Bluebellissima!

The UK is blessed with some of the finest Bluebell woods in the world and now is the peak time to get out and see them! Earlier this year there were quite a few early flowerers reported, but a combination of a dull and cold spell soon kept the masses in check. This past week has seen an injection of urgency into the world of the Bluebell, and yesterday Katrina and I paid Margery Wood, (close to Colley Hill), a visit. It couldn't have been better timed.







We were not the only people who had made a special trip to take in this wonderful sight, as couples and families were wandering the simple paths that meander through the woods, cameras in hand, all entranced. The slender, nodding, one-sided stalks were literally in their millions. There were hardly any flowers that had gone over and plenty were still in bud. This show should last a good while yet. The hue of the flowers changed when viewed in full sunlight or dappled shade, from misty mauve to intense blue. I didn't see a single white-flowered plant, but know of a population not a mile away where this colour form is regularly encountered. To be able to look across a woodland floor and see nothing but a blue foggy haze stretching into the distance must be one of the greatest natural sights that the UK possesses.

Comments

Derek Faulkner said…
I've just been out in Hampshire and Surrey for the day and seeing whole meadows and many roadside verges, covered in Cowslip flowers also takes some beating.
2 May 2016 at 15:31
Steve Gale said…
Derek, I knew a rolling field, close to Bookham, that was covered in Cowslips, a real jaw-dropping sight. It is now destroyed, having been turned into part of a new golf course.
2 May 2016 at 18:01
Simon Douglas Thompson said…
Around Newark our local cemetery is the best place for them, but they are Spanish!
2 May 2016 at 20:55
Paul Trodd said…
Cracking shots Steve as often bluebell pics don't do justice to the real thing. The best bluebell vista I know of is Ringshall copse, a Chiltern`s beech wood on the Ashridge estate. Down here Park Wood, Appledore is pretty good too. The bluebell should be our national plant.
6 May 2016 at 22:56
Steve Gale said…
I think it is Surrey's county plant Paul. Hope to see you next week!
7 May 2016 at 16:14
Paul Trodd said…
You could be in for a treat or two if this south-easterly airflow continues...
8 May 2016 at 14:29
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