The forest floor....................

................is alive with Bluebells.
The weather had cleared up this morning, and although the going underfoot was a bit wet, the sun came out and the feeling of spring returned.
After lunch, I decided I would try to get a blip of the local bluebell woods before it all disappeared and became just green again. I guess that is one of the things that makes the bluebells so special, the fact they are only really stunning for about 2 weeks a year, and for the remaining 50 they are gone!!
Sussex is great for bluebells, and nearly every woodland (even tiny strips beside the road) and roadside verge is wonderfully blue. However, capturing the essence of this is soooo difficult! I go out, with an 'idea' in my mind of the finished picture, but achieving this is something else!
So, knowing this I went to Marlpost woods, as the road level is below the level of the forest floor, and the bluebells are in an elevated position, making it easier to take 'forest floor' shots. I took loads, some OK some rubbish, but in the end I decided to opt for this shot, as in this little area there were quite a few 'white bells' as well.
The Bluebell Hyacinthoides non-scripta, produces a one-sided, nodding inflorescence of between 5 and 12 violet blue tubular flowers, with a sweet distinctive scent, rising out of 3 - 6 inch long linear, basal leaves.
Bluebells are protected under UK law, which is especially important as the Spanish bluebell Hyacinthoides hispanica ,( a common garden plant with more open paler blue flowers, more erect, non nodding flowers stem with flowers all the way round, with no scent), is invasive and readily hybridises with the native bluebell, producing a very robust hybrid.
Luckily, all the bluebells in this wood are of the beautiful native variety.