Bogs are beautiful: the art of peatlands

[knocker]

 

Peat bogs are beautiful places. From the intricate patterns of a Sphagnum leaf up close to the sharp and colourful contrasts created by the different species on the bog surface, the beauty contained in just a few square metres of peatland never ceases to amaze me. If you’re happy enough to sink in the middle of a soggy peat bog on your hands and knees, as I seem to be, you can see the individual drops of sticky mucilage (it’s prettier than it sounds) glinting in the sun at the tip of each tentacle of a sundew, resembling drops of the morning dew that gives the plant its name.

 

http://bogology.org/2014/07/03/bogs-are-beautiful-the-art-of-peatlands-part-1/

[frogesque]

I was crossing Scottish bog at the weekend. Whilst the midgies were less than desirable the scent from bog asphodel was amazing and the range of colours and intricicate detail in the flowers on spikes of common orchid had to be seen. Also seen were Scotch Argus butterflys and a lizzard scurrying across old bracken fronds. The variety of grasses, moss, scrub trees (juniper?) and whin berry were wonderful.

 

Bogs are never boring!

Edited July 3, 2014 by frogesque