A Close Up Look at Spring

It ia lovely to see so many different flowers as Spring progresses. I have remembered to take my camera with me on a few walks and particularly to take my telephoto lens so I now have a few photos to share with you to help raise your spirits.

Wild garlic or Ramsoms as it is also known grows profusely in our woods. It has a very distinctive onion smell which is particularly evident as you step on the leaves as you walk through it. I remember as a child picking some to add to my flower press for my pressed flower collection. It nearly stank the whole house out! 

The leaves are currently popular to eat in salads. A local vegetable box delivery service were adding them to their boxes. I have a pretty good idea what Farmer Husband would say if I added garlic leaves to his dinner plate!

Then there are of course lots of bluebells, hopefully only the English Bluebell and not the Spanish variety which is infiltrating a lot of woodland.

The beautiful delicate wood anemone which is found in many ancient woodlands. Not the easiest to photograph.

Damper darker parts of the woodland have a variety of different ferns emerging.

I have recently mentioned the cowslip which favours unfertilised, undisturbed meadowland. It grows liberally in our field called Holey Ground, name because of it's many dips from past surface quarrying, not a religious connotation. This pasture is on part of the farm that is not cut or grazed until later summer to encourage the growth of wild flowers and grasses. It is consequently a haven for butterflies in the summer.

There quite a lot of violets around. These are more than likely the Common Dog Violet again very small and tricky to photograph. These were fortunately on a sunny bank so easy to capture.