Today started out rainy and dull, but by mid-morning it cleared up and turned into a beautiful, crisp Autumn day. We haven’t been out walking for a while, but seeing as the sun had come out, my husband and I decided to take a trip to Hardcastle Crags near Hebden Bridge in West Yorkshire. Hardcastle Crags is a wonderful wooded valley and is also famous for being the home of the Northern hairy wood ant. Well, apart from the £3 parking charge levied by the National Trust, the walk did not disappoint. Shafts of bright golden sunshine shone through the trees, and the vivid colours of the changing Autumn leaves were just breathtaking! (As you can tell, I came over all poetic!) As well as the hairy ants – which we did not see – the valley is home to a host of other wildlife, including woodpeckers, kingfishers, herons, squirrels, owls, bats and buzzards. One of the loveliest things about British woodland is its bluebells, and I will be heading back to Hardcastle Crags in the Springtime to see them. They were everywhere! Seeing the wild plants in the woods inspired me to think about buying bluebells of my own, and I am delighted to find that Crocus has a special offer on at the moment (30 English Bluebell bulbs for just £10). The Crocus website also suggests other woodland-inspired plants such as anemones, ferns and foxgloves which would delight any gardener. The best thing is, these plants are meant to look wild, so they’re easy care for any easy life!
