pictures are making me want to pack up everything and move to France! Gorgeous.