BlogSpring’s first wildflowers of spring always arrive quietly, almost shyly, long before the countryside fully wakes up. On a soft March afternoon near Dartington, we stopped in our tracks at the sight of a small cluster of Snake’s Head Fritillary. It was one of those fleeting early moments that signal winter is finally releasing its hold. These delicate blooms are easy to miss, hidden among fallen leaves and damp grass, yet they offer the first true colours of the new season. Primroses, fresh shoots, newly opened petals and the first small bursts of green all work together to tell the same simple story. Spring has begun. In this short field note, we capture one of our earliest sightings of the year. We celebrate the quiet beauty found in these first wildflowers of spring. They may be humble, but they mark the beginning of everything that follows. The full bloom, the long walks, and the return of colour to the landscape.
Early Spring Sightings
These early sightings also remind us how quickly the landscape changes in spring. Within just a few weeks, the quiet corners where these first wildflowers appear will be filled with richer colour. From carpets of bluebells to clusters of primroses and fresh green growth. Returning to the same paths throughout the season reveals how different each visit feels, and how these first wildflowers of spring mark the starting point of that transformation. They are small, humble and easy to overlook, but they set the rhythm for everything that follows.
Spending time noticing these small seasonal changes also helps us slow down and appreciate places we think we already know. Each walk reveals something different. These first wildflowers of spring remind us that beauty often appears in quiet, unexpected moments. Observing them encourages us to look more closely, return more often, and enjoy the steady unfolding of the season.
