On Saturday 15 March members of the South London Botanical Institute, led by Roxane Pirbonyeh and Roy Vickery, will be continuing the Institute’s long term survey of plants growing in St Leonard’s Churchyard, Streatham, starting at 1.30 and continuing until about 3.30 p.m.  As this is the first springtime visit for several years, we hope to be able to make some interesting new records.  A free event to which are welcome, regardless of botanical expertise; for additional details see the Events page of this website.

Report: Six people turned up to join the leaders on a sunny, but chilly, afternoon.  The first plant we discussed we were unable to identify, but concluded it was probably a white-flowered species, or cultivated variety, of squill, Scilla.  Thereafter we had few problems, although we did not attempt to name the numerous daffodil, Narcissus, cultivars, and the non-flowering crane’s-bills, Geranium spp.  Eventually, after c.75 minutes, we had assembled a list of about 110 species, of which c.14 had not previously been recorded on the site.  One participant said she would make the identification of crane’s-bills her ‘job for the year’; so perhaps we should visit the churchyard again in the summer, when, we hope, we’ll be able to benefit from her newly-acquired knowledge.  A list of the plants recorded is available from   info@slbi.org.uk  (lower image © Susan Simmonds).