The play of colours has now begun. Deep purple flowering bluebells are combined with transparent bright green from the young beech leaves. This is exactly the sight that many nature lovers are looking forward to seeing. Let’s hope that the high beeches don’t start getting leaves soon, so that the fairytale can last for some more time.
The first young beech leaves appear on the low beech. On the plateaus the magical time has started. But the next days the purple blue color will get even more intense. The valley flanks get a first hint of purple. There are more flowering bluebells every day.
Great contrast between the valleys, who are still ‘green’ and the flowering bluebells on the plateaus.
The plateau of the ‘Tranendal’ (Vale of tears) is every day more blue. But the valleys are still green.
This weekend the forest will be beautiful with flowering anemones. The warm period until the middle of next week will help the bluebells to come into bloom.
The many beechnuts and acorns from last autumn have ensured that there are plenty of mice. Because tawny owls feed their young with mice, this year there are more owlets.
In the verges along the paths, early dog-violets are blossoming. Along the stream edges the yellow flowers of oxlips catch the eye.
There are wood anemones in abundance: everywhere, the forest floor is white and green. Every day more bluebells are flowering, but a “blue carpet” is definitely not yet there for this weekend.
The wild daffodils are still pretty but they are starting to go over. Flowering anemones take over the forest. Under the conifers, white flowers of white wood sorrel are appearing.
Flower buds of wild bluebells are shooting up. The next warm period, in a few days time, might see the forest turn blue. The beechnuts that fell last autumn are awaking. They look just like young seedlings with “elephant ears”.
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.
