Flora in Dorothy Wordsworth's Grasmere Journal
Here are the observations that Dorothy Wordsworth made in October in her Grasmere Journal between 1800 and 1802.
common ash Fraxinus excelsior—On 20 October 1800, Dorothy remembered that “When we came home the fire was out. We ate our supper in the dark & went to bed immediately. William was disturbed in the night by the rain coming into his room, for it was a very rainy night. The Ash leaves lay across the Road.”
common ash Fraxinus excelsior—The next morning, 21 October 1800, she noted that “The reflection of the ash scattered, & the tree stripped.”
common ash Fraxinus excelsior—On 24 October 1800 Dorothy observed that the wind storm had not been consistent in its treatment of the ash trees: “The ash in our garden green, one close to it bare the next nearly so..”
coppices Quercus robur —The coppices were not only oak, but whatever tree was growing in the woodlands. Coppicing is basically cutting trees down close to their bases, but leaving just enough to let them grow again, like pruning the roses, but on a bigger scale. During the nineteenth century the woodlands of the Lake District were extensively coppiced to supply wood for the production of bobbins for the textile industry and for making charcoal. On 28 October 1800 Dorothy notes that “The coppices now nearly of one brown.”
fern Botrychium lunaria—10 October 1800 “after I had finished baking I went out with Wm Mrs. Jameson & Miss Simpson toward Rydal—the fern among the rocks exquisitely beautiful —we turned home & walked to Mr. Gells.”
fir grove Pinus sylvestria—28 October 1800 “Not fine a rainy morning. The Hill tops covered with snow. Charles Lloyd came for his wife’s glass. I walked home with him past Rydal. When he came I met him a I was carrying some cold meat to Wm in the Fir-grove. I had before walked with him there for some time. It was a fine shelter from the wind.”
foxglove Digitalis purpurea—15 October 1800 “Wytheburn looked very wintry but yet there was a foxglove blossoming by the road-side.”
golden woods Fagus sylvatica—23 October 1802 “It is a breathless, grey day, that leaves the golden woods of autumn quiet in their own tranquillity, stately and beautiful in their decaying.” Although Dorothy doesn’t mention the kind of golden woods, perhaps she is referring to the beech trees that turn golden in the fall.
lychens Lecidea lapicida—It is impossible to know which lichens Dorothy collected. This is only a suggestions. On 2 October 1800, she said: “The Lychens are now coming out afresh, I carried home a collection in the afternoon.”
oak trees Quercus robur—20 October 1800 “after dinner we walked to Rydal crossed the stepping stones & while we were walking under the tall oak trees the Lloyds called out to us.”
oak trees Quercus robur—28 October 1800 “An oak tree in a sheltered place near John Fisher’s—not having lost any of its leaves was quite brown & dry.”
orange fern Pteridium aquilinum —11 October 1800 “The Colours of the mountains soft & rich, with orange ferns.”
plums Prunus domestica—22 October 1800 “In the evening Stoddard came in when we were at tea, & after tee Mr & Mrs Simpson with large potatoes & plumbs."
potatoes Solanum tuberosum—22 October 1800 “In the evening Stoddard came in when we were at tea, & after tee Mr & Mrs Simpson with large potatoes & plumbs."
sycamore tree Acer pseudoplatanus—9 October 1800 “After sitting some time we went homewards & were again caught by a shower & sheltered by the sycamores at the boat house—a very cold snowlike rain.”
sycamore tree Acer pseudoplatanus—12 October 1800 “The Sycamore crimson & crimson tufted—”
apples Pyrus malus—12 October 1800 “We pulled apples after dinner, a large basket full.”
Benson’s honeysuckles Lonicera xylosteum—Dorothy notes on 17 October 1800: “In my walk in the morning, I observed Benson's Honeysuckles in flower, & great beauty. It was a very fine mild evening."
birches Betula pendula—12 October 1800 “The birches generally still green, some near the water yellowish.”
oaks Quercus robur —12 October 1800 “We walked before tea by Bainriggs to observe the many coloured foliage the oaks dark green with yellow leaves—”
mountain ash Sorbus aucuparia—12 October 1800 “the mountain ash a deep orange—"
common ash Fraxinus excelsior—12 October 1800 “—the common ash Lemon colour but many ashes fresh in their summer green. Those that were discoloured chiefly near the water.”
I wonder if anyone has seen any of these flowers, shrubs, or trees that Dorothy saw in Grasmere this month. If you have, could you please post your observations on the inaturalist project Flora in Grasmere, so I can see what they look like. I’m stuck over here in Texas now with all the hurricanes and floods and such.
