The English countryside in springtime is truely gorgeous to behold. The roadside verges have been populated with stately yellow daffodils and roads of all sizes are flanked by white-blossomed bushes/hedges. And stunning pink cherry blossom and magnolia trees flourish in peoples' gardens. Now, in late April, it is time for the bluebells to shine. The native bluebell is a protected species under the Wildlife and Countryside Act of 1981, so one cannot pick these or damage them in any way. Today the scented native bluebell lives alongside the unscented Spanish bluebell which seems to have escaped from Victorian gardens. The native bluebell has a characteristic dropping stem, while the Spanish variety stands more upright and may outgrow the native variety over time.
I have only just become aware of the battle of the bluebells, and certainly from a distance I would imagine that a woodland floor carpeted in either variety would be just as magical. The photos shown here were taken in Swan Wood, near Stock (Essex) on a lovely sunny morning. Not having lived in the UK for 30 years, I think this is only the second time I've seen such a mass of bluebells in as many years. So now I know where to find them, I will be sure to make an annual pilcrimage. This forest is of beech trees, and their new foliage softened the light and helped make a wondrous scene.
