Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) is a captivating wildflower whose vivid beauty masks a complex identity - at once a vital pollinator plant, a pioneer species in regenerating landscapes, a source of life-saving cardiac medicine, and a symbol of enchantment, danger, and death in folklore - reminding us that Nature’s gifts are rarely simple and often walk the line between healing and harm.

Explore the complex role of bracken (Pteridium aquilinum) in the Lake District - its ecological benefits, biodiversity threats, and the challenge of managing its spread.

A visit to Kew Gardens' Shirley Sherwood Gallery unexpectedly transported me into the living world of trees - through the brushstrokes of botanical artists. What began as an appreciation of art unfolded into a reflection on conifers, climate resilience, biodiversity, and why we must rethink our assumptions about woodland ecosystems.

The tree looked lonely, growing from the base of a crag high above the Lakeland town of Ambleside...