Before it’s too late, head off to your local public access bluebell woods – there’s nothing quite like them. Blue is an unusual colour in the flower world and to see these en masse is just stunning.

Early morning is best. You get the low sun flickering through the young leaves sprouting from the trees, then the blue sea of bells below. If you can be up for about 6am, you’ll get the chatter of the song birds too which just makes it all magical.

Bluebells are a great early spring food source for butterflies, bees and hoverflies. They’re historically linked to fairies and when you’re in the woods surrounded by them, it’s easy to see why. If you pick a bluebell you’ll be led astray by the fairies; if you hear the bluebell ringing to call the fairies to gather, you’ll be visited by a bad fairy and die soon after. Historical uses included using the sap as glue for book binding and making arrows; the juice of the bulb was used to starch Elizabethan ruffs. Medicinally they don’t have much historical use as they are very poisonous, but these days they are being researched for use to treat cancer and HIV.

To find your local woods, head to the Woodland Trust website.