Tresco Island a paradise of Wild Flowers, Beaches and walks.

So many of you were interested in Tresco Abbey garden I have decided to show a bit more of the island.

Borough Beach

Borough Beach

Looking across to Samson Island

Looking across to St Martins and the Eastern Island

A very low tide with people walking across to Bryher Island

Tresco is unique  in that its habitat ranges from a windswept northern plateau with waved heath to sheltered bulb fields, wetland and lakes, to beautiful beaches backed by a sand dune system on the south coast.

Tresco Island, Isles of Scilly

There are three Sites of Special Scientific Interest. They are the Castle Down , Great Pool  and Pentle Bay. Castle Down is a SSSI for its waved maritime heath, its lichen flora, a breeding colony of Common Tern (Sterna hirundo) and for its geology. Great Pool is a SSSI because it is the largest area of fresh water in the islands and important for its breeding birds, and as a sheltering and feeding area for migrants.

Pentle Bay

Pentle Bay is designated for the transition from a flora–rich sand dune system to lichen–rich heath.The varied landscape means that there is a huge range of wild flowers everywhere on the island.It is more or less possible to walk all over the island and the wild flowers are one of the attractions of these walks.In places bracken has grown but this is often cut back to enable the wild flowers and wildlife to flourish.

Pentle Bay

Many of the paths are either sand or grass which further gives opportunities for wild flowers.In many paces Agapanthus and Yarrow have colonised the sand dunes creating natural prairie like planting.

2017 wild flower tally

This year I decided to take photographs of the wild flowers as we identified them. Some of them you will recognise as garden flowers. These will be garden escapes but as they then go on to grow naturally they all add to the flower paradise.

Hover over the picture for the identification of the flowers or click on any one to display a full size image on a carousel.

Agapanthus

Orache (Atriplex laviniata)

Autumn Hawkbit ( Leontodon autumalis)

Balm-Leaved Figwort (Scrophularia scorodonia )

Bear’s Breeches (Acanthus mollis )

Bell Heather (Erica cinerea )

Birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus )

Black Medick ( Medicago lupulina )

Bog Pimpernel (Anagallis tenella )

Branble ( Rubus fruticosus)

Seaside Thistle ( Carduus tenuiflorus)

Chicory ( Cichorium intybus )

Chrysocoma(Coma-aurea )

Cleavers (Galium aparine )

Common Centaury pink (Centaurium erythraea )

Common Scurvy Grass (Cochlearia officinalis )

Cudweed (Filago vulgaris )

Curled dock (Rumex crispus )

Daisy ( Bellis perinnes)

Foxglove ( Digitalis purpurea )

Dutch Clover (Trifolium repens )

English Stonecrop (Sedum anglicum )

Evening primrose (Oenothera erythrosepala )

Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare )

Field Bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis )

Fuchsia ( Fuchsia )

Gorse ( Ulex europaeus )

Greater Periwinkle (Vinca major )

Haresfoot Clover (Trifolium arvense )

Hedge Veronica (Hebe lewisii )

Hogweed (Heracleum sphondylium )

Honeysuckle (Lonicera periclymemum )

Hottentot Fig (Carpobrutus edulis )

Lady’s Bedstraw (Galium verum )

Lesser Hawkbit (Leontodon taraxaciodes )

Ling Heather (Calluna vulgaris )

Long Headed Poppy (Papaver dubium )

Mesembryanthemum Species

Osteospermum Species

Pittosporum ( Pittosporum crassifolium )

Portland Spurge (Euphorbia portlandica )

Prickly Saltwort (Salsola kali )

Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria )

Ragwort (Senecio jacobaea )

Meadow Buttercup ( Ranunculus acris )

Red Campion (Silene dioica )

Red Clover (Trifolium pratense )

Red Valerian (Centranthus ruber )

Rock Samphire (Crithmum maritimum )

Rock Sea Spurrey (Spergularia rupicola )

Dog Rose ( Rosa canina )

Scarlet Pimpernel (Anagallis arvenis )

Sea Bindweed (Calystegia soldanella )

Sea Campion (Silene maritima )

Sea Holly (Eryngium mariitimum )

Sea Kale (Crambe maritima )

Sea Mayweed (Tripleurospermum mariitimum )

Sea Rocket (Cakile maritima )

Sea Spurge (Euphorbia paralias )

Self-Heal (Prunella vulgaris )

Sheepsbit (Jasione montana )

Shore Dock (Rumex rupestris )

Silverweed (Potentilla anserina )

Germander Speedwell (Veronica chamaedrys )

Rock Sea Spurrey ( Spergularia rupicola)

Stinking Iris (Iris foetidissima)

Thrift (Armeria maritima)

Tormentil (Potentilla erecta )

Tree Echium (Echium species )

Tree Mallow (Lavatera arborea )

Tufted Vetch (Vicia cracca )

Wall Oxalis (Oxalis megalorrhiza )

Wall Pennywort (Umbilicus rupestris )

Watsonia

Wild Carrot (Daucua carota)

Lupin (Lupinus)

Woodsage (Teurium scorodonia)

Woody Nighshade (Solanum dulcamara)

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

Yellow Bartsia (Parentucellia viscosa)

Yellow Horned Poppy (glaucium flavum)

Common Centaury white (Centaurium erythraea )

Lobelia species

Soft-rush ( Juncus effusus)

Wall Lettuce (Mycelis muralis)

And there were lots more that I could not identify!

Thanks also to Fiona and Chris Smith who helped me identify some of the flowers.

Cottage gardens

As well as the wild flowers many of the cottages have fantastic gardens.Some impressive flowers for any front garden.What a garden wall should look like!

Cromwell’s castle

There are many archaeological remains on the island which include neolithic burial mounds as well as recent history.

Block House Beach

But the beaches are a main attraction even though I would consider the beach to be crowded with more than two people on it!

Glebe House Garden

2017 Gardening Hours
Week beginning May 27th	Total 2017 to-date	Average per week
16	587	20