Flowering season 20192020-12-25T12:43:48+01:00

Flowering season 2019

info: in the northwestern part of the forest, called ‘Kapittel’ and ‘Kluisberg’, trees have been felled this year (wood extraction). Trunks and crowns are lying in various places in that part of the forest and there are piles of firewood along the trails. From 1 March to 30 June however, the wood extraction stops (“schoon” time) and the loggers are not allowed to continue their work. “Schoon” time comes from the German “Schonen” meaning ‘save’, ‘protect’. The “schoon” period helps to protect the vegetation (spring flowers), to ‘save’ and not to disturb the nesting birds.

Permission for commercial or professional photo shoots, with or without models, or film recordings must be requested via the box office. In the Hallerbos you must always stay on the paths, also when taking pictures and filming. The soil and vegetation are fragile and very sensitive to trampling.

The use of drones is not allowed in the forest.

1004, 2019

April 10th, 2019|Categories: Flowering season 2019|Comments Off on April 10th

The sun! And there are the white stars of the wood anemones again. The bluebells enjoy the spring sun as well, there are new purple-blue flowers every day. The plateaus, warmed by the sun the whole day, are gradually changing into a purple-blue sea of flowers. But many bluebells do not even have their flower buds yet, especially the ones on flanks and slopes. The first fern leaves unroll and small beeches have some fresh green leaves. It’s worth the while to visit the wood on any sunny day now. Do take in account that the Hallerbos is a protected nature reserve with fragile and rare vegetation. It is not a park nor a recreation area. Respect it accordingly. Always stay on the paths. Also to take pictures. Bring a bottle of water and food. Good walking shoes are recommended. If you park your car, remember which parking you are on: all car parks  are numbered. There are 45 km of official walking paths. This does not include the bridle paths, which are forbidden for walkers.

904, 2019

April 9th, 2019|Categories: Flowering season 2019|Comments Off on April 9th

The high air humidity enfolded the wood in a misty atmosphere in the morning. Wood anemones keep their leaves shut so as to keep their pollen dry. The low temperature slows down the bluebells’ flowering, as a result the flanks and the slopes stay ‘green’ with millions of bluebells’ leaves. It is these green leaves that are working hard these weeks to form new bulbs, and wherever these leaves are trampled, there will simply be no bluebells next year. So it is important to stay on the paths, even where there don’t seem to be any bluebells. Young bluebell plants look like ordinary blades of grass for the first four years of their life, they are destroyed in an instant by whoever leaves the path ‘just’ to take a picture.
The carpet of dead beech leaves may seem bare, but is in fact full of tiny young beeches. Also for these, it’s important to stay on the paths. Their first two leaves look like an elephant’s ears. Herb-Paris and Solomon’s seal adorn the edges of the paths here and there. The poles indicating the “bluebells walk” are ready to guide the visitors through the purple-blue fairy-like wood shortly. From the coming weekend on, the special arrangement with the free shuttle bus starts. But this weekend it is still too early to see the intensely flowering bluebells’ sea. When in the wood, pay attention to the access arrangements: pictograms show which path is for whom: walker, biker or horse rider. Being a walker or a biker, never ever go on the horse riders’ paths, they are not for walking or biking and it can be dangerous.

504, 2019

April 5th, 2019|Categories: Flowering season 2019|Comments Off on April 5th

The wood anemones are in full bloom now. Their white petals, yearning for the sunlight, give a wonderful spring atmosphere. Just like every year at the beginning of the flowering of the bluebells, there is a big difference between the plateaus where the sun can heat the soil the whole day, and the flanks of the valleys. The plateaus are slowly getting some purple green colour. The flanks of the valleys are still completely green. Most bluebells have to start flowering yet, also on the plateaus. We will not yet see the bluebells at their flowering peak the next days, but every sunny day is a wonderful spring event.

2903, 2019

March 29th, 2019|Categories: Flowering season 2019|2 Comments

The wood anemones can be enjoyed now with their star-shaped flowers against a green carpet of bluebell leaves. They follow the sun as if they were living solar panels. They will stay the most prominent of spring flowers for the next ten days. More bluebells come into leaf, but they are still a long way from forming a blue sea of flowers as most plants do not have their flower buds yet. Lesser calendine is flowering along the path, its flowers only open when the sun shines. Some flowering early dog-violet can be found, and the fragile, scarce Belgian gagea.  It’s marvellous to walk in the wood on a sunny day. Do stay on the paths, please, also when taking pictures.

2203, 2019

March 22nd, 2019|Categories: Flowering season 2019|Comments Off on March 22th

Great parts of the wood turn white, especially on a sunny day, when the flowers of the wood anemones are fully open to catch every ray of sunlight. Every day is different in the wood. It is wonderful to see nature flourish. If you can come to wood only once, for the bluebells, you need to have some patience still.

2103, 2019

March 21st, 2019|Categories: Flowering season 2019|Comments Off on March 21th

There’s nothing as peaceful as an early morning in the forest, when even a roe deer might be seen. Last week’s showers have left their trace on the wild daffodils. Lesser celandine is flowering on the edges of paths where there’s more light, low on the ground you can see its yellow stars and kidney-shaped leaves. After a quiet night, the flowers of wood anemones are waiting for the sunlight to open. In a few bluebells, deeply hidden and safe between the leaves, flowers buds are ready, waiting for the first warm days.

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