Every Blade of Grass

Bluebells amongst the trees

When I told a friend that I’d be spending another sunny weekend exploring the Isle of Wight she replied ‘You must know every blade of grass on that island’. Far from it! The longer I live here, the more hidden corners I discover. Whilst it’s only 28 miles across, there’s still so much yet to explore.

Rusty sitting next to a tree

Even familiar spots feel new as the seasons change. The brilliant mustard yellow is already fading from the fields, and the wild garlic doesn’t hit your nose like it did a week ago. The bluebells are still out in Borthwood Copse, and I soared above them on the rope swing to my dizzy heart’s content.

Tom up a tree and Borthwood Copse photo collage

This recent read discussed how children are taught about icebergs and rain forests, without ever knowing the name of their local wildflowers. We risk making conservation a too-big-to-tackle problem when really it can begin with a bug hotel in your back garden.

We have a book of Isle of Wight wild flowers, full of beautiful drawings. I’d like to be able name a few more, and avoid future heated hawthorn v cow parsley debates (don’t ask!) Then perhaps I’d be a little closer to knowing every blade of grass.

Rusty sitting on a fence

8 thoughts on “Every Blade of Grass”

  1. Becca on said:

    Oh! I’m from the Island! I miss it like crazy, especially when I see photos like these! Very jealous x

    • Rusty on said:

      I didn’t know that Becca! Very happy to be sending you some Island love across t’internet. ;)

  2. kate bucci on said:

    You have a lovely blog! I follow you on instagram but I’ve only just found you here. So nice to see someone appreciating our lovely Island :)

  3. Helloitsgemma on said:

    I think if we all treasured our own back yards at bit more, the world would be very different. As I’ve got older, I’ve stopped craving far away places. Discovering the near in depth, appeals much more.
    Thank you for sharing.

  4. Grishma on said:

    I remember finding an apricot tree in my friend’s backyard once and being astonished… I had never seen one in real life! Definitely worth the effort to see what grows around locally. It’s interesting that we learn about far-away ecology more than local ecology, I hadn’t thought about it before!