The Woodlands.co.uk Blog - Plants & Flowers
Wild Garlic Recipes
Anyone who’s walked through a wood and smelt that distinctive onion-y smell has been near one of the commonest, but little used, wild foods. Wild Garlic (Alium ursinum) or ransoms is common in woods all over the UK.
The Rosemary Beetle
In recent years, there has been a new entrant to the RHS list of top ten garden pests. Its ‘top ten’ list is based on the number of inquiries that it receives to its advisory service. The newcomer is the rosemary beetle, Chrysolina americana.
Buttercups, Old and New - Ancient Meadows
Already some buttercups are in flower. They may be found in fields, pastures, hedgerows meadows, and of course, lawns and gardens! The early flowers are often those of the bulbous buttercup (Ranunculus bulbosus). These may be distinguished from those of the meadow buttercup (Ranunculus acris) by looking at the way the green sepals are arranged beneath the flower. In the meadow buttercup, they lie against the flower, whereas those of the bulbous buttercup are said to be “reflexed” – the sepals hang down. Read more…
Elder (Sambucus nigra) - Elder Lore and Elderflower Recipes
The elder is a small but bountiful tree that usually grows on the woodland edge. The tree has an abundance of history and folklore surrounding it and was long regarded as sacred, protected by the elder-mother who resided in its trunk.
Bluebell Woods
One of the pleasures of working for Woodlands.co.uk is the opportunity to enjoy some really spectacular displays of bluebells at this time of year, for example Low Orltons Copse, Kilnfield Wood and Ball Wood in Sussex are beautiful now. (You can see some pictures of these woods in the South-East section of the website.)
However, for those of us who aren’t lucky enough to own our own wood (yet!), the National Trust has selected 10 of its best bluebell woodlands Read more…
Plants, Past & Present Part 2
In recent years, the BSBI and the (NERC) Centre for Hydrology and Ecology have been involved in major projects that have mapped our flora.
Plants, past and present - Part 1
The last decade has included some of the warmest years on record. Last year, 2007, was the eighth warmest on record - being exceeded by 1998, 2005, 2003, 2002, 2004, 2006 and 2001. The signs of climate change are not only apparent in these physical measurements of temperature but also through observations of bud burst, first leaves and the arrival of migrant birds (the science of phenology). Such weather change, if it continues, will no doubt impact on the distribution of plants through the UK (and indeed Northern Europe); some species will be winners and other losers. But, how can we recognize / monitor these changes ? Read more…
I’ve Got My Wood! What Now? – Courses for Small Woodland Owners in Hampshire
So you’ve bought your wood. It’s lovely. Well, what now?
When we bought our wood, we wanted to find out more about it. We started to look at the archaeology and history, and to find out what trees and other plants we had. We could then think about how we could manage it to conserve what was good, and to minimise what we didn’t like. Read more…