The sunny and warm first day of spring brings on the first flowering bluebells. The daffodils are now at their most beautiful. The white flowers of the anemones are like white stars on a deep green carpet of bluebell leaves. But the weather forecast is not brilliant for the next week. We won’t see a blue forest full of bluebells in March. If you come from far away, especially to see the bluebells, it’s best to wait a bit for a visit to the forest.
Moschatel blossoms with inconspicuous green flowers are in bloom. The daffodils are flowering nicely now. Deeply hidden between the leaves, the first buds appear on the bluebells. It’s still too early to see the first flowering bluebells. Hopefully there will be no more cold periods during late March and early April.
Hairy wood-rush is blooming on the flanks of the sunken roads. Barren strawberry is blooming along the paths. On humid chalky places the inconspicuous dog’s mercury is flowering.
Flowering willow catkins provide pollen for the brimstone which hibernates as an adult, and now flutters in the forest. In the ‘Kapittelvijver’ (Chapter’s pond) toads find a partner, while a pair of Mandarin ducks is enjoying the setting sun. In the edges of the wood, white flowering Blackthorn bushes catch the eye.
Everywhere in the forest, like white little stars, wood anemone flowers appear. Lesser celandine is now in full bloom. The wild daffodils keep their beauty.
The first wood anemone are flowering, they are still very small. On the edges of the paths the first yellow flowers of the lesser celandine greet the sun. The leaves of the bluebells pierce through the brown carpet of old beech leaves.
The first wild daffodils(Lent lily) flower. Commmon gorse is flowering.
The blue-green leaves of the wild daffodils can be found in some places. The yellow flower buds are ready to open.
Lesser periwinkle flowers. The yellow dogwood on forest edges that have been planted in recent years, also comes into flower. The red berries are of the Guelder rose. The small yellow Ray flowers are coltsfoot which blooms before the leaves appear.
Along the forest edges where the sunlight is, the hazel is flowering. The male, yellow hanging catkins catch the eye. Look for the pretty little female flowers along the twigs. These are naked flowers, meaning they do not have any petals, only the red pistil (female organ) form the bud.
