There were still wildflowers to be seen along the South West Coast Path when I hiked from Weymouth to Lyme Regis last week. Common Fleabane (Pulicaria dysenterica) was prolific with masses of cheery yellow flowers. 

 Patches of Heather (Erica species) and Gorse (Ulex europaeus) are frequent on the slopes and plains. The photo of the Gorse was taken when I was walking through low cloud in the hills above Abbotsbury- it looks more like the Scottish Highlands than Dorset!    

 The shingle of the Chesil Beach is a harsh environment but nonetheless supports colonies of coastal wildflowers such as Sea Mayweed aka Sea Chamomile (Tripleurospermum maritum), Yellow Horned Poppy (Glaucium flavum) and Sea Kale (Crambe maritima). 

 On a smaller scale there are little gems like Thrift (Armeria maritima) and Sea Campion (Silene uniflora). 

 I noticed Water Mint (Mentha aquatica) was frequent in ditches and sumps where the fields drained down to the shore.

 Hemp Agrimony (Eupatorium cannabinum) is another plant that favours ditches and damp places. It's coming to the end of its flowering period but where it persists the raggy flower heads were still attracting the bumblebees.  

 Various common wildflowers of the countryside were to be seen here and there, for example Wild Marjoram (Origanum vulgare), Red Campion (Silene dioica) and Yellow Toadflax (Linaria vulgaris).

  To my eye wildflowers are at their most enchanting when they form drifts of colour across the landscape. Shown above: the aforementioned Fleabane and Dwarf Thistle (Cirsium acuale).