Taken from Lynne’s weekly column ‘Green Scene’ for the Western Mail
18th May 2019
Beautiful Bluebells
I think the beautiful bluebell carpets have lasted longer this year – maybe because of the cold nights – and they were also a little later coming into bloom than previous years. They are usually at their best over the first May Bank Holiday but as the tree canopies have been later coming into leaf, it has delayed the blue blooms. They wait for a certain amount of canopy coverage so they have both light and shade. Bluebells are often found in Beech Woods and they have sharp leaf tips to allow them to push through the tough beech leaf carpet on the woodland floor – look carefully and you might even see a beech leaf speared by a bluebell’s leaf.
Their presence in ancient woodland sites also indicates that the original bluebells in that woodland could well be over 400 years old. They take a long time to spread by seed, as little as under a metre in a year; so when you see the really impressive huge blue drifts you can imagine how long they have taken to spread. Bluebells are often seen amongst bracken too, as on Skomer Island, as bracken provides a false canopy.
As tempting as it might be, it is illegal to take plants from the wild and if you do want to have bluebells in your own garden it’s important that you buy the native species from a specialist nursery. Many of the garden centres sell the Spanish Bluebell, which is incredibly invasive and is threatening our native species. The Spanish flower is much bigger than the native one and is also available in white and even pink whereas the native is only blue. The anthers of the native bluebells are white and it is fragrant, unlike the Spanish imposter. And if you already have the Spanish bluebells taking over in your garden, please don’t dump them in the countryside, as that’s how they get introduced to the wild and then take over.
The UK hosts nearly 75% of the world’s native bluebell population and a large proportion of those are found in Wales, so we need to look after them – they are an extremely important part of our National Heritage.
If you want to see the beautiful blue carpets yourself try Castell Coch and Caerphilly mountain and there is also the renowned Bluebell Woods (Coed Cefn) near Crickhowell. For more Blue-tiful Bluebell walks in your area pop into www.ramblers.org.uk
Puffin Pictures Please
This time last year I was having an amazing time amongst the puffins (and bluebells) on Skomer Island. So when the RSPB contacted me about their ground-breaking project ‘Puffarazzi’ I was only too happy to help. Visitors to puffin colonies around the UK and Ireland in spring and summer 2019 and 2020 are being asked to join the Puffarazzi by photographing the colourful seabirds with fish in their bills. The project is also asking for historical photos to be submitted to aid conservation efforts. All these images will help scientists learn more about what puffins are feeding their chicks, known as pufflings. With the species now classed as vulnerable to extinction, this project aims to find out the causes of these UK declines, which are feared to be related to a reduction in food availability caused by climate change.
More details, including how to avoid disturbing puffins while photographing them, such as keeping movements and noise to a minimum, not walking near or over puffin burrows, and keeping about five metres away from puffins at all times can be found at www.rspb.org.uk.projectpuffinuk
There is also the online form for submitting the photographs on their website.
The Big Walk
Yogi, my terrierist, has been on ‘light duties’ for a few weeks as she has torn her cruciate ligament. No walks, no work and no jumping up on the furniture for 6 months. It’s fair to say, she’s not impressed. A reduction in food to keep her weight down has added to her pain, but we have found a way of getting her out and about. I have converted a child’s carrying back-pack for her so we can still get out in the hills (see pic.) A former SAS friend has teased me about getting ‘Bergen fit’, so as part of my training I thought I would join the Big Walk for Prostate Cymru on Saturday 13th July 2019.
Wales’ longest and most challenging group charity walk was created to raise funds for Wales’ leading prostate health charity. For it’s seventh year, this year’s Big Walk begins inside the iconic Principality Stadium, Cardiff and will be started by Max Boyce. There are two routes for participants to choose from, a short route (13 miles, equivalent of a half marathon) finishing at The Duke of Wellington, Cowbridge, and the long route (26 miles, and equivalent of a full marathon) finishing at Kenfig Hill RFC, Bridgend. This year’s theme is ‘Funky Glasses’, and businesses, organisations or sports clubs with a team of 10 or more, can contact chris.leyshon@prostatecymru.com
For more information about various options and to sign up before midnight on 15th June visit www.prostatecymru.com/thebigwalk and come along and say Hello to Yogi.
Ta, in my last job, we grew true Bluebells from seed and I was appalled at the preference for the bigger flowering invader from garden centres. I forget the cost of the seed, but it was not cheap! xx