Autumn is a great time of year for walking in the UK. The landscape
takes on a new and more dynamic appearance as the leaves change
colour and fall gently from the trees. Get out and enjoy yourself on
foot! The days may be getting shorter and colder, but don't despair -
autumn's leaves of reds and golds mean it's a glorious time to
explore Britain's countryside.
Even if you live in the most built up area, you may be surprised to
find how many footpaths there are crossing areas of disused land,
following stream banks, canals or quiet lanes. Almost any walk which
passes small areas of woodland, unmanaged grassland, hedgerows and
particularly wetland such as streams and ponds, can provide a wealth
of flower, plant and animal life for the walker and microscopist.
During your walk look out for one of the my favourite flowers the
familiar Michaelmas Daisy (Aster novi-belgii) with it's purple daisy-
like heads. They should still be in flower on roadside verges, and
provides the opportunity to examine the structure of the flower head.
The flower head is not one flower, but a composite of many small
flowers or florets. It's worth taking a Michaelmas Daisy flower head
back with you to dissect and examine. Your local library should have
a number of books on wild flowers and botany which can explain the
structure of these and other flowers.
If you just can't manage to get out for a walk or really can't be
bothered then why not brighten up the day by just staying at your
computer, click on to our Autumn Range and treat yourself,
friend or relative to a spectacular Clare Florist Autumn bouquet.
What was that saying again?........let your fingers do the walking!
