Nectar is that sweet reward that flowering plants provide animals in exchange for their services as pollinators. It sounds incredibly simple on one level – much like rewarding a dog with a treat after it obeys a command. However, dig a little deeper and you realise that the reproductive success of the plant is dependent on very subtle yet complex characteristics of this substance – including when it’s produced and how much is produced, as well as its very composition. (more…)
Month: May 2014
The Native Bluebell: Britain’s favourite flower in trouble
By Helen Roberts
It is a beautiful spring morning in May and I am taking my children for a walk. We are venturing to some local woods on the edge of the Mendip Hills, a stone’s throw away from our house.
The woods are secreted away in a limestone gorge. The stubby cliffs of limestone are clothed in ivy and gradually open up into a steep sided valley. A tiny stream channels through the gorge; tributaries often disappearing down sink holes. We trek across a ploughed field to the gate that lets us into the wood. (more…)
The 2014 Easter Art and Sculpture Exhibition at the Botanic Garden
This is the second year in a row my family has worked off some Easter chocolate by biking to the University of Bristol Botanic Garden for the Easter Art and Sculpture Event. Unlike last year, however, when we were bundled against the cold, this year we basked in glorious sunshine. We’ve been so impressed with the quality of the art that this will be an annual event for my family…whatever the weather! (more…)