Field Notes: A spirit lift from the Lakes

Glenridding Common Manager Pete Barron reminisces about Helvellyn's first Arctic alpine to flower - purple saxifrage

In mid March I visited an area on Helvellyn known for its population of purple saxifrage, always the first splash of colour of spring on the fells and the first arctic alpine to flower. This was just before we received advice to cease travel and on-site fieldwork.

^ Purple saxifrage starting to show in the bitter cold wind on Helvellyn, just before lockdown

I was lucky. The very first flowers were showing at one of the lower altitude sites, surrounded by the remaining snow patches. Frustratingly, I also spotted a healthy looking population higher up, which looked ready to flower within the next few weeks. The wickedly cold wind and snow was a reminder that winter had not yet left. It was still inhibiting flowering at higher levels even for this amazingly robust but exquisite species.

Meanwhile, I'll have to enjoy my photo of flowering saxifrage from last year (shown at the top of the page) - along with those in the valley being propagated by our volunteer growers who are helping to augment this and other floral populations on the fell.

We were due to plant aspen, birch, rowan and thorns into the regenerating juniper exclosure. However, these trees now sit ‘healed in’ waiting for renewed access. But all is not lost - this is the time of year that montane willow cuttings are taken and placed in vermiculite to root before to potting-on in May. All being well these montane shrubs will be ready to plant out from September onwards. As a new venture for us, aspen root cuttings have been taken and are sitting under cover with the hope of growing suckers for future planting, these could be challenging in our garden situation but well worth a try.

^ Tea-leaved willow on the crag

Our local montane scrub populations which we are slowly, but steadily nursing back into life include: tea-leaved willow; eared willow; a tea-leaved x dark-leaved willow; and - a real montane specialist - the downy willow. We have already seen what we think are the first self seeding willows on the crags. It is a slow and sometimes frustrating business. We reckon it will be 10 years before real improvements start to show from this work at the higher altitudes - no surprise with seven months of winter on the fells, from a temperature perspective.

Our local growers also report growth from last year's seeds of globeflower, Alpine cinquefoil, bitter vetch and water avens and even dwarf birch from seed and cuttings.

^ Downy willow cuttings with catkins

A host of folk generously give their time and money to support this effort, with Natural England local staff, the Lake District Foundation and our local group of volunteer growers coming top of the list. 

All this important work for our local environment lifts my spirits under the present circumstances and gives me a perspective on the future during this difficult period - I hope it does for you too.