Windmill Hill overlooks my home town of Hitchin. I see the grass has been left to grow rather longer than usual on one side of the hill. Presumably that's deliberate and creates a nice vista of Buttercups, Daisies and most importantly Wild Clary.

 That's significant because there is a substantial colony of Wild Clary (Salvia verbenaca) which generally gets mowed and trampled. Sometimes known as Wild Sage it is rare. In previous years I have noted the wrinkly rosettes of grey-green leaves in profusion. So they're persistent but they get chopped and stomped before they begin to flower.

 The densest, tallest stands would be on the steep slopes at the edge of the hill where it meets the surrounding streets. Unfortunately they have been heavily mowed! Back in 2020 I saw a vivid purple haze of Wild Clary on these slopes. [see entry dated 14th. May 2020] I wondered how I had never noticed them before.

 The following year I went to have a look. The slopes had been mowed to the ground which solved the mystery. Of course the usual 'maintenance' had ceased when the world went into lockdown. As a result there was a spectacular display of the Clary. Here are a few pics I took at the time...

 The situation may improve however. A month ago I was walking over Windmill Hill and bumped into Phil Barron. He is a very knowledgeable naturalist and active in a number of local conservation initiatives. We spoke of the Clary and he has been able to convene a meeting with the council where he made the case to manage the slopes with the Clary in mind. In fact I believe he used the photos I took in 2020 to illustrate the point.

 A wonderful wildflower growing en masse in the heart of Hitchin. What's not to like? The best things in life are free!