minsmere

Situated on the coast between Dunwich and Aldeburgh, down a series of long winding, wooded lanes, is Minsmere RSPB reserve.

A beautiful place to explore, which is exactly what we did last weekend.

The reserve is a mixture of fresh and saltwater lagoons, woods, dunes and a long expanse of semi- deserted shingle beach.

 

Part way along the shingle was this interesting art installation 'The Plastic Palace'.

 

 

 Made from old fishing nets stretched between posts and covered with plastic detritus, it was

a thought provoking comment on the amount of plastic which is thrown away and ends up in the sea and on our beaches.

Visitors are encouraged to pick up any plastic found on the beach and add it to the display.

 

 

The shingle was also home to a variety of wild flowers and plants.

This little flower looked like a tiny version of scabious, but only about 15mm across.

The other plant in abundance was sea kale, crambe maritima, an edible member of the brassica family.
This majestic looking plant is a native perennial and apparently the stems (especially if blanched by covering them whilst growing) are a delicacy not unlike asparagus.
It was particularly popular during Victorian times, but this doesn't mean we should all rush out to forage for it as colonies of the plant have diminished greatly in recent years.
It is, however, widely available from seed companies and given light. sandy soil can be easily cultivated.

Maybe one for the allotment next year!