The wild daffodils are now beautifully in bloom. If they do not get damaged by fierce downpours over the next few days, they will also be nice next weekend. Carpets of white flowers of wood anemones start to form, especially if the sun is shining. A walk in the woods gives you a wonderful spring feeling.
There is a new edition of the hiking map. The map is available for free. See at this page.
Monday 4 April, road works will start on the Nijvelsesteenweg.
In the first week of the Easter holidays, the wild daffodils will be the most striking spring bloomers. If you come from far away, especially to see the bluebells, it’s best to wait a bit for a visit to the forest. Some bluebells start to bloom, but there is no purple blue carpet of flowers in the forest at this moment.
The daffodils are now at their most beautiful. Celandine, the other springflower with yellow flowers, blooms also beautifully. Everywhere in the forest, wood anemone flowers appear, like white little stars. But as with Celandine, they need the sun to open. When it rains, the flowers of celandine stay closed and the flowers of the wood Anemone hang down to keep their pollen dry. In the parts of the forest with bluebells, the green of their leaves is the predominant colour. With the softer temperature, blooming is gradually starting. But it is too early for a blue forest. The morning, when everything is still quiet in the woods, is the ideal time to observe roe deer. If you see a deer, it’s best to stand still and be very quiet. Then you have the chance that they do not run away immediately. Roe deer see every movement very well and they hear every sound with their big ears. The does are now pregnant. Dog-fanciers: keep your dog on a leash, so they do not hunt the deer.
From Monday 4 April till 30 July, there will be road works on the Nijvelsesteenweg. If you come to the forest by car in that period it is recommended to use Parking 1 Hogebermweg.
Better news is that next week the new version of the hiking map will be available. Just before sunrise and after sunset is “the blue hour”. A camera is more sensitive to the blue light than our eyes.
Due to the colder weather in the last month the evolution of the bloom has come on the same schedule of the last few years. Many wild daffodils are still in bud. The most beautiful period for the daffodils will be the last 10 days of March. Wood anemones start to bloom, but the plants and flowers are very small still. The bluebells are forming leaves now. Some flower buds are discernible, but deeply between the leaves, well sheltered for the cold. Celandine blooms beautifully along the edges of the paths.
If you can come only once to the forest, especially to enjoy the bluebells, you must have some patience, and wait for the first warm days of spring. If you have the opportunity to come several times, you can already enjoy the forest and its spring flowers. In the morning, woodpeckers are drumming to proclaim their territory, jays keep guard, nuthatches sing, the roe deer enjoy the quiet of the morning.
Groups of wild daffodils can now be seen in the wood. But many plants have yet to start flowering. The beautiful period for the daffodils (‘Easter flower’ in Dutch) will be the second half of March. Small flowering wood anemones appear, but do not form white carpets yet. Every day more flowers of celandine appear along the edges of the paths that get more sunlight.
Monday April 4th, road works will start on the Nijvelsesteenweg. More information about the accessibility of the forest during these works will follow shortly. The forest remains accessible by public transport. The 155 and 156 lines of ‘De Lijn’ will follow their usual route. However, the line 114 of the TEC will be deviated from its usual route. The bus stop at the forest will be moved to the Kasteelbrakelsesteenweg.
Well protected between the roots of a thick beech, a first lonely wild hyacinth is growing. This month, some trees will be measured and marked (with a hammer as wooden seal stamp), they will be sold by auction in June. To measure the trees, the foresters use a digital measuring clamp for the first time. After determining the species of tree and measuring its circumference, the bark of the tree is removed with the ax-side of the hammer, and with the Royal stamp-side the shape of a lion is beaten in the heartwood.
Due to the cold, wet weather in the second half of February, growing slowed down. The wild daffodils are coming in bloom, but full bloom is to be expected in the second half of the month. The small yellow flower that resembles the sunrays is coltsfoot which blooms before the leaves appear. In the edges of the wood, white flowering Blackthorn bushes catch the eye. The first white flowers of wood anemone are flowering, they are still very small. The leaves of the bluebells pierce through the brown carpet of old beech leaves and give the forest floor a green touch. On the warmest places the first flower buds start to peep through the leaves. Roadworks on the Nijvelsesteenweg will have a significant impact on the accessibility of the forest from the beginning of April. More information will follow when available.
The first wild daffodils are blooming, this is very early, about a month earlier than last year. But there are only a few; most daffodils don’t have their leaves yet. The flowers of the first blackthorns that are already flourishing have suffered from the heavy rains of the past few days. All that rain makes for puddles with beautiful reflections.
The weather forecast for the next fourteen days: lower temperatures. This will affect blooming, which will slow down.
It seems a bit like spring in winter. Lesser periwinkle and barren strawberry bloom earlier than last year. The yellow flowers of coltsfoot are also ready to sprout. What is special about this plant, is that it flowers before the leaves appear, just like the blackthorn. The dried leaves of coltsfoot used to be mingled with syrup and sugar to make cough drops. Hence the scientific name “Tussilago” (chasing away cough). On the flowering hazel, the male, yellow hanging catkins catch the eye. Look for the less conspicuous pretty little female red flowers just on top of the catkins, they do not have any petals.
