Woodland WONDERS

Spring has sprung - so what better time to get outside and enjoy nature's flower show!

- LOUISE MIDGLEY

Burgeoning displays of woodland wild flowers are erupting across forest floors and hedgerows in clumps and ribbons of heart-warming hues. Here are just a few native species of wild flowers to spot right now.

COMMON DOG-VIOLET

Viola riviniana

Unlike its cousin the sweet violet, common dog-violet, also known as wood violet, carries no scent, yet is every bit as beautiful in appearance. A widespread, spring-flowering perennial, it is an important larval food plant for woodland butterflies in the fritillary family and sought after by bees and other insects as an early source of pollen and nectar.

Cuckoo flower 

Cardamine pratensis