Woodland bluebells and May wild flowers

May 12, 2024May 12, 2024 ~ My virtually free-from kitchen ~ Leave a comment

Gateway_to_Scottish_bluebell_woods — Gateway to the bluebell woods. Image: Kathryn Hawkins

Hello again. I hope you are enjoying some fine weather and the colours of spring. At last, it stopped raining here this week, and the temperature rose by a few degrees. It was the perfect time to get out and about and see what is going on in the local countryside.

Bluebell_covered_hills — Hillside bluebells under a blue sky. Image: Kathryn Hawkins

Just a few miles down the road from where I live in central Scotlans, is an area of woodland called Strowan Woods. It is a peaceful place, in fact it is the site of a woodland cemetery. As you follow the path through the cemetery, you come across an area called Bluebell View, and what an amazing sight it was this weekend. So many bluebells growing on the side of the hillside, and in the sunshine the perfume was quite intoxicating.

A_grassy_path_through_bluebell_woods — Down the bluebell path. Image: Kathryn Hawkins

Follow the path into the woods and there are bluebells as far as the eye can see. It was a beautiful sight, and so peaceful and quiet, just the birds singing.

Scottish_wild_Bluebell_panorama — Bluebells as far as the eye can see. Image: Kathryn Hawkins

The path follows the river and you can see the flowers stretching over the other side of the water into the distance.

Bluebells_on_a_riverbank — On the riverbank. Image: Kathryn Hawkins

Bluebell_woods_across_the_River_Earn — More bluebells across the river. Image: Kathryn Hawkins

As well as the scent of bluebells, the aroma nearer the river was of wild garlic. Now in bud, a few of the pretty allium flowers had started to blossom.

Riverside_wild_garlic_flowers_in_bud — Wild garlic flower buds. Image: Kathryn Hawkins

Wild_garlic_in_flower — Wild garlic flowers. Images: Kathryn Hawkins

In amongst the bluebells and wild garlic, I found a few other species of woodland flowers hidden away in the shelter of the trees. From left to right, top: wild Primroses; buttery yellow Celandines; and the tiny veined petals of Wood Sorrel, and in the row below: white wood Anemones; pink Purslane, and tiny wild violets.

May_Scottish_woodland_flowers — May woodland wild flowers. Images: Kathryn Hawkins

The Yellow Archangel plant, Lamium galeobdolon, was growing quite prolifically in one area. The plant is a member of the mint family, and I know if you have that herb planted in your garden, it runs all over the place. The yellow flower heads of the plant remind me of rather sinister-looking open mouths which doesn’t quite ring true with its altogether more godly name.

Lamaistrum_Yellow_archangel_plant — Yellow Archangel. Images: Kathryn Hawkins

I’m going to sign off with a couple more images of my woodland walk. I hope you have a good few days ahead, and I look forward to getting back into the kitchen again for my next post at the end of the month. Happy Spring 🙂

Scottish_bluebell_woods — Nature’s blue and green woodland carpet. Image: Kathryn Hawkins

Scottish_bluebells_in_the_wild — Wild bluebells close-up. Images: Kathryn Hawkins

A springtime woodland walk

April 4, 2019April 4, 2019 ~ My virtually free-from kitchen ~ Leave a comment

Wild_English_Bluebells_in_a_Sussex_woodland — End of March, Bluebells. Images: Kathryn Hawkins

For this week’s post, I have made a slight departure from my usual offerings. I have just returned from a few days down in the south of England celebrating Mothering Sunday with my family.

The county of Sussex is where I grew up and I remember the bluebell woods especially well. Carpets of fragrant blue flowers lined these particular woods in Slindon, most usually from mid to late April onwards. With the early onset of spring this year, I had a feeling that there might be some out in flower and I wasn’t disappointed. There were quite a few of the delicate, sweet-selling blue blooms alongside many other wild flowers.

Carpets_of_white_wood_anemones — Wood anemones. Images: Kathryn Hawkins

Wild_primroses_under_a_tree_and_on_a_woodland_bank — Wild primroses. Images: Kathryn Hawkins

It was a glorious day in these woods. The sun was warm and the sky was blue. The flowers seemed to almost glow in the bright light, and with the combination of good weather and the untimely blooming of these wild flowers, it was hard to remember exactly what month it actually was.

Wild_Ladies_smock_(Cuckoo_flower)_Celandine_and_Herb_Robert — Lady’s Smock (Cuckoo flower), Celandine and Herb Robert. Images: Kathryn Hawkins

Not only were there flowers to enjoy in the woods, but the hedgerows and trees around and about were full of life too. Several species of butterfly were darting around from flower to flower (too quick for me to capture), and the bees buzzing and busy collecting pollen. It’s going to be a bumper year for hedgerow fruits if these blossom-laden Blackthorn trees are anything to go by.

Blackthorn_blossom — Blackthorn against a blue sky. Images: Kathryn Hawkins

My final image this week is of a Sussex pastoral scene and a tree that encompasses this time of year so well, the Salix Discolor, or Pussy Willow, with its fuzzy pollen-laden stamens so tempting to the bees and flying insects.

Pussy_Willow_tree_overhanging_a_field — Pussy Willow. Image: Kathryn Hawkins

I hope you have enjoyed the visit to Sussex this week. I will be back with you next week with something equally seasonal. Until then, have a good week and enjoy Spring 🙂

Spring, glorious spring

April 26, 2018April 26, 2018 ~ My virtually free-from kitchen ~ 4 Comments

Solo_Snakeshead_Fritillary_in_spring_sunshine — Snakeshead Fritillary under a blue spring sky. Image: Kathryn Hawkins

It really was a glorious day today. After a few April showers this morning, it was a sunshiny blue-sky afternoon. It was very pleasant to take a stroll, breathe in the fresh air and enjoy the sunshine. Out of the sun, it is still chilly, and the night-time temperature is low, but the spring flowers are at their best right now, and I couldn’t resist another post showing how the garden is looking at this very colourful and fragrant time of year. The scent from some of the flowers is intoxicating, I only wish there was some way of posting the aromatics as well as the images!

Red_and_white_striped_tulips_under_a_blue_sky — Bold and brash, candy-striped tulips. Image: Kathryn Hawkins

Pale_lemon_multi-headed_Narcissus — Pale lemon Narcissus, each tiny stem has 4 very fragrant blooms. Image: Kathryn Hawkins

I’m in the throes of a very busy period with my work and subsequently, I have had little time to spend trying new recipes in the kitchen. I will have a recipe post ready for next week though, so in the meantime, I hope you enjoy the glorious multi-colours of my Scottish spring garden. See you next week.

Pale_pink_rhododendron_in_full_bloom_under_a_blue_sky — Pale pink rhododendron. Image: Kathryn Hawkins

Group_of_grape_hyacinths_growing_at_the_foot_of_a_privet_hedge — Grape hyacinths (Muscari) by a privet hedge. Image: Kathryn Hawkins

Pink_and_magenta_hyacinths_growing_in_a_shady_border — Highly fragrant, double-blooming pink and magenta hyacinths. Image: Kathryn Hawkins

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

April flowers

April 9, 2017March 12, 2018 ~ My virtually free-from kitchen ~ 2 Comments

White_Pieris — White Pieris in April sunshine. Image: Kathryn Hawkins

There is a multitude of colours in the garden this month. A combination of warmer, sunnier days, a few showers here and there, and cool nights, has brought glorious technicolor to the beds and borders. The Pieris shrubs have been in flower for a couple of weeks already, and are now fully laden with bunches of droplet-like blossoms. Their aroma is spicy and fresh, and the bees are buzzing all over them.

The zesty colours of the Euphorbia are showing now. In my garden, the plant grows most prolifically in the dappled, shadier parts, and has become quite a forest, as the stems self-seed each year.

Fresh_new_growth_on_ Euphorbia — Bright, fresh and green, Euphorbia. Image: Kathryn Hawkins

Growing in little groups in the flower-beds and alongside the paths, are the tiny, clustered flowers of the grape hyacinth. Sweet-scented, dainty in stature, with bold, blue bell-shaped petals, they stand out prominently amidst all the fresh greenery.

Muscari_or_grape_hyacinth — Muscari (grape hyacinth). Image: Kathryn Hawkins

I planted anemones for the first time last autumn, and they seem to be thriving. The colour of the pink and red varieties is particularly dazzling in the sunshine.

Pink_anemone — Fuschia-pink anemone. Image: Kathryn Hawkins

Dazzlingly_bright_red_anemone_flower — Scarlet-coloured anemone. Image: Kathryn Hawkins

The warmth of the sun has opened up the blossom buds on several of the fruit trees this past week. The Morello cherry is always one of the first to flower. I have high hopes for a bumper crop this year as there are blossoms up and down every stem. The small tree is an espalier and grows against a south-facing wall. It is about 6 years old and for the past couple of years, has produced a fair crop of fruit.

Morello_cherry_blossom — Morello cherry blossom. Image: Kathryn Hawkins

One of the more unusual-looking flowers at this time of year is the Snakeshead Fritillay. Immediately you can see how it gets its name. The striking flower heads grow on tall, spindly stems with grass-like leaves; they are almost camouflaged in amongst the new shoots in the flowerbeds and the back-drop of the beech hedge.

A_few_stems_of_snakeshead_fritillay — Snakeshead fritillary. Image: Kathryn Hawkins

Another flowering plant that is unremarkable from a distance, is this tiny yellow violet. It grows in a single clump in the back garden. The petals are so pale and delicate, the blooms are easily over-looked because it grows so close to the ground. If you can get close enough, the flowers have the faint aroma of vanilla.

Tiny_pale_yellowviolet_with_vanilla_scented_flowers — Tiny pale-yellow violet. Image Kathryn Hawkins

My final plant this month, is another aromatic: Ribes sanguineum. At this time of the year, the flowers and foliage smell of blackcurrants and, to me, its flowering means that spring is well under way with the promise of summer not too far off. Until next month, enjoy the sights and smells of the season.