I love all the wild flowers we have during an Orkney summer. The colours and smells of all the wildflowers are wonderful. In May we have the deep yellow marsh marigolds and yellow flag iris that grow in our freshwater streams and in June the wild poppies arrive, mainly the large red opium poppies which have escaped from people's gardens and find a new home in the roadside ditches often acompanied by purple columbines.
A visit to the secret garden of Happy Valley in Stenness,(just turn left when heading towards Stromness at the junction to The Ring of Brodgar and head on down the narrow road until you see a small forest on the right, hidden in there is Happy valley), reveals a hidden gem that mostly only the locals know about! The garden was created by Edwin Harold, who has since passed away, Edwin was given plants by the many visitors who came to see him from all over the world and these trees and flowers adorn this garden. It is at it's best in June and July but also in April and May when the carpets of bluebells flower underneath the many trees. Below is a mixed media painting of Edwins house hidden amongst the trees, just one of several limited edition prints that I have for sale on this website painted around the theme of Happy valley.
Limited edition print/Happy valley, Orkney – www.janeglue.com
The roadside verges are full of wild poppies, montbretia,ragged robin, pink campion, wild garlic, and cocks and hens, all of them fighting for their own we spot in amongst a wide variety of different grasses. I am so glad that our local council has stopped cutting the verges, at least in some places. It encourage's not just the wildflowers but the insects and wild birds too. The picture below is a watercolour of two Aberdeen Angus coo's standing behind montbretia, cow parsley seed heads and grasses a bit later in the summertime.
Limited edition print/Ron's Coo's, Harray, Orkney – www.janeglue.com
Orkney's fields are full of dandelions and buttercups too, they glow bright yellow against our famous neolithic stone circle, The ring of brodgar as in the picture below.
Limited edition print/Dandelions and The Ring of Brodgar, Orkney – www.janeglue.com
Along the shoreline the ox-eye daisies are starting to bloom. Their beautiful white petals standing out against their mustard yellow centres. They make for a great painting subject especially when you get down low and look through the flower heads to the colour of the sandy beach and glittering turquoise sea in the background.
Limited edition print/Ox- eye daisies at Waulkmill bay in Orkney – www.janeglue.com
Limited edition print/Glittering seapinks – www.janeglue.com
All along the cliffs in summertime the seapinks flower in grassy tufts, they look very pretty against the backdrop of a glittering sea on a bright summers day.
I have painted many of these different wildflowers over the past thirty five years and l look forward to painting more in the summers to come. I hope you enjoy seeing this small selection of images from my flora collection of limited edition prints. To view all of my Flora limited edition print collection go to