Spring Blossoms, Buds and Bluebells
It’s wonderful to see our Perthshire trees and hedgerows enveloped with delicate white blossom at this time of year, and I for one never tire of seeing it. From a distance it looks magical and pure — close up it’s delicate and detailed. Bees and other insects clearly enjoy it too, and it brings the promise of fruits and berries later in the year. No wonder we love it!
Have you taken a moment yet to go out, find a blossoming tree or bush and just enjoy this beautiful wonder of nature? White is the most common to see, but see if you can find some pink varieties too. Blossom’s beauty is a transient one and will soon be gone for another year, so now if the time to truly appreciate it, finding some peace and calm as we do so.
It’s not just blossoms that are available to appreciate in the great outdoors this month either — there’s lots of other wild flowers that the attentive walker can spot. One of my favourites is the primrose — I just love the creamy pale yellow of the petals and the sweet way they peep from the woodland floor.
If you enjoy foraging — and have done your research and made completely certain of your identifications — then there’s quite a few edible plants now making an appearance, including clumps of wild garlic, and Jack-by-the-hedge, also known as garlic mustard. There’s always plenty of sharp, lemony wood sorrel to see too, and this is the time of year to look out for the delicate wood sorrel flowers, which seem simply a translucent white at first glance, but often have a tinge of deep purple of you look closely.
Speaking of purple, you may also spot a few early bluebells. The best of the bluebells is yet to come of course, and we can’t wait to see the colourful carpets of them in a few weeks time. Take a look at our article on Kinclaven Bluebell Wood if you’d like to plan a walk around this wonderful spring sight.
Wherever it is, next time you go for a walk in Perthshire’s abundant woodlands, see how many different types of blooms you can spot! Blossom is among the most obvious, and it’s certainly absolutely glorious, but remember to also look down — you might be surprised at what’s peeking out from the forest floor.
