Henk-Jan van der Veen
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henk-janvdveen.bsky.social
Henk-Jan van der Veen
@henk-janvdveen.bsky.social
* Plantenecoloog, was 23 jr boswachter, verbind nu natuur en mensen bij Landschapsbeheer Drenthe
* NL/conservationist/ecologist/botany
* UK-lover/gardens/weather/climate
A wintry week(end) with snow and a touch of frost. Plenty of pretty stuff to share for this week’s #Thewinter10 #WildflowerHour
November 23, 2025 at 8:26 PM
It’s snowing big fluffy flakes — heading out for a real #thewinter10 #Wildflowerhour!
November 23, 2025 at 2:59 PM
I gave myself a lovely birthday gift: two floras/field guides and a membership of the @bsbibotany.bsky.social
November 21, 2025 at 11:55 AM
This mild weather keeps tempting me out for some plant hunting. So yep… here I am, posting another #TheWinter10 for #WildflowerHour
November 16, 2025 at 8:49 PM
Heath-grass (Danthonia decumbens) and Purple moor-grass (Molinia caerulea) have been popping up on my doorstep for the past two months.
Their seeds must’ve hitched a ride under my shoes and found the perfect cracks to sprout—turning themselves into #urbanplants
#WildflowerHour #Thewinter10
November 16, 2025 at 8:12 PM
Such an Indian summer kind of week! I’ve focused on 10 species from the Daisy family. Here are my 2x5 #thewinter10 pics for #WildflowerHour 🌞🌿
November 9, 2025 at 8:46 PM
Front garden magic. Ginkgo biloba in all its golden glory
November 8, 2025 at 5:48 PM
Great news about England’s rarest bumblebee.
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@bumblebeetrust.bsky.social
As our Beewalk season comes to an end, we’re thrilled to share that the rarest bumblebee in England has been recorded at RHS Garden Hyde Hall 🌷🐝

The shrill carder bumblebee was spotted in September by BeeWalk volunteer Cheryl Sheff on Salvia 'Royal Bumble'.

Read on: https://ow.ly/yQ0v50Xmuu6
November 7, 2025 at 12:12 PM
Heading to the KNMI (Dutch Met Office) for a meeting — sunshine and beautiful clouds all the way to De Bilt! #weather
November 5, 2025 at 3:50 PM
Conservation work’s keeping me busy, so no #TheWinter10 this week 😅. But I couldn’t resist snapping this gorgeous reblooming meadow clary for #WildflowerHour 🌿💜
Can’t wait to get back out there next week!
November 2, 2025 at 8:31 PM
Bit of a surprise! Dwarf thistle is meant to need a touch of frost to germinate, but these English seeds — from the Dover area — had other ideas. They sprouted last week, indoors in a pot with my houseplants. Nature never stops amazing me!
#wildflowerHour
November 2, 2025 at 5:30 PM
Autumn sunshine, Great Mullein, and a Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus) - a little #WildflowerHour golden moment this week.
October 26, 2025 at 8:47 PM
Yes, let’s go for a #WildFungiHour!
I spotted Snowy Waxcaps and Mouse-ear growing abundantly on a nearby grassland. I often find waxcaps close to the rosettes of Pilosella and Hypochaeris.
#WildflowerHour
October 26, 2025 at 8:28 PM
Great story about botanist Eddy Weeda and his deep dive into the legendary Beekbergerwoud — a 6,000-year-old forest that disappeared in the 19th century and is now being brought back right where it used to grow.
search.app/hHbKy
Van dit oerbos werden in de 19de eeuw sigarenkistjes gemaakt. Nu is het weer natuur
Beekbergerwoud: Het Beekbergerwoud aan de oostkant van de Veluwe gold lang als oudste oerbos van Nederland. Ruim een eeuw na de kap keert het terug in een nieuwe gedaante.
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October 20, 2025 at 7:36 PM
My daughter sent me this photo of fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) she spotted in Canterbury — with the cathedral casually sneaking into the background.
#WildflowerHour
October 19, 2025 at 7:45 PM
A touch of spring in this gloomy autumn week. The sun was out today – a real sun-day – and I spotted some spring flowers blooming again.
#WildflowerHour
October 19, 2025 at 7:08 PM
Just out of curiosity, I stopped by a nearby building plot to see what was flowering, and was amazed to find over 10 wildflower species in just 2 square meters!
Here are some of my findings for #WildflowerHour 🌼
October 12, 2025 at 7:29 PM
Interrupted Clubmoss (Lycopodium annotinum) and Marsh Clubmoss (Lycopodiella inundata)
Two evergreen beauties and real bog-specials spotted this week!
#WildflowerHour
October 5, 2025 at 7:50 PM
For this week’s #WildflowerHour, I’m sharing some awesome Sphagnum species I found in a tiny bog:
☘️ S compactum
☘️ S. magellanicum
Both with Cranberry, Vaccinium oxycoccos)
Not your everyday plants, but a thrill to discover!
October 5, 2025 at 7:06 PM
I recently wrote an article for a Dutch weather magazine about the record-breaking summer0 in the UK in 2025.
It’s a glimpse into what climate change could mean for the future. 🌍☀️
October 1, 2025 at 2:37 PM
Found this Fringed Pink (Dianthus superbus 🌸) in my neighborhood this morning, glowing in the early mist. Wildflower seed mix magic?
#WildflowerHour
September 28, 2025 at 7:20 PM
Wrapped up a survey day with this wildflower bouquet of Goldenrod and Zigzag Clover — best kind of field bonus!
#WildflowerHour
September 21, 2025 at 7:45 PM
Spent a lovely morning with volunteers collecting seeds of Goldenrod (Solidago virgaurea) and Devil's-bit scabious (Succisa pratensis) from a species-rich Nardus grassland in a local nature reserve. 🌱🌾

These seeds will help restore wildflower-rich habitat on the edge of a nearby village.
September 18, 2025 at 3:16 PM
If I get to sneak in one last #FavouritePlant, it’s this Tuffed Vetch right here.
Such a stunning plant, and yep... totally fell for it this year.
#WildflowerHour
September 14, 2025 at 7:58 PM
My #favouritePlant of 2025? Wild Marjoram! 🌸
Spotted it everywhere on my walks in Kent this summer - loads of flowers and loads of my favourite butterflies 🦋

Back home, I collected seeds, ready for a Marjoram explosion in my wildflower garden, and pics for next year’s #WildflowerHour challenges! 🌿
September 14, 2025 at 7:18 PM