Janey Wall praises Wild Amersham’s efforts at Amersham Hospital, including orchids!
Orchids are quietly blooming in the grounds of Amersham Hospital. They’ve sprung up on what was, until two years ago, tended lawn.
Now, thanks to Wild Amersham, the hospital is restoring native wildflower meadows on sloped areas. The move has triggered an explosion of species, some familiar, others arcane, many with fascinating folkloric associations. Bee orchids are the star attraction, named after their stunning bee-like velvety pattern, designed to lure in males to try to mate and pollinate the flower. Inches away: a pyramidal orchid. How did they get there, you may ask. As volunteer Marieke Bosman explained on a wildflower walk, the orchids’ seeds are tiny and can be carried far by wind. No human hand was involved; the orchids self-seeded.
The Chilterns’ chalky ground is also key. Described as the “rainforest of Europe”, lowland chalk grassland – if left untouched – is one of the continent’s most diverse plant communities, hosting up to 40 species per square metre. A botanist last year counted 140 species across the new patches of wildflower meadow at Amersham Hospital.
The most prolific species this year is the oxeye daisy, which is flourishing waist-high on a slope near the hospital’s new heat pump. Other species include the delicate harebell, clover and aromatic wild strawberries. There’s the curiously named ribwort plantain (not related to bananas), ploughman’s spikenard and cut-leaved cranesbill.
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