Gossamer

On an early October morning with a heavy dew, the meadows are transformed by a mist of spiders' webs.The fading glory of the summer flowers is veiled, 'Miss Havisham'-like, clothed in an intricate network of cobwebs.

Even the burning colours of the autumn hawthorn berries are muted by the spiders' threads and 'everyday' plants like spear thistle appear in a different dimension - the ordinary becomes extraordinary in the eye of a close-up lens.

The last flowers of summer?

One of the characteristic plants of the aftermath growth at Martin's Meadows is the Meadow saffron or Autumn crocus.

The common names for this plant provide some useful clues about where you might expect to find it, the flowering season and its resemblance to the crocus that is the source of the spice - saffron.  However, the common names are also rather confusing as the plants at Martin's Meadows  are neither a true crocus or the source of saffron.
The plants are in fact Colchicum autumnale - whilst saffron is a true crocus species: Crocus sativus.
As all parts of Colchicum are toxic, the consequences of confusing the two, may prove very undesirable and rather greater than just struggling to correctly name it!

Although the Colchicum is not suitable for eating, it is believed to have medicinal properties and is often mentioned in herbals as a former cure for gout. The plant is believed to be native in the west of the British Isles but it was almost certainly introduced to sites in Suffolk for its medicinal properties, albeit many centuries ago (Sanford 2010).

The plant produces leaves in the spring, but interestingly these die back by early summer and the flowers appear separately in the autumn. As all parts of the plants are toxic, we have to be careful to ensure that the leaves have completely died back before cutting the hay, so that no leaves are harvested. During aftermath grazing the sheep very carefully eat around the flowers - obviously able to discern what is good for them and what is not.

The flowering period very much depends on the growing season, with flowers appearing as early as mid August and as late as the end of September.  Flowering this year has been late, probably delayed by the cold wet conditions during the summer.  For such apparently delicate structures, the flowers seem to be very robust - able to withstand heavy rain and lasting for a few weeks if conditions are cool.

A late bite

Every year, when doing the hay cut we leave a percentage of the meadows uncut, to act as a refuge and continuing nectar supply for insects. We leave different areas uncut each year so they do not scrub over.
At Martin's meadows this year,  the uncut  area  is in the part of the meadow where Devil's bit scabious  - Succisa pratensis is particularly abundant.

The reason why this late summer flowering plant is known  as Devil's bit is not entirely clear with the various explanations having been lost  or changed in the telling through the years. However, there is a common theme relating to the belief that the very shallow, short rootstock of the plant had been bitten off by the devil - either because eating it gave the devil increased power, or because the devil envied the plant's virtue and beauty so tried to destroy it at the root.

Of course it is not always known as Devil's bit. There are many other local names for it  that reflect it's flower and flower bud shape such as Batchelor's buttons, Blue buttons, Blue bonnets and Blue caps and an East Anglian name for it is Curl Doddy (meaning curly head) according to Geoffrey Grigson's - The Englishman's Flora.

Whatever name the plant is known by,  it is certainly adds a late summer charm to the meadow and is a great late season nectar source for insects fuelling up before autumn and winter.

Chewing it over

At Winks (Metfield) meadow, the grassland management alternates from year to year - hay cutting one year followed by summer grazing the next - though it does not always follow this pattern exactly as the amount of growth and keep varies from season to season. Summer grazing may either be cattle or sheep or a combination of the two.
This summer is a grazing one, and as I write this, a small flock  is contentedly munching away.
As Winks meadow is so herb-rich, I always imagine the grazing and indeed the hay must be something of a delicatessen for the livestock  - with a wonderful mix  of subtly different flavours and aromas with which to stimulate the palate! The scent given off by the freshly crushed herbs and grass beneath ones foot fall or where the sheep have been lying down is often very sweet.
The sheep also seem to be very selective, able to carefully eat around the plants that they favour less or perhaps are more palatable at a slightly different time. I was very struck by the way they had eaten the sweet grasses but were able to leave the diminutive fairy flax - may be it is a bit wiry!
One thing the sheep seem to do very well is tackle some of the less desirable species such as creeping thistle and  the blackthorn suckers that creep in from the edge.
Winks meadow is a little too far away from the main area that the Suffolk Wildlife Trust flock can graze, so we are grateful to local farmer -  John Sanderson - for arranging the grazing with his sheep. 

Taking a breather

At this time of year, the meadows begin to take on a slightly different feel.  The promise of spring has passed and many of the wildflowers and grasses have gone over and set seed. Most of the hay has been cut and the early season hum of pollinating insects seems to have been replaced by the click and whirr of grasshoppers and crickets or the buzz of wasps and hornets as they begin to feed on the early blackberries and ripening plums and bullaces in the hedges.
The vibrant greens of spring and summer growth  have given way to the deeper greens of lengthening shadows and mature leaves against a back drop of the most fantastic Suffolk August skies.
The meadows feel as if they are quietly resting in the late summer sun.

The sweet scent of hay

One of the highlights of hay-making season is the sweet scent of newly mown grass and well-made hay.  It is hard to convey the scent on a blog, but perhaps the pictures of my dog Ellie go some way to demonstrate  just how good it is! 



Haysel

Mowing at Martin's meadows

At last -  at the end of last week the weather was set fair - time to make hay whilst the sun shone!
It seems that every hay field in Suffolk was a whirr with cutters, turners and balers. After such a wet June, everyone needed to take advantage of fine weather to harvest hay before the arrival of rain showers forecast for the weekend.
The Suffolk Wildlife Trust meadows were no exception, with all systems go from morning 'til night.


The process started with cutting last Saturday, then turning to allow the hay to 'make', followed by rowing up ready for baling.



Turning hay at Mickfield

Mown hay

Baling at Martin's meadows

The final and perhaps hardest work is loading the bales for carting back to be stored in the barn - but the satisfaction of looking at a stack of sweet smelling hay is some compensation for the aching limbs, as is knowing it is all over until next year!


Bales awaiting collection

My thanks must go to everyone who has worked so hard to help get such a lot done in such a short time - a good team prepared to pull together when the weather is right is invaluable for hay making.


Bales loaded and ready to go off to the barn

Last load of the evening