Bluebells anywhere?

quilmore

are bluebell in bloom anywhere near Dublin? I'd like to take a few pics
thanks

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Plenty in the wood in my garden, along with primroses and wood anemone, but you can't come to take pictures. Sorry.

Ulmus

See link.
http://www.eugenehiggins.ie/pdfs/bluebell.pdf

fiachraX

I passed the Huguenot cemetery (on Merrion Row, just off Stephen's Green - a few doors down from the Shelbourne Hotel) this morning, and it has loads of bluebells in bloom. Here's a photo taken by a tourist in a previous year.
www.flickr.com/photos/31068574@N05/4820222149/

Bonedigger

I'm not sure how far outside Dublin you're prepared to travel to see Bluebells,but the Hill of Allen here in Kildare always has a wonderful display at this time of year(probably safer to leave it until early May).The hill has a famous tower or folly at its summit,but the walk up through the mixed conifer and deciduous woodland is a delight with a sea of blue on either side of the pathway.It's also a great spot to see other woodland plant species such as dog-violets,celandines and wood avens.

emo72

Bonedigger wrote: »

I'm not sure how far outside Dublin you're prepared to travel to see Bluebells,but the Hill of Allen here in Kildare always has a wonderful display at this time of year(probably safer to leave it until early May).The hill has a famous tower or folly at its summit,but the walk up through the mixed conifer and deciduous woodland is a delight with a sea of blue on either side of the pathway.It's also a great spot to see other woodland plant species such as dog-violets,celandines and wood avens.

just had a google of the hill of allen to see if it was worth visiting. it looked really good then when i had a closer look I spotted that roadstone had excavated most of it. what a disaster, ruining such a historic and beauty spot:(

https://www.google.ie/maps/@53.2284715,-6.8644694,1964m/data=!3m1!1e3

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hill_of_Allen

Bonedigger

Yes emo,it's such a shame quarrying was allowed to continue on this famous hill - practically half of it is now gone!One positive that can be gleaned from this sorry episode is that peregrines have been known to nest on the cliff faces of the quarry itself.

p.e.s.

Took a pic of native bluebells tonight at the back of dublin airport, cant post the pic until i get to 50 posts, only a couple to go...

Ulmus

It's a shame that wildflowers have been erased from what remains of the public green spaces in Dublin. So much time and effort is given to killing wildflowers (weeds) using herbicide sprayer, strimmer, mowers. Nothing is allowed to grow naturally. For example, I hate to see the OPW strimming the canal verges in Dublin. I wish a more naturalistic approach was taken to urban green spaces.

Kimbot

Corcaigh park has plenty along the water

swifts need our help!

Some special ones in my garden

Hyacinthoides non-scripta 'Bracteata'
Hyacinthoides non-scripta SB194 from Portugal

roweeeeena

Ulmus wrote: »

It's a shame that wildflowers have been erased from what remains of the public green spaces in Dublin. So much time and effort is given to killing wildflowers (weeds) using herbicide sprayer, strimmer, mowers. Nothing is allowed to grow naturally. For example, I hate to see the OPW strimming the canal verges in Dublin. I wish a more naturalistic approach was taken to urban green spaces.

Couldn't agree more! I love looking for wildflowers in Dublin, thankfully they are all around us when you keep your eyes open, even on concrete, but a managed encouragement of wild flowers in public recreational areas would be lovely.

swifts need our help!

In Galway city last May I was amazed at how many Spanish bluebells there were in public places and private gardens

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Spanish Bluebells are a bit of a pest and are destroying quite a few of our bluebell woods due to hybridisation. It is very much more vigorous than our native bluebell.

p.e.s.

p.e.s. wrote: »

Took a pic of native bluebells tonight at the back of dublin airport, cant post the pic until i get to 50 posts, only a couple to go...

Here is the Pic.

Sorry its not very sharp but it was taken on the phone

magicbastarder

Ulmus wrote: »

It's a shame that wildflowers have been erased from what remains of the public green spaces in Dublin. So much time and effort is given to killing wildflowers (weeds) using herbicide sprayer, strimmer, mowers. Nothing is allowed to grow naturally. For example, I hate to see the OPW strimming the canal verges in Dublin. I wish a more naturalistic approach was taken to urban green spaces.

the main green area in ballymun is allowed grow into a flower meadow; you can see the areas in this image, the areas of 'rough':
https://www.google.com/maps/@53.3989717,-6.2645176,195m/data=!3m1!1e3

Day Lewin

Cabinteely Park is managed in many areas for native wildflower regeneration.

Also, strimming is about the least destructive treatment for grasslands - bear in mind that many grasslands would be naturally grazed by deer, etc: and many grassland plants require sunshine- see any dune, for how much flowering occurs on very short turf.
Orchids, for one, and birdsfoot trefoil, ladies' bedstraw, wild pansies, centaury, hypericums...some of the very prettiest flowers of all grow on limy soil in very short grass.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

p.e.s. wrote: »

Here is the Pic.

Sorry its not very sharp but it was taken on the phone

I'm af afraid I think these are hybrids Hyacinthoides x massartian and not natives.

tricky D

Plenty of bluebells up in Deerpark Howth. You might have to do a bit of a rummage off the beaten track.

shgavman

Anyone know where I might find a nice carpet of Bluebells - preferably around Galway but I'm interested in other places you've seen them around the country. Photos also very welcome :pac:

OpenYourEyes

Merged with an existing Bluebell thread - no need for two!

Obliq

shgavman wrote: »

Anyone know where I might find a nice carpet of Bluebells - preferably around Galway but I'm interested in other places you've seen them around the country. Photos also very welcome :pac:

Woodpark in Mountshannon, East Clare is always a beautiful carpet of them. No pics, sorry. Worth a journey though!

Might be in Coole park, Gort as well. Don't know, but it's likely...

shgavman

Thanks Obliq, I'll definitely check it out.

Spuddeeez

is it just me or is the Bluebell having a bumper year this year??? They seem to be everywhere even along roadsides.
If you are willing to travel you should checkout 'Black island' (wooded hilside) at Lough Muckno, Castleblaney as it, too, has a wonderful bloom of Bluebells.

Another wood that is quite famous for it's bluebell carpet is the woods at Oakport Demense on the road to Knockvicar, Co. Roscommon off the main Dublin/Sligo road near Boyle :-)

Happy travelling :-)

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Spuddeeez wrote: »

is it just me or is the Bluebell having a bumper year this year??? They seem to be everywhere even along roadsides.
If you are willing to travel you should checkout 'Black island' (wooded hilside) at Lough Muckno, Castleblaney as it, too, has a wonderful bloom of Bluebells.

Another wood that is quite famous for it's bluebell carpet is the woods at Oakport Demense on the road to Knockvicar, Co. Roscommon off the main Dublin/Sligo road near Boyle :-)

Happy travelling :-)

Most wildflowers are doing very well this spring/summer due to the excellent conditions last year and the mild winter.
The bluebells at Muckno are mostly hybrids. The peak of the show is nearly over at this stage.

Ulmus

tricky D wrote: »

Plenty of bluebells up in Deerpark Howth. You might have to do a bit of a rummage off the beaten track.

Came across native bluebells, their bloom now faded, along the Howth cliff walk.

Cork boy 55

In our woods the domination of a single species – bracken, male fern, bramble, wild garlic, or dog's mercury, or in this case whole floors carpeted with bluebells
is a sign of a dysfunctional and unnatural environment.
The rooting and wallowing of of boar prevents a monoculture from developing. To be in a real functional forest in May, where dozens of species jostle in an explosion of colour, is to understand how much we're missing here.
The boar needs to be reintroduced

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Cork boy 55 wrote: »

In our woods the domination of a single species – bracken, male fern, bramble, wild garlic, or dog's mercury, or in this case whole floors carpeted with bluebells
is a sign of a dysfunctional and unnatural environment.
The rooting and wallowing of of boar prevents a monoculture from developing. To be in a real functional forest in May, where dozens of species jostle in an explosion of colour, is to understand how much we're missing here.
The boar needs to be reintroduced

I'm not sure what you are saying here but I don't know any wood with an understory of only one species. My own is a reasonable example of what an Irish wood holds and it has been carpeted with primroses, bluebells, wood anemone, orchids, buttercup, fern, nettle, bramble, and many more species. We certainly don't need wild boar to have diverse woods.

Cork boy 55

Amy White Thumbscrew wrote: »

I'm not sure what you are saying here but I don't know any wood with an understory of only one species. My own is a reasonable example of what an Irish wood holds and it has been carpeted with primroses, bluebells, wood anemone, orchids, buttercup, fern, nettle, bramble, and many more species. We certainly don't need wild boar to have diverse woods.

I have seen woods near me carpeted with bluebells also seen other areas dominated by blackberry, Others in this thread report carpets of bluebells, The point is this is not natural it should be more diverse this is because the eco-system is missing something the rooting of the boar

These are not my thoughts but George Monbiots see here article

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/georgemonbiot/2011/sep/16/zoophobic-wild-boar

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

At one point in the year the bluebells carpet some areas of the woods but other flora come in their due time each year as well. I'm sorry but I think we need a lot more to help our native woods before we consider wild boar. The diversity is there without wild boar. Monoculture is not an issue in our native woods that are left to grow naturally. That article is full of "mights".