Once you have smelt the aroma from a display of wild garlic wildflowers, you will not forget it for some time. Near where I live, Wychwood Wood is a small ancient woodland beside Purnell’s Brook. The wood is hidden behind houses and is not straightforward to visit. Only locals tend to know the public footpath that leads to its entrance.
The woodland consists of wet alder trees that thrive in damp conditions. The shade and the natural contours of the land allow the prolific growth of wild garlic towards the end of April. The flowers create a striking white carpet along the banks of the brook. Dark paths through the wood become beautifully outlined against the white and green foliage.
My photographs capture the overall scene that greets you on arrival, followed by an example of how light breaks through the trees to highlight sections of the wildflower display. Finally, there are close-up images of the flowers themselves. I spent a good hour among the wild garlic, using macro, standard, and telephoto lenses on my Canon R6 Mark II camera body.
There is an account of my wildflower visit to 3 bluebell fields.
