Friday, 1 May 2015

Into the Woods for some Close Encounters!

I have come across a new photo challenge for the month of May called "Movies in May". You can find the details on Sian's blog here. The full list is as follows.


So I thought I would make a start straight away by going Into the Woods for some Close Encounters with some of the flowers there!
We call our small wood The Bluebell Woods even though a large part of it is now mainly populated with wild garlic.


This in itself is a very pretty flower if a little uniquely scented!


There are some people around our way who collect the wild garlic leaves to add to the veg boxes that they sell. I am pretty sure of the kind of expletives my husband would give if I tried adding it to his green salad.......
The bluebells are only just coming out.


 They looks so delicate in comparison to the more clumsy Spanish bluebell that we have in our gardens. There are concerns that the cultivated type could infiltrate into our English woods.





There are other flowers to be found.


If you look very carefully you may find the occasional early orchid.


A close encounter with the everyday flora can be just as picturesque as the more unusual.





















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6 comments:

  1. Lady Ella1 May 2015 at 22:47

    I saw this on Sian's blog. Clever idea and you have made a great start. Now I'm thinking about joining in too. Hmmm...

    Excellent close-up of the garlic. I have hybrid bluebells in my garden - I think they have some hyacinth in them as well! At Whipsnade Zoo there is a section of English bluebells fenced off for conservation. I'm not sure how they manage to keep the bees out though! I wonder if the pure variety can survive...

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    1. Maggie1 May 2015 at 22:58

      Thank you for your comments Ella. What baffled me even more was reading about Virginia bluebells on Patty's blog https://bitze.wordpress.com/2015/04/21/its-bluebell-time-again/ and also on my sister's blog http://julietinwashington.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/bluebell-woods.html. I had never heard of these!

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    2. Lady Ella2 May 2015 at 10:07

      Pretty pics on your sister's blog! I remember coming across the American bluebell a while ago while trying to see if the woods near me had "pure" bluebells or not. (Also found the Scottish bluebell, which I think is actually a harebell?) I think she's right in that they aren't related but her photos show how pretty they are even if the impression from a distance reminds me more of speedwell than bluebell. I wonder if they grow from bulbs like the European varieties?

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  2. Juliet2 May 2015 at 06:57

    Lovely photos, Maggie and an interesting challenge.

    Whilst the flowers known as Virginia Bluebells have the name, I don't think there is any real connection to these bluebells. Like the American Robin (actually a member of the thrush family) it is a case of something being named for a similarity with or for reminding someone of something from the UK.

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  3. Miriam2 May 2015 at 13:36

    What a very beautiful post. Your photos are fabulous! I have posted bluebells to my Instagram gallery today. We are just about to leave to go to Leigh Woods & Ashton Court to see the bluebells x

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  4. Sian4 May 2015 at 13:28

    Oh, this is a clever one! I'm going to have to start thinking..

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