Studland wood

This is the way.

Moody's Gore

 Ramsons in Moody’s Gore.

Ramsons

 

Ramson (Allium ursinum) shoots started poking through a few week ago, the early birds now sporting well developed leaves, and today I spotted my first flower buds forming. Ramsons really come into their own towards end of April into May, when they'll carpet woodland for as far as the eye can see. It's a beautiful sight. If you've ever stood in a ramson filled wood on a sunny spring day you'll know what I mean, it's magical; and if you haven't you really should. We live a country full of small wonders which for the most part goes unseen or ignored, most certainly not valued as it should be.

Hold on they're coming.

Hold on they're coming, hold on they're nearly here. The buds are all there, bursting to open, and it wont be long before the entire floor of this wood will be carpeted in white and pungent Ramson flowers. I love this time of year; all energy and anticipation.

Ramson buds

I spotted the first Ramson (Allium ursinum) flower buds this morning, the wheel of the really is turning with speed, alarming speed in my opinion. Still, I'd better get my wild food head on, the season of the spring greens is upon us. 

Ramsons

Bang on time the arrival of February sees the first emergence of that perennial wild food favourite the Ramson (Allium ursinum). A ramson woodland in full flower is a wonder to behold, you'll need to wait a couple more months yet for that though.

The scent of spring

Ramsons (Allium ursinum) are a common sight amongst Cranborne's woodlands where they frequently form heavily scented lush green carpets. A Wild Garlic wood has to be one of my favourite, if not my favourite Spring sights (and scents). 

Ramson flowers

The first of the Ramson (Allium ursinum) flowers are just being to unfurl. In a few weeks the woods where these fragrant flowers congregate on mass will put on show the beauty of which will blow you away. It's a spring treat I look forward to; and we are blessed with some fabulous Ramson woods hereabouts.  

 

Imbolc

 

Right on cue the new shoots of spring break on through.

Imbloc blessing y'all /|\ 

Imbolc

Is it me or has the wheel begun to turn faster? It certainly seems so. Ramsons flowering now!, the leaves regularly begin appearing in January or February, though the flowers don't usually appear until early May. In nature strangeness abounds as a see-saw climate plays trickster. Anyway. The days are getting longer and our new sun born at winter solstice grows in strength; the earth's warming, the first green shoots of spring are emerging and the birds sing of new beginnings. A time to prepare, it wont be too long before all the sleeping seeds awake. Imbolc blessings to all.

Nearly.......

Ramson's (Allium ursinum) are coming into bloom throughout Norden Wood, although not with the vigorous displays of previous seasons. It may be that the unseasonal weather has hindered their growth; I know a lot of plants at the allotment have suffered. Or it may simply be one of those seasons, sometimes nature's like that. I'd say about 60-70% of the flowers are open. Still a wonderful sight by any measure. I'll have to pop back next week and take a gander, see what's on show.

Ramsons

 Ramsons are bursting forth.

1st Ramson flowers

The first Ramson flowers (Allium ursinum) of the season are now beginning to show themselves, at this stage still just buds though. Their stirring heralds one of my favourite seasonal events, those few weeks when the woodlands of the Purbeck and the Chase are a sea of green carpeted in millions of clusters of white stars, the air heavily garlic scented. At it's peak some of the woods we frequent are beautiful beyond words, and although I've seen them many many times before, I know I’ll be grinning in wonder at their majesty when I see them again.

Purbeck

 

Walking the Purbeck ridge this morning was wonderful, we'd last walked here back at the beginning of October last year, before the winter lockdown. The wooded hillsides and exposed chalk grassland are waking from their slumber, nature's boundless potential stirs as spring warms. A thick carpet of lush green leaves announce a sea of Ramsons and Bluebells are on their way. The first leaves are unfurling to greet the strengthening sun, whilst the main flush of canopy builds in branches of restless buds.  There's a lot of movement too, from the ground up to the crown. A deer crosses the track and quickly vanishes, melting back into the woodland, whilst numerous squirrels scurry about their business. All accompanied by a wonderful array of birdsong from above. We sat a while amongst the Ash and Oak of King's Wood as it opens into the rough chalk grassland of Kingswood Down. Transitional places have a certain atmosphere to them, two worlds meeting and all that. And I lost myself in natures song, so much so that I was tempted to give up our walk in favour of just sitting. Purbeck: beautiful, magical.  

Ramsons

 

Spring must be coming, the Ramsons are poking through. It's a lovely time of year, everywhere you look the land is waking. Ramson (Allium ursinum) is both useful and attractive. An edible plant with a garlic flavour and scent Ramsons can be used as a flavouring herb, in salads or soups and stews, take care though, it's strong stuff and use without restraint can lead to inedibility (I once had to through a pot of soup away it was so garlicy...and hot!). Ramson is a beautiful plant, and when it's white garlicy scented flowers carpet an entire woodland it's really a sight to behold, and to smell too. This time last year I was walking through the top of Norden Wood, for my money the finest of ramson woods, seeing the green shoots emerging and looking forward to Beltane when the ramson flower carpet is at it's most sublime. Lockdown meant that wasn't to be, I'm hoping for better this year.

Ramson flowers

The Ransom flowers are beginning to bloom under the Hazels in the garden, they're not at all common in this part of the county, so I've established communities of them where ever we've lived (and around where ever we've lived) over the last 40 years. Only a few weeks ago I remember remarking on here how I'd missed the show of Ramson flowers in Norden Wood last year (which always a Ramson wonderland unsurpassed), and was determined not to miss them this year. The fates have other plans, well, the fates, a heinous disease and the authorities that is. Still, it's lovely to have a good sized spread of them in the garden to enjoy...I'm very lucky. 

First Ramson flower bud

Hail and welcome, the first Ramson flower bud I've seen this year, and I've walked through acres of Ramsons over the last couple of weeks. I can't wait until the woodlands are pungent with their blossoms. Tis a joyous time, one of the year's highlights.

Nordon Wood

Today's outing over to Purbeck came in two parts, a sort of surf and turf outing if you will. The turf part took us up and along the Purbeck ridge west of Corfe, with it's glorious views in all directions. It was exactly a month ago we wandered these parts, though this time I engaged my brain and kept to ridge, avoiding the misery of the lower mud clogged tracks. I wanted to check on the progress of Nordon Wood, see how it's Ramson carpet was developing, and by all accounts it's developing nicely.  Compare this photo with the shot I took from the same place in February, and you can see how well they're coming on. What with one thing and another, I missed the Ramson carpeted woodland in it's prime last year, I don't want to do that this year.

Ramsons

This years Ramson's (Allium ursinum) are beginning to come through on cue, nice to see, though it'll be a while yet until they're carpeting the woodland floors. A wood of flowering Ramson's is a wonderful sight, properly magical in the right light, as well as being a tasty and versatile wild food. Don't use too much though, it's powerful stuff. I had to throw a soup away one time, it was just sooooo garlicky, that it was inedible... and I'm a fan of garlic. 

Garlic wood

Even though the Ramsons of Norden Wood are going to seed after another glorious seasonal display, the woodland still looks gorgeous and remains heavy with the scent of garlic. A fairytale wood at this time of year.