Up in the woods it's bluebell time again and their attractive purple haze is spread lightly across the warming hillsides. These are common bluebells and are the older and native species of flower, differing from the Spanish bluebell which is now often found in gardens in the UK. The common bluebell has a deeper colour than the Spanish variety.
Bluebells are used as an indicator of ancient woodland and have been around here since the ice retreated about 12,000 years ago. Also out at the moment are the Ransoms, a form of wild garlic with an attractive smell and nice white flowers. These are similar to the three cornered leeks which like the ransom are also edible. The bulbs can be smoked and eaten, that is smoked like a fish rather than in a pipe, although I haven't tried smoking them in a pipe yet.
The first couple of photos show the bluebells as they were just coming out a couple of weeks ago and most of the rest were taken yesterday, which is a lot more up to the minute than I can usually manage.
It has been a long cold winter and it is good to be able to spend more time pottering through the woods enjoying these signs of returning growth. Nature gets on with her business seemingly unhindered by the increasing foolishness of man. I think she will sort things out in the long run, somehow, although we are not really helping her much as a species at the moment.
