The season is moving on at a pace now. The leaf canopy, in this wood it is Beech, is now casting its shadow. The bluebells have faded and are now being swamped by other shade loving plants such as Ferns, or as in this wood….. Wild Garlic.
The pungent scent drifts for miles through the trees whilst the ‘White Stars’ of the flower heads sparkle in the shade. Ramsons (or Allium Ursinum) are also known by many other country names such as Bear Garlic, Buckram but Wild Garlic is the most popular…… as it says exactly what it is.
The leaves are used in salad, as a vegetable, used to make a soup or added to Pesto in place of or to augment Basil. Archaeologists also suggest it is one of the oldest culinary vegetables as traces have been found in many excavations.
20th May
DAVID OAKES - IMAGES. 