Perfect summer for poppies
This field on the Shropshire border is pretty as a picture. It is just one of hundreds that have turned red as beautiful poppies take hold.
The image was taken in Trescott, near Claverley, by Star reader David Smith and is one of scores of pictures that feature on our summer online gallery.
Poppies are having a good time of it this summer, with conditions said to be perfect for growing.
And with the increasing popularity of yellow rape seed as a crop, it means our countryside is a riot of colour as we enjoy the height of summer. Experts say the favourable climate is helping – as well as a high number of roadworks and construction sites in more urban areas.
The editor of the Wild Flower Society magazine said she has been inundated with reports from members about increased poppy growth.
"I have certainly been hearing from our membership that there are a lot more poppies this year," said Pippa Hyde. "This is the first time in 13 years of editing the magazine that I have seen our members naming a particular species so often.
"I think it has been all over the country – the last couple of accounts I've been sent have been from Sussex and the Channel Islands. But it is also in urban areas – on roadsides and in towns."
Ms Hyde said one reason for more poppies this year could be an increase in road maintenance, adding: "If you disturb the ground, the poppy seeds germinate and come up very quickly."
You can send your pictures of summery scenes or your gardens to our Star Witness galleries and be in with a chance of winning £100.
