Dune staple wildflowers bringing the dazzle again

WITH each lengthening day more wildflowers splash colour across the dune system.

- with John Dempsey

Returning like old friends after winter dormancy much of the protected flora of the Sefton Coast is reappearing now.

Dune staples including Kidney Vetch, Restharrow and Birdsfoot Trefoil are starting to bring the dazzle to the dunes again and will be followed by many other species in the coming weeks.

The Sefton Coast boasts over 1,200 species of wildflowers with new species found each year; they are protected by law and cannot be removed or damaged.

But as a free show to stand and admire on a sunny day, they take some beating.

The micro-climate of the dune system is perfect for them and a botanist can spend a lifetime here and still find new species to marvel at.

Admittedly many species have tiny flowers and are small in comparison to garden staples but their beauty is undeniable.