The orchid family is truly huge, and not all of them grow in trees. There are a wide variety of orchids that grow on the ground. On the whole, the flowers of these terrestrial types are not as large and showy as those of their tropical cousins, although some of them hold up pretty well. Most are small, rather modest plants that often go unnoticed. They generally don't yell "LOOK AT ME!" from a block away, but many are certainly worth a closer inspection. These were photographed in the South West of France; Les Lèves et Thoumeyragues to be exact.

These are but a few orchid species that I have encountered and the search for new ones continues.... ehhh, generally while walking the dog. They bloom between April and May and the pictures posted here are posted in the order in which I have photographed them. The spider orchid bloomed first, followed by the loose flowering orchid and then the bee orchid and the pyramidal ones. After that, the other varieties just about sprout up everywhere and you just need to look for them. As I am not sure what I am looking for yet, I am just keeping my eyes open and snap whatever I encounter. One thing is for sure, in June the grasses grew too high to spot any more of them and now that the longest day approaches, the farmers have mowed the grasses for hay. The fields that were full of orchids a few weeks ago, now resemble football pitches. No more wild flowers... for now.

In 2008 I have started providing photographic courses and continue the search for new species. Courses generally take one day and are great for anyone who would like to learn more about using their camera to photograph flora that has become rather rare in the rest of Europe. Please click on the logo for details about Les Leves and L'Art de Vivre where these shots were taken.

PS... Thanks a million Jean-Luc for the update on the names... I have corrected the mistakes.