A second summer on the Wharf

Purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) on the Wharf in July

Last year I walked around the Wharf (former Bute East Dock) in Cardiff Bay almost every month, but in this my second year working at County Hall I am only an occasional visitor. This is partly because I am no longer following a tree beside the Wharf and also because I fear I will not find anything new this second time around.

I needn’t have worried. The view is constantly changing – although mainly because of construction work rather than the plants I see. Here are the images from my latest visit, in early July…

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Big wheel keep on turnin’

Big wheel in Cardiff Bay at the moment

One of the features of Cardiff’s Mermaid Quay in the summer is this big wheel, giving views over Cardiff Bay. It’s not really that big, but I decided one lunchtime that I would take my camera and have a mini adventure. It was three rotations for £4 so didn’t take long.

View from the top of the big wheel – the Wales Millennium Centre and the Pierhead Building. At this time a couple of weeks ago the Oval Basin (Roald Dahl Plass) was being prepared with stalls for the Cardiff Bay Food Festival

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2019 tree following 7: Summer in the city

Hot town, summer in the city
Back of my neck getting dirty and gritty
Been down, isn’t it a pity
Doesn’t seem to be a shadow in the city
(The Lovin’ Spoonful – Summer in the City)

After cool and wet weather last month, we have had a heatwave for a few weeks here in Cardiff and one day, for the first time, I noticed the bright dappled shadow of the London plane (Platanus × hispanica or Platanus × acerifolia) I am following in Mermaid Quay, Cardiff Bay.

The tree itself has not changed much in the last month but I have noticed the new Greek street food cafe beneath it has been open during the day on a few occasions, particularly when we had a three-day food festival in the nearby Roald Dahl Plass.

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Tree following link box for July 2019

Alder (Alnus glutinosa) in July

The tree-following link box has now closed for another month. After a cool June the jetstream has moved north to hold back the Arctic air and we have had a heatwave here in Cardiff.

For the first time I have had to unpack the expanding hose I bought too late last summer. The garden appreciated the thorough soaking, especially the container plants, and a young robin invited me to give it a gentle shower.

You will find everyone’s updates below, so enjoy exploring…

Erika Groth in Sweden – aspens

Frances at Island Threads, off the North West coast of Scotland – hawthorn

Flighty’s Plot – Liz’s witch hazel in Lexington, Kentucky, and Mike’s apple tree

Alison at the Blackberry Garden – one quince to rule them all

Hollis – In the Company of Plants and Rocks – probably Russian Hawthorns

Pat – Squirrelbasket – the London plane of Mermaid Quay

And we have a new tree follower this month:
JayP – Amblings around Penwith (Cornwall) – unidentified tree
Rapidly followed by:
JayP – Amblings around Penwith (Cornwall) – the tree identified

Welcome!

If you are new to tree following, read all about the idea here. Why not join us? Point us to any tree-related post you would like to share, using the link box published on the 7th of each month and lasting for a week.

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