Swathes of snowdrops attract early spring walkers and perhaps the most northerly of these is at Binscarth wood on the Orkney mainland.

Snowdrops brave the worst of weather to carpet the woodland in dainty white bells

One of Orkney’s most beautiful woodland walks can be found just outside the small village of Finstown.

Binscarth Wood was planted in the 19th Century and is a unique seven and a half acre woodland. The walk through the woods can be a little challenging, being a it wet underfoot but the reward of seeing the snowdrops in March and later the bluebells is well worth the visit.

Planted with sycamore, ash, beech and hawthorn, the woodland is home to birds and wildlife and makes a refreshing break from the vast expanses of flat heathland.

Perhaps this is the most northerly snowdrop walk in the UK…let us know if you know differently or send us your images using the comments link at the end of this post.

More info

Orkney Communities – Picture of the snowdrops at Binscarth Wood taken on 8th March 2010 by Stewart Campbell.

Flikr - Binscarth Wood Snowdrops 2008.

Walking Scotland – Binscarth Wood information

Binscarth Wood PDF

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Wherever you go in the Orkney Islands you are very likely to come across fuchsia growing alongside paths and on emankments.

Fuchsia Magellanica Riccartonii is a naturalised alien, thought to be  introduced from South America, where it’s native home is Chile.  It is one of the hardiest Fuchsias, forming patches of dense scrub along paths, tracks and waterways. It is fast growing and can often be found reaching 3 metres or more in some areas.

This Fuchsia generally dies back with the first sign of frost, but as the Orkney Isles are warmed by the Gulf Stream, it is obvious that it can thrive unhindered for mots of the year, especially in the Western regions.

Leaves are dark green, serrated and are arranged opposite each other on the stem.

The four red sepals which form the outer part of the flower, turn hedgerows crimson in the summer and autumn but the inner deep purple petals are quite short, unlike their showy commercial cousins. Eight long red protruding stamens bear purple anthers allowing easy pollination by local bees and insects.

It is widely used as a hedging plant, because of its vigorous and dense growth and can be found bounding many of  the gardens in Kirkwall and Stromness.

Related topics;
BBC Gardening – How to grow hardy Fuchsia
The British Fuchsia Society – Everything you need to know about Fuchsia.

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