Gorse, of Course!
When asked for his favourite native plant, one of my friends did not have to think long before replying, ‘gorse, of course’ - colour, structure, resilience, scent, biodiversity, visual impact … he rattled off the plants qualities. This, from a conversation in late springtime 2022, when the views travelling through the narrow back-lanes of north Fife were dominated by swathes of gorse yellow – sometimes whole hillsides and sometimes just the bright yellow lines of gorse hedging subdividing the landscape into assorted rectangles. I must admit I was initially surprised by his choice and it made me start to pay closer attention to this ubiquitous plant. Maybe he was right! At the time, gorse (also known as Whin) was just beginning to fade slightly, to be replaced by the bright yellows of the UK native plant ‘Broom’, which starts to flower in late spring / early summer. I have a soft spot for Broom because of its cultural connection to the ‘Travelling People’, signifying for them the time to hit-the-road. The plant name is used in the title of the book, The Yellow On The Broom, written by the late Betsy Whyte, which describes her early life as a ‘Traveller’ in the Highlands of Scotland – well worth a read.
The roads less travelled – in memory of Betsy Whyte - flowering broom on the left side
2024 has been fantastic year for gorse. It was always there in the landscape but this year the great splashes of yellow seem to me to be more intense – but maybe that is just my imagination! It can be found growing along many hedgerow boundaries, as well as on land that cannot be easily farmed. In this way it adds to the seasonal stories of our landscapes, its vibrant contrasting colour helping to define the visual topography, much as fields of growing crops do as they grow and ripen. It is a plant I have now come to appreciate, not just because of its colour and alluring scent, but also because it is very prickly, keeping out people while providing a safer habitat for wild animals, birds, insects and butterflies. It is good for biodiversity! It begins flowering in early winter and continues right through to early summer - almost 6 months. How many plants do that!
Local gorse under snow in early January
As I write this blog in June 2024, the gorse flowers are beginning to fade. And as one colourful yellow spectacle fades, so broom takes over for a few more weeks keeping the colour theme going. Broom is also found in many hedgerows and in similar wild places. It can grow to a similar size as gorse but has a more open habit with straighter woody stems. From a distance, it is difficult to tell them apart, but close up, one difference is immediately obvious. Broom does not have spines and so is more garden-friendly. For this reason it is sold in many garden centres. For me however, it is a plant that needs a large garden where it can be allowed to grow freely – to express its natural form. It is not one to be clipped and constrained. But as it grows wild throughout the country, why not simply take time to enjoy it in season when going for a walk … seeing it at its best.
Broom in full flower
If gorse and broom give natural definition to the wider landscape in spring and early summer, dandelions and buttercups extend the yellow colour-theme along uncut verges everywhere and throughout our meadows.
A buttercup meadow at RHS Hyde hall, Essex @the_rhs
There has been a welcome push to recreate meadowlands in towns and cities in the last few years. Councils have been seeding ground that was previously mown grass. These new city meadows provide fantastic environments for biodiversity in areas that were green, but were basically biodiversity deserts. They look fantastic and become a talking point for parents and children - sowing the seeds of hope in future generations.
A mouses’-eye view of the world – a sea of dandelions and other wild flowers left to grow freely in an uncut verge next to a busy road. They are a beautiful sight and this raises the question – what is a weed?
I’m somehow drawn to unnatural geometries that appear in the natural world and farmers’ fields provide this in abundance. Brown rectangles of ploughed earth in autumn quickly become vast green hazes that changes hue depending on the angle of the sun. The greens quickly intensify as the crops grow creating great blocks of colour that transform the landscape - different every year. Familiar views become briefly unfamiliar. Oilseed rape is perhaps one the most dramatic of plants, turning fields from green to bright yellow and finally back to green again. Grain crops go through a similar transformation but end up golden-brown. These transformations takes place quickly in terms of the whole changing year, but slowly in terms of the passing of days. At first it is as if a watercolourist has dragged a drying brush of coloured paint across rough paper – only the raise elements of the surface catching the colour. For a few short weeks this process can reveal subtle changes in the topography caused by some areas growing and flowering ahead of others. The texture of the landscape reveals itself - small invisible folds not normally seen become visible or perhaps the change creates an unnatural blanket of uniform colour. A few weeks ago, out walking, I came across a field of oilseed rape running down to the edge of a small sheltered loch. The field glowed yellow in the bright sunshine, reflecting perfectly in the mirror surface of the loch. It was a mesmerising sight. My walk slowed and I eventually stopped for a while, enjoying the beauty from the opposite banking. It was a timely reminder to remember to take time to enjoy the pleasures of the world around us.
Yellow backdrop of oil seed rape reflected in the waters of Delgatie Loch
A few days later, I came across a selection of soaps with added natural fragrances and for the first time I noticed gorse-scented soap. To my surprise it really did carry the coconutty aroma of the natural plant. There were half-a-dozen fragrances to choose from, but my favourite was gorse, of course!
A steep-side valley filled with gorse is a haven for biodiversity
The above Text and all Photographs are copyright of Wincenty (Wicek) Sosna. Please contact SeeHow for permission to reproduce in any way, in part or as the complete text.