getting out

Since easing of some restrictions, we are no longer asked to "stay local", 

so yesterday we set out to find some wild bluebells, afraid that may be we missed the show. Their season is about now, or earlier if we get warm spring. But for most of April we had frosty most nights and it has been very, very dry, so everything is late.

We drove out to our old haunts, the Stourhead Estate, 

which is managed by the National Trust.

There, in the middle of the forest is a place where one can't fail to see bluebells, but even here they are only just now coming through.

 

This is the edge of the Parkhill Camp.

In about a week, or 10 days time this area will be covered in a carpet of blue.

But there on the sunny banks of the "Camp" there are blue areas already, 

some hidden among wild primroses.

They are such an iconic sight of English spring.

Despite feeling little cheated because we arrived too early to see the whole "show", 

we enjoyed our walk in the woods, with so much fresh lime green all around,

and many wild flowers too.

It felt a very "normal" day.

And today is raining - at last!

Unusually - the rain is very welcome 😀

©pleasureinstitching.blogspot.co.uk 2010-2021

looking for bluebells

Spring is late this year, at least by 2 - 3 weeks, may be more. We are still having night frosts and hailstone showers during the day, but they are telling us that warmer weather will be coming our way later next week. 

At last - I am itching to plant up pots outside, and generally spend more time in the garden.

Bluebells should be out everywhere, but although they are out on the sunny banks, they are only starting to open in more shady areas.

DH and I took a long walk this morning, to the woods above Stourhead, to find some bluebells to take pictures of.

Besides the garden, the Stourhead Estate covers a large, mainly wooded area.

The point marked "you are here" is at the start of the Park Hill Camp, believed to had been an iron age settlement.

 It is now an open grassy area, in the past years by now covered by a blue carpet of bluebells.

Today the picture is very different, with bluebells only just starting to show themselves.

We had more luck in the surrounding woods.

We should be well used to it, but every year we look forward to this sight - carpets of blue flowers, gently nodding their heads.

©pleasureinstitching.blogspot.co.uk 2016

bluebell time

Despite the continuing cold weather, the bluebells are opening out in more sheltered places.

I haven't yet taken any good pictures myself this year; this is one was taken by my son yesterday, just a couple of miles from here.

You can see how slow this year's spring is;
my picture in the header was taken exactly at the same time in April few years ago and you can see how much greener it was then.

©pleasureinstitching.blogspot.co.uk 2016

bluebell time

You can see them everywhere, in the woods, on grass verges on the sides of roads, in gardens. Something to look forward to every spring, my favorite time of year, with the fresh greens of young leaves.

                               

These are pictures from the forest on the Stourhead Estate.

Not all bluebell flowers are fully opened yet, but already there is a blue carpet through the woods.

And as if to prove that the nature is not perfect - one white among all that blue.

The spring is the best time of the year for wild flowers.

In our new garden - a young quince tree, planted this winter, is in full bloom.

Enjoy your weekend!

©pleasureinstitching.blogspot.co.uk 2014

bluebells and sheep

Today was a glorious Sunday morning and we took an early morning walk, through the woods, to the Park Hill Camp, which is believed to be a site of an Iron Age settlement and is now a part of

the Stourhead Estate, looked after by the National Trust.

It is a nice place to come see bluebells in the spring and a good place for a picnic any time.

Today there were also some sheep grazing among the bluebells.

"look, there are some people watching us "

"another person with a camera; ignore her, she will go away"

"who, me? is this my best side?"

©pleasureinstitching.blogspot.co.uk 2013

spring meadow

We had a beautiful Easter, with wonderful warm weather, which allowed us to spend lots of time outside. We enjoyed the company of our family for Sunday lunch and relaxing afternoon in the garden.

On Monday morning we were taken on a "wild flower safari" by a local farmer.

Wild flowers have been on a decline for many years, mainly due to modern farming methods. The farmers were encouraged to plough right up to the edges of the fields and get rid of the hedges which surrounded them. The addition of fertilizers help to destroy the natural habitat for wild flowers.

Luckily, we all have realized in time, that we are destroying something very precious, and once gone, it will not come back. The government is now giving financial incentives to our farmers to replace the original hedgerows, to leave a belt of unploughed land around the fields, and where possible, let the field return to a meadow. Of course, this takes several years to achieve, but the farmer now has several meadows, with an abundance of wild flowers and he was very proud to show us around.

The walks around his meadows are open to public, so anyone can come and enjoy the flowers.

The selection of wild flowers depends on the time of year, constantly changing.

At the moment this field is covered in

cowslips

wild orchids



                                                  and spring pea

The highlight of our wild flower walk was this 2 acre bluebell woodland. I know I showed you pictures of bluebells before, but this is something on quite a different scale. I haven't seen so many flowers in one place before.

and among bluebells - yellow archangel (nettle family)

Spring is my favourite time of year and living in the country we can enjoy it so much more. We have been very lucky this year, having such an early spring, specially after a hard winter.

But, it has also been very, very dry and that is not so good. We are now watering even our plum trees, or we can't hope for any fruit this year. The weather is cooling now, down to normal temperatures, but still no sign of rain.