More Scenes from Wiltshire
Ramsons
In these early summer months, if you drive along certain Wiltshire highways and byways which wind through patches of woodland, and if you're not following another vehicle, or being followed, drive sloooowly, wind the car's window down... and sniff the air. If the strong odour of garlic fills your nostrils you're in the vicinity of Allium ursinum more popularly known as Ramson.
On of my favourite locations for viewing this beautiful herb was between Calne and Bromham. Here, between late April and June, in a damp roadside wood bordering a stream is an undulating carpet of countless thousands of the pure white flower heads poking up from lush pointed dark-green foliage. Ramson are classified with the Amaryllis rather than the Lillium family because the inflorescence, or collection of flowers on the shoot, is an "umbel" rather than a "raceme" or individual flower stalk.
I don't know whether this form of garlic has any culinary properties but an ancient proverb referred to it by saying...
"Eat leckes in lide (March) and ramsins in May
And all the year after physitians may play."
Whatever goodness is gleaned from flora, and there are other notable species including Bluebell Endymion non-scriptus, Red Campion Silene dioica and the (not to be confused with Ramson) Lily of the Valley Convallaria majalis to be seen at this time of year in or at the edges of similar woodland, you must not be tempted to pick any of the plants as it is usually unlawful under "protected species" regulations. To quote an apt (and more thoughtful for this day and age) notice occasionally seen on popular nature walks...
"Take nothing but photographs,
Leave nothing but footprints,
Kill nothing but time."
9:47:38 PM 
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