Lady’s Slippers

Some of the orchid seedlings produced by Kew Gardens and grown on locally have been planted out in selected sites in South Cumbria, in the hope that they may establish themselves and start to spread.
These ones were planted some 15 years ago near Bigsteer, in a limestone area. As you see they are still there! These ones have flowering shoots and look reasonably healthy. They haven’t been destroyed by slugs, their main enemies.
We might have hoped the plants would be bigger after all this time, but this reintroduction is a very long term project. Maybe one day you will stumble across a group!