At this time of year, when the skies are cold and dull, I look out my window and desperately want the weather to fast forward. So I have put together some photos of Red Valerian, a plant that defines the Cornish landscape in summer. As I look through the photos taken by local photographer Sally Bauckham, it is hard to imagine these plants are garden escapees and not a native British wildflower. They arrived in Britain from the Mediterranean over 500 years ago and are happily settled on cliffs and roadside hedges with flowers in shades of red, pink and white. Red Valerian growing in the cliffs over Newquay Harbour.
