Sign up to The Irish Times Archive (1859 - 2008)My Account »

THEY ARE NATIVE heroes; small, tough, determined and elusive. A field in north Co Dublin on a sunlit evening in May becomes a wonderland, as do fields and ditches, marshes and woods in many places, often expected, always welcome as the orchid season begins.

Across the island of Ireland, from the North Bull Island in Co Dublin, to Kerry, to the islands off Donegal, to the Burren and the quarries of Co Fermanagh, this year’s orchids are adding their colour and grace to the landscape. The best way of enjoying the beauty and variety of Ireland’s wild orchids is by securing a copy of the remarkable field guide, written by Brendan Sayers of the National Botanic Gardens and magnificently illustrated with original work by botanical artist Susan Sex.