It's Bluebell Time

Bluebells in Great Ridge Wood, Wiltshire

May is a very special month in the English countryside. This year the wild flowers are absolutely spectacular, partially because the spring was put 'on hold' by the cold weather. Species that normally overlap briefly are in full bloom at the same time, so the woods in west Wiltshire boast superb displays of bluebells, violets and primroses.

The unimproved calcareous grasslands of the Wiltshire Downs and the Cotswolds have a stunning combination of orchids and cowslips.

Early Purple orchids and Cowslips near Broadway