Last year I wrote about the wonderful drifts of Wild Clary (Salvia verbenaca) on the steep banks that edge Windmill Hill in my home town of Hitchin. As seen above they really were a sight to behold. At the time I was slightly mystified how I'd failed to notice them before.

 Now I know why. This year those banks have been heavily mowed. I can see the stumps of numerous Wild Clary that would have flowered but they've been chopped down in their prime. That is probably what happens most years. A local wildflower enthusiast made the point that it didn't happen in 2020 because just about everything shut down for the first lockdown.

 I have noted in a couple of entries recently that the mowing schedule is crucial to the emergence of wildflowers in towns and cities. Indeed many local authorities are opting to have areas of long grass to encourage plants and pollinators. Unfortunately the opposite seems to be the case for the Wild Clary on Windmill Hill.