Us south-east Londoners are blessed with proximity to great places to see orchids at this time of year. The chalk hills from Downe to Heaverham, along the North Downs escarpment are full of them, splashing vivid purple, pink and cream among the whites and yellows of ox-eye daisies, trefoil and buttercups. They are beautiful flowers and vital in the lifecycles of loads of insects.

They can be found on all the walks from May to July, but here are the best routes that feature them:

1 Fackenden Down
2 Eastern Valleys walk – the hillside that runs into Magpie Bottom from the south
3 Lullingstone
4 Downe (extend the walk to Downe Bank). Also should be a few on the Cudham walk.
5 High Elms (mostly in the woodland glades near the visitor’s centre)
6 Polhill

I also hear the water meadows just north of Keston ponds are a good spot. Perhaps southern marsh orchids there. I’d better go…

Various orchids pictured below include southern marsh, bee, fragrant, common spotted and pyramidal orchids at Hever, White Hill (Fackenden Down), Magpie Bottom, Polhill, Pilot Wood, and Downe.

I’m sure you can see loads too on the Knockholt/Chevening route, all the Otford/Shoreham routes and Kemsing or Otford to Heaverham trail too – I just haven’t been on those recently to check. On the Greensand and the Weald they can also be seen in certain meadows and along hedges on the Bough Beech, Hever and Chiddingstone routes. But not quite as many as on the the chalk of the North Downs.

There are so many other great wildflowers to enjoy at this time. Sainfroin, for example, poppy, bugle, ox-eye daisy, and the lovely milkwort. Some are pictured below.