Bluebells in the Surrey Hills 2012

The bluebells here in the Surrey Hills have been late and a little varied this May. According to Patrick Mannix who owns local woodland, Sandhurst Copse and Sheepwalk, “The bluebells are uncertain this year with a lower percentage of plants showing flower buds. A factor may have been the very dry weather last year with many dying back before they had finished flowering.”  Patrick was recently praised ‘as an example to all wood owners’ by the Royal Forestry Society who visited his woodland recently.

Over the years we have been regular visitors to the bluebell walk in Sandhurst Copse which consistently delivers an impressive display. We visited last week and although the display was impressive there were certainly less flowers than previous years. It was notable however that the plants in the open, where trees had recently been cut back, were much more vibrant than in the darker woodland. After the record rainfall, lack of sunlight and generally miserable weather during April, I wonder if the plants that received more light just did better than those that presumed it was still winter like the rest of us.

If you want to visit Sandhurst Copse and Sheepwalk you will need to get permission from Patrick. Please leave a comment and we’ll put you in touch with him.