Follow the buzz: the best UK wildflower spectacles this summer

As the Chelsea Flower Show gets under way, we pick pollinator-friendly meadows and gardens for making a beeline to, from North Uist to the Tower of LondonOne of 23 nature reserves across the UK owned by conservation charity Plantlife that sparkle with wildflowers each summer (use the website's map to find your nearest), this upland grassland in the Peak District near Buxton, is perennially popular among botanists. The range of species you might spot here includes drifts of yellow mountain pansies, early purple orchids, pink musk-mallow and lilac-tinted heath speedwell. Plantlife is also known for campaigns such as No Mow May and National Meadows Day (2 July), when it organises wildlife ID courses, scything competitions and art activities at many of its sites.Free access (a free walking guide can be downloaded from the website) but note that a local farmer grazes cattle on the reserve from July to November, plantlife.org.uk Continue reading...