Book, Binocular and Clothing Reviews - BRITAIN’S ORCHIDS

The Publisher’s View:

An accessible, comprehensive and beautifully illustrated guide – the only one to cover all the orchids found in Britain and Ireland

The first book to cover all the species at all stages of development, as well as all subspecies, varieties and confirmed hybrids
Lavishly illustrated with 98 beautiful watercolour plates
More than 1,200 stunning photos showing the orchids in their natural settings and highlighting key identification features
Simple, step-by-step system for identifying almost any orchid you encounter
Up-to-date distribution maps and seasonal charts showing when each species can be seen in its various stages of development

Covering all fifty-one native species and twelve of uncertain origin, as well as hybrids and variants, Britain’s Orchids is an engaging, intuitive and in-depth identification guide to all the orchids of Britain and Ireland at all stages of development, from first emergence to setting seed. Drawing on the authors’ extensive field experience and the latest scientific research, the book uses multiple techniques to help both beginner and more advanced orchid enthusiasts to identify even the most difficult plants. It is beautifully illustrated with watercolour paintings by talented artist Sarah Stribbling, and features more than 1,200 evocative, instructive and detailed photographs. Orchids have long fired the imagination with their beauty and rarity. This book aims to ignite or increase your passion for these special plants, and for the conservation of their varied habitats – from remote mountaintops to urban wild spaces.

Fatbirder View:

Like me, a great many birders have found that lockdown has spurred their interest in other parts of the natural world. I’ve found this coming on more over the last few years, when I’m out birding I want to know what that dragonfly I saw was, or what species of hoverfly turn up in my garden. It also happens that the reserve closest to my home (Sandwich Bay) is particularly good for orchids. From the hides on SBBO scrape one can see several species right in front of you and more across the estate and surrounding fields. I’ve struggled to ID what I’ve seen so this book was most welcome.

The good thing about plants is that they don’t fly off, so, if I see something I don’t recognise, out comes my iPhone and I have an image to compare when I get home. This book gives me every opportunity to identify what I photograph.

Like all the WILDGuides series the meat of the book are the plates showing the species along with distribution maps, habitat notes and (as is vital with orchids) the seasons when they are in leaf and/or in flower. What I really welcome is the the images are brilliant coloured botanical drawings and photos so you get the best of both. A really nice feature is a brief index in a fold of the cover just pointing the the species pages.

If one’s interest is more than a passing one there are lots of pages showing orchids in leaf, in their habitat settings and some basic introductory notes to clue you into the orchid world.

I recommend this very welcome addition to those oft-thumbed works that sit on my desk for easy reference.

Fatbirder