Saturday 4 May 2013

Woodland Paths, Swallows and Homemade Wooden Coasters and Table Mats


Wild Oxlip

Although I've more than enough to do in the garden, I can't miss the chance of walking through the local woods at this time of year, because the wild flowers there are looking wonderful.  Most of my wanderings have been through the wood close to the smallholding, but I've also made a special visit to Shadwell Wood, in North West Essex, to search for wild oxlips.  These lovely woodland flowers are confined to a small area of East Anglia (covering parts of Essex, Cambridgeshire and Suffolk) because they thrive on the boulder clay soil found here. Oxlips resemble the cowslip and the primrose, and flower between March and May.


In my local wood, I've come across lesser celandine...


And violets...




And one of my favourite flowers, the bluebell...


I'm fortunate that Essex has some of best bluebell woods in the country (Norsey Wood, near Billericay, is world-renowned as a bluebell wood). The bluebells are just starting to look fabulous, creating a shimmering blue haze with a beautiful scent. As the climate is generally warm and dry in Essex, wild bluebells don't spread outside the shady, damp conditions of their wood (I'm always amazed when I visit other counties, such as Cornwall, where I see bluebells growing freely in the hedgerows). Because of this, bluebells in Essex are an indicator of ancient woodland i.e. woodland that pre-dates 1600 and the first maps.  In many other areas, where bluebells grow out in the open, they're not used as indicators because they can spread to newer woods.

Harry in the Local Bluebell Wood


The ramson or wild garlic is starting to flower, too - another plant with a powerful scent! 








We have some growing in a small bed on the smallholding, but this isn't flowering yet.

The fields next to the wood aren't farmed and have been left as set-aside for years.  Some of my hives are located here, and this is fantastic for them, because right now these fields are full of dandelions that the bees, butterflies and other insects love...

Peacock Butterfly on a Dandelion

Elsewhere I've come across lambs, which is unusual in this part of the world, because there's little livestock farming here...



And my favourite bird, the swallow, has returned.  They're often sitting on the wires outside the smallholding...




Bees

After I discovered I'd lost one of my colonies, I then found that one of my other hives had lost its queen over the winter.  Where there isn't a queen laying eggs and producing new bees, the colony becomes weaker, so although these bees were healthy enough and were bringing in pollen, they were also gradually dying out.  To save these bees, I've united them with another, stronger colony and, to do this, I've put the two hives together, one on top of the other.  Because the two colonies would fight if they were simply thrown together, I've put a sheet of newspaper between them.  By the time the bees have chewed through this paper, they will have become used to each other's scent and so won't be inclined to attack each other.  The weaker colony will then become part of the stronger one under the one queen.


 
Homemade Coasters and Table Mats

When we realised that our coasters and table mats were looking a bit shabby and needed replacing, we decided to make our own out of wood.  We went to our local carpenters' workshop on the hunt for some off-cuts of oak, and were really fortunate that they agreed, not only to give us some, but to put them through their table saw.  Once cut, we sanded and then used linseed oil on the wood.  We've now created some chunky table mats and coasters, and I think they'll last longer than any that we've bought (which, frankly, never seem to last long...).
.



  Finally, I came across this in the woods.  Is it a cauliflower fungus?  That's my obvious guess.  I'd love to know!

45 comments:

  1. What lovely pictures Wendy you are so lucky living near to woods where I live in Leics. there are none to speak of. A couple of years ago I visited Coton Manor in Northants. and they have a wonderful bluebell wood - it just takes your breath away the colour and smell JUST GORGEOUS. I saw my first swallow on the 15th but no more since it must have been an early arrival. As for the fungus WOW how unusual I have never seen anything like it. And they have to be the chunkiest table mats they should last you a lifetime.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks. The local woods are looking glorious at this time of year. We're lucky to have swallows flying here; I'm looking forward to seeing the young. And our coasters and table mats are pretty chunky and robust, I think you're right, they could last forever!

      Delete
  2. You have a lovely little dog. I enjoy siting in the back garden & watching the swallows in the air.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks - I have to agree, Harry is gorgeous. I'm very fond of the swallows; I also love watching them overhead and hearing their chatter.

      Delete
  3. Fantastic photos Wendy, and Harry is gorgeous! I was fascinated about joining the two bee colonies together and love the idea of them chewing through the paper. Really hoping it works out well- let us know as I shall be thinking about them and willing them on. Loved your table mats and that beautiful picture of the swallow (special birds to me too). CT x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks. The bees should be mingling by now; so I'll open up the hive in the next day or two to have a look. I'm expecting to see shredded newspaper all over the floor! The swallows love sitting on that particular wire; this is where they gather before they fly off in the autumn.

      Delete
  4. Isn't this time of year in woodland just wonderful for the bluebells and wild garlic? I was interested to read how you had joined together your two colonies of bees. I'm not sure about the fungus but if it isn't called cauliflower fungus then it should be - I've never seen it before:)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I completely agree; now is the time to visit the bluebell woods here and in the new few days the drifts of wild garlic will be coming into flower. And it is an obvious name for the fungus, isn't it? I'm looking forward to confirming what it is.

      Delete
  5. I haven't seen oxlips before they look so pretty. Your ancient woodlands are also looking wonderful. I hope joining the two bee colonies together is successful. I love your home made coasters and table mats what a great idea!
    Sarah x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, I love the oxlips and it was wonderful to see them everywhere in this wood. I was determined to save my weak colony of bees and uniting the two hives was the only real chance for them. And the mats and coasters are already in daily use!

      Delete
  6. Our bluebells are well behind you. I've seen a few flower buds today, but no blue as yet!! Very interesting to see how you join the hives.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's interesting. The bluebells were later than usual here, too, although they're now in flower. I'm expecting the two colonies to have settled down together now, the weaker one will be keen to have a queen.

      Delete
  7. Lovely spring photographs - I particularly like your coasters and mats (and your cable-drum table). Thanks for the introduction to joining bee colonies and the cauliflower fungus.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks. We only bought the table a few days ago so this was its first use! This current spell of warm, sunny weather is perfect for the bees, so the new colony created from the old two should really start building up now.

      Delete
  8. Lovely photos and you are so good at identifying all the different flowers. Near me in west London we have a fantastic ancient wood named Perivale Wood, I went there last weekend to see the woodland floor carpeted with bluebells.

    Have you ever seen any bees on the bluebells? I've read that they're very attractive to bees, but I've never noticed any type of bee visiting them.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks. Perivale Wood sounds beautiful at this time of year. I've also never seen a bee on a bluebell, but I was watching the bees bring in pollen yesterday and when I checked the colour chart it did match bluebell.

      Delete
  9. I've enjoyed my visit to the woods today Wendy, and your dear Harry is very sweet. I was fascinated to read how you put the two hives together, simple but so effective. The greenery on bluebells around here is lush but no sign of any flowers yet.
    I've seen a few swallows around one of the barns near to home, they always make me smile :o)
    Love the new coasters - you'll never wear those out!
    Have a glorious few days.
    Rose H
    x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks - Harry was very good and patient while I took his photo! Our bluebells seemed to be at the green stage for ages before they eventually flowered this year. Our swallows nest in the barns in the old farm yard close to us, and it's a wonderful sight to see them first come back here in the spring.

      Delete
  10. Beautiful photos - so lovely to see the Spring flowers and butterflies :) Find it fascinating to read about your bees - I am learning such a lot:) Lovely new coasters by the way :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks. It is wonderful seeing the spring flowers and butterflies everywhere after such a long winter. The bees are really flying at the moment and bringing in pollen. I think they're making up for lost time after being confined to the hives in the cold weather.

      Delete
  11. Such an interesting post Wendy, so interesting to see genuine oxlips, in our garden we have what I think are called false oxlips. When cowslips and primroses have crossed, and we have hundreds of both, but where they overlap we have plants which are a cross between the two. Love your new place mats and coasters, when I was teaching woodcarving at night school, I used to start my student on pieces of wood like this!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks. False oxlips are interesting because they are a cross between the primroses and cowslips. I believe they're growing in many different places in the country, too, unlike the genuine oxlip. And we love working with oak; we were lucky that our local carpenter had these off-cuts spare for us.

      Delete
  12. Hi Wendy, What a lovely post with lovely colourful photos too. I don't think there is anything more beautiful than an English Bluebell wood in springtime. Harry looks adorable among them. There is a little dog who lives near us called Alfie and he looks just like your Harry. When you showed the Wood Anemone's on your previous post I realised the woodland in your area was ancient as they of course are a clear indication. We too have lots of ancient woodland here. I don't see Oxlips often but did last year in the woodland, well forest really, where I was so privileged to find the Emperor butterfly.

    Lovely to see the Swallow too, great photo! it's always a pleasure to see them return. Good luck with the bees, I was fascinated to read how to join two colonies. You are obviously a very knowledgeable bee keeper!

    I'm not too hot on fungi, there are soooo many of them! I'm rather confused by yours it does look just like a cauliflower but looking at photos of Sparassis crispa (Cauliflower fungus) it doesn't look the same and Sparassis crispa seems to grow from the ground rather than on tree trunks. I've looked through my books and on Google but can't find anything else like it though.

    Love the mats and coasters, they look very durable and of course they're unique :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks. I agree about bluebell woods; wandering through them at the moment is one of the real pleasures of the year. So Harry has a double! I do have a soft spot for Border Terriers. I'm quite envious that you've seen an Emperor butterfly; seeing one on the oxlips the other day would have been a fantastic sight for me. And I'm still a bit baffled by the fungus; there is a fungus called the cauliflower fungus and this looks as though it should be one - but I agree Sparassis crispa does grow from the ground, usually (it seems) on conifers and in autumn - this fungus was not growing on a conifer, it was half way up the trunk and this is spring! And you're right; it doesn't closely resemble the photos (it doesn't have that coral-like appearence) I'll keep researching.

      Delete
  13. So sorry Wendy, I may have misled you, the Purple Emperor butterfly (I can't think how I omitted Purple before Emperor by the way, that was shoddy!!) wasn't on the Oxlips. You won't see them on flowers. They are very elusive and usually high in the tree canopy but are sometimes seen on the ground where they feed on salts and minerals, quite often on animal faeces!! I was lucky enough to see one on the ground but thankfully not on animal faeces :-) Good luck with the fungi research!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's fine, Jan - I realised you meant Purple Emperor and thought I would carry on using your shorthand for naming it! Thanks for telling me about them, I didn't know where they could be found. I'm pleased to have learnt that.

      Delete
    2. I meant to add, if you have any more thoughts on the fungus, please let me know! Thanks again for all your comments.

      Delete
  14. How wonderful to see all the wild flowers. You are lucky to have a wood so close by. I simply love looking at old bluebell woods, I wish we had one nearby. We have lots of bluebells growing everywhere around here, I think they are the foreign ones though which is a shame as they are driving our native bluebells out.
    Harry is such a sweetie, you can almost see him thinking in that pic, and that swallow pic is simply wonderful. It's fantastic when they return isn't it.

    I'm really enjoying finding out about bee keeping, how ingenious to use a sheet of newspaper to stop a full blown war!!! I hope they all merge and you get a stronger colony in time.

    What a wonderful idea re the coasters, I think they look really rustic.xxxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks. I'm fortunate to have some lovely bluebell woods so close - I'm sure they would've all been part of the same, large wood once. I think Harry is becoming used to my camera; he suffers it very well! It is wonderful to see the swallows return, especially because they've flown such a long distance to get here. And because we love wood, and wood is everywhere, the coasters and table mats blend in very well!

      Delete
  15. Such beautiful wild flowers and I just love the carpets of bluebells covering the wood floor. It has to be one of the best sights! I find your information on the bees so fascinating. I do hope the colony thrives.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks. I had a look at the colony late yesterday and they're all fine and mixing together well. And I visited the bluebell wood again this morning; the flowers are looking even more stunning. This really is the time to see them.

      Delete
  16. Lovely images Wendy, all those spring flowers are simply gorgeous :-) I wish we had wild Oxlips up here but at least I can enjoy your stunning photos.

    Those are some super chunky place mats but as you say they should last a lot longer than any bought in a shop, and also good luck with your Bee colony :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks. I have to make a special journey to see the oxlips but it's always worth it. Shadwell Wood is a botanists dream; it's also known for its orchids. And the bees are building up well; they're bringing in plenty of food this weekend (dandelion and bluebell, mainly)

      Delete
  17. Lovely pictures - I've been trying to get a decent photo of the violets round here but no luck yet - the light has been too bright, unbelievably! jealous of your wild garlic too - so far as I can gather there's none to be had anywhere near here.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks. Our small patch of wild garlic is still a few days off flowering yet but we've plans to go foraging this weekend in Suffolk so I'm hoping there will be plenty there!

      Delete
  18. Oh my goodness you do take some fabulous photos. I can't believe that fungus, I've never seen anything like it, truly amazing. Would you mind if I'm nosy and ask you what type of camera and lens you use as I'm thinking of changing or just upgrading my camera and I'm just in awe of your photos! Oh and before I go, love the coasters and mats, I may just try some of these for myself. Suzy x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks. I don't mind giving the camera details at all...I use a simple bridge camera; a canon powershot sx50. The long lense comes already attached. I only bought it earlier this year and so far, I'm really pleased with it. Hope you find a good camera for you!

      Delete
    2. Thanks for that, I'll check it out. As I said, you do take some spectacular photos, the details with the butterfly and the bird photos are just brilliant! How's your head for swelling? lol! Cheers, Suzy x

      Delete
    3. I'm not a serious photographer at all, but these new cameras are amazing. They do all the work for you.

      Delete
    4. Suzy, you took the words out of my mouth, what fabulous images and that's a great camera too.

      Delete
    5. Hello Suzie - and thank you. The camera is ideal for a non-serious amateur like me. It's easy to carry around and use, which is great because I can just take it on walks.

      Delete
  19. Hello Wendy,

    I've meant to pay you a visit for ages having seen you in people's sidebars. I love the name as much as the plant. Lovely photos, lovely dog and the bluebells are flowering in the hedgerows here on Dartmoor too!

    I don't know about that fungus. I agree with Shy SB - the Cauliflower Mushroom looks a lot less like a cauliflower than your one; more lichen like and delicate. I hope someone does know what it is.

    Will definitely be adding you to my sidebar now - a blog after my own heart.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Em - and thanks for your kind comments. I've just visited your blog and I'm glad I did, I've enjoyed reading it very much. You have some lovely photos. I look forward to following what you do.
      It's lovely to hear that the bluebells are flowering in the hedgerows on Dartmoor. And the search for information on the fungus continues!

      Delete
  20. I never knew that about joining bee colonies together. Fascinating. We have so many wild flowers too. You have reminded me that I must get out of the garden and the kitchen and just walk. It is so easy to be overwhelmed by the number of things to do and forget to just be for a while!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I feel the same way. It's too easy to get involved in gardening and other work and either put off or not get round to simply enjoying the wild flowers and countryside at this time of year. I imagine you may have some different flowers to here, too.

      Delete

Thank you for taking the time to leave any comments. I do love to read them.