Wild flowers

[heebiejeebie]

Whilst doing Oxfam Trailwalker yesterday, I had plenty time to admire the plant life on the South Downs. Absolutely gorgeous!

Can anyone recommend a good book (lots of pictures) that would help me identify the plants I saw?

[Flummery]

Many of our plant books are technical tomes with mucho script and a bit short on pics as OH is a serious botanist. However, I cut my teeth on Keble-Martin, don't know if it's still available.
You really need a field guide but many are heavy to carry about. The Field Guide to the Wild Flowers of Britain and Northern Europe by David Sutton is a small hard back with good illustrations. Published by Parragon.
Roger Phillips' Wild Flowers of Britain (Pan books) is a large soft-cover book with photographic illustrations and is very good. A bit big to take out with you maybe.
I'd go to a decent book shop and have a look. That will allow you to handle the books and see if you think they give enough in the way of pictures and description to help you - also if they are managable as a field book. It's a fascinating subject and I'm always amazed that people can go for a country walk and NOT want to know what all the 'green stuff' is that surrounds them.

Flum

[heebiejeebie]

thanks, Flum - we have a good bookshop in town with a big second hand section so I'll have a look in there.