On your marks...

It is currently mid-December 2021; too early to begin my botanical odyssey through 2022, yet close enough that I'm positively champing at the bit to get going. As I type this, the Omicron variant is apparently 'surging' through the population and measures are being reintroduced to slow the spread. Here in Scotland, restrictions have never been eased to the extent that they were in England, and Skye is a long way removed from main population centres. Yet restrictions will undoubtedly be put in place and there's a fair chance my plans will be disrupted, though hopefully not through catching the damned thing!

Despite this, I am essentially optimistic that 2022 will be a fabulous year for me as I deep dive into plant identification. I'll be spending lots more time working through the keys, taking photos of critical features and developing a greater understanding of the morphology, taxonomy and requirements of our wild plants.

One thing that won't change very much between now and 1st January 2022 is my collection of botanical books. Just to brighten up a dull post, here's a few images of the books I currently own. Plenty of keys, plenty of field guides, plenty of garden plant books too. Unlike many botanists, I find garden escapees quite thrilling and I positively enjoy a bit of slum botany - hence the collection of garden reference titles. I'm hoping I've covered most options to help me identify any plant I encounter growing in the wild, although I'm not yet up to tackling the critical families such as Hieracium, Taraxacum, Rubus, Euphrasia and Ulmus (I do have the keys to some of those though!) The big books on the lowest shelf should have set me back hundreds of pounds, but by shopping around I paid less than 10% of the usual retail price. 

If anybody knows where I can purchase Vols 3 and 4 at a good price...

As you can see, it's a very narrow bookcase! But it was free and it holds books, so was a no brainer really. I have a well-thumbed copy of Stace 3 on another shelf and a truly battered earlier edition of the Collin's Wild Flower Guide that lives in my car. I also have this little gem of a book, gifted to me by a fellow Skye naturalist.

And finally, I have my roadmap! I may treat myself to the 2022 edition, seeing as I plan to hit the mainland on something of a regular basis this year. Not that too many new towns have popped up in The Highlands this last eighteen months...

I start 2022 here on Skye. I have it in mind to participate in the New Year Plant Hunt 2022 just to get things moving in the right direction (find plants, submit the records...) I've never attempted a NYPH before, but how better to begin my Botanical Odyssey than with a plant hunt? 

My next post will be about the plants themselves. Stay tuned and spread the word!