Country diary: A hard-won reunion with an old friend | Jennifer Jones

Sefton coast, Merseyside: Discovering a wealth of grass of Parnassus on a patch I know well has taken me back decadesWalking into Birkdale's Green Beach on a grey but warm summer's day felt like entering a Paul Klee painting. The profusion of colour, pattern and texture was overwhelming. Fleabane, evening primrose and meadowsweet tussled alongside red clover, common centaury and common restharrow. Peacock, gatekeeper and common blue butterflies pirouetted haphazardly. Walking on the Sefton coast, I headed south towards Ainsdale. I was on a quest.Slacks, those areas closer to the water table, were my target habitat. Plants there require more water than in the arid conditions of the coastal dunes. My quarry was grass of Parnassus - not a nationally rare flower, but one that, especially in this location, has a lot of resonance for me. Continue reading...