Bluebells get people all poetical
THIS may seem like déjà-vu as you read my annual March homage to the bluebell, but they seem to be getting better every year.
When we first moved into our Lancashire cottage, parts of the local woodland had a blue and green tinge. This year there are carpets throughout the whole area.
And pretty much everywhere you go you will find woods filled with vivid greenery which will eventually become moving seas of blue flowers.
There is something about bluebells that make people get all poetical – and quite rightly too. Even the slightest gust offers the effect of a rolling sea of blue and green.
The movement is exaggerated by the nodding of the heavy bluebells bending stems downwards and rocking along with the wind. These flowers have spent most of the year underground as bulbs in the ancient woodlands like Aughton Woods and Boilton Woods in Lancashire.
Green shoots start to show in late February and then blue and purple flowers arrive in April for far too short a time.
There could be millions of bulbs hidden underneath your local woodland and this is great news for insects looking for a bit of work in the area.
Native bluebells have the bend in their stems and flowers tend to congregate on one side of the stem.
That causes a nodding motion which is the reason behind the ‘blue bells’ name.
You can almost hear them ringing as you wander past in woodland.
Picking any wildflower is pointless as they will only last a few hours in a jar of water.
Digging up bulbs is strictly illegal but sadly you still see people doing it in local woods.
The Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester and North Merseyside is dedicated to the protection and promotion of the wildlife in Lancashire, seven boroughs of Greater Manchester and four of Merseyside.
It manages around 40 nature reserves and 20 Local Nature Reserves covering acres of woodland, wetland, upland and meadow. The Trust has 27,000 members, and over 1,200 volunteers.
To become a member of the Trust go to the website lancswt.org.uk or call 01772 324129. For more information about Cheshire Wildlife Trust call 01948 820728 or go to cheshirewildlifetrust.org. uk.