Last week we visited the Hallerbos forest in Halle, Belgium. For a period of just two weeks a year the forest bursts into a carpet of purple with the blooming of the wild hyacinth.
Although there are several forests throughout Belgium that have beautiful displays of wild hyacinths, the Hallerbos Forest boasts the largest area in Flanders.
My daughters were mesmerised by the beautiful sea of purple as we strolled through the forest on a warm and sunny Saturday morning.
Inspired by the beautiful contrast of purple against a backdrop of vibrant green leaves my daughters searched through our garden to find suitable materials for ikebana.
They were immediately drawn to the tightly curled ferns, and discovered a few grape hyacinth (Muscari) hidden beneath the undergrowth. To create the arrangement, a small dish was chosen as a vase and a kenzan placed inside it.
The ferns were placed on the kenzan and the Muscari arranged to create a focal point with an added sense of movement.