Bluebell season

[Nick Armstrong]

Oxfordshire this afternoon...








Plus the ideally-appropriate accompaniment....

[Lat-Literal]

Oxfordshire this afternoon...








Plus the ideally-appropriate accompaniment....

A beautiful picture.

I love all the spring flowers.

They are my favourites.

[greenilex]

Lovely bluebells out back here in Hants too, although I agree the Oxon ones are special.

Not sure if they are natives.

[teamsaint]

Lovely picture, Cals.




some from our local Bluebell wood taken in 2014.

The owner of the land has tried to stop people walking through this wood, as part of an ongoing attempt to sell chunks of land for property development .

for several reasons.

[antongould]

Lovely pictures chaps - one of the three daffs midst the pit heaps is showing distinct signs of life .....

[Serial_Apologist]

Lovely pictures chaps - one of the three daffs midst the pit heaps is showing distinct signs of life .....

As is one of my sages - the three sages.

We have bluebells right outside our door - lucky us, I hear you cry. They're either the Spanish type or hybridised - but, hey, never mind. It's hard to tell the difference. I'm told some bluebells are hyacinth mutatant escapees from people's gardens. As far as I know the Spanish type have broader and more plentiful leaves and taller stems which stand erect to the tips of the flowers, whereas the natives have flowers which lean over slightly at the tips. They're also supposed to be deeper in colour than the 'foreigners', but I guess one would have to go some way out of London to find any in order to make a comparison.

[David-G]

I have a little clump of bluebells outside my front door. The first one appeared years ago and they have been multiplying since. I now find to my consternation that they are the dreaded Spanish ones and on the invasive species list. I am thinking of removing them and ordering some proper English ones to replace them.

[Serial_Apologist]

I have a little clump of bluebells outside my front door. The first one appeared years ago and they have been multiplying since. I now find to my consternation that they are the dreaded Spanish ones and on the invasive species list. I am thinking of removing them and ordering some proper English ones to replace them.

Can they be bought??

I think I may have discovered a clump of Genuine British bluebells in the shade of our garden.

[french frank]

Can they be bought?

Yes - these must have been grown from seed as they're a protected species and can't be dug up from the wild*:

http://www.thompson-morgan.com/flowers/flower-bulbs-and-tubers/other-flower-bulbs-and-tubers/english-bluebells/p7146TM?source=google-prodex&gclid=CJ6jmu36n8wCFVEo0wodhjUJPQ

I was afraid that my tiny colony had been invaded, but the only practical way to test is to examine the anthers (under a hand lens preferably). They should be pure creamy white with no trace of blue, bluey green or mauve. Mine seem to have survived but their colour is a bit washed out this year.

*It may be that if you own the woodland you can dig up your own bulbs. Not sure about that.

[Serial_Apologist]

Yes - these must have been grown from seed as they're a protected species and can't be dug up from the wild*:

http://www.thompson-morgan.com/flowers/flower-bulbs-and-tubers/other-flower-bulbs-and-tubers/english-bluebells/p7146TM?source=google-prodex&gclid=CJ6jmu36n8wCFVEo0wodhjUJPQ

I was afraid that my tiny colony had been invaded, but the only practical way to test is to examine the anthers (under a hand lens preferably). They should be pure creamy white with no trace of blue, bluey green or mauve. Mine seem to have survived but their colour is a bit washed out this year.

*It may be that if you own the woodland you can dig up your own bulbs. Not sure about that.

Hadn't realised that to be the distinguishing feature. That means all mine must be hybridised then, the anthers being pale blue.

[David-G]

Can they be bought??

It seems one can find anything on the Internet. Certainly no problem finding a supplier of English Bluebells!

[french frank]

Hadn't realised that to be the distinguishing feature. That means all mine must be hybridised then, the anthers being pale blue.

I think that will mean they'll lose their 'Englishness' over a period of years i.e. the various characteristics of non-scripta (narrow leaves, arching habit, bells on one side of the stem) [Don't know where the end of this sentence went ]

Good illustration of the hybridising plants:



From this report.

[Flosshilde]

Bluebells were just coming into flower in the woods at Cally Palace, Gatehouse of Fleet, last week, and in the woods at Pollok House, Glasgow, this wek.

[EdgeleyRob]

Nice photos,and a thumbs up for Cal's choice of music in the opening post

[Nick Armstrong]

From this report.

Pretty sure that we had Natives in Oxfordshire...

Nice photos,and a thumbs up for Cal's choice of music in the opening post

I absolutely love that piece - one of my absolute favourite British pieces... well, favourite pieces full stop. I've just discovered Barry Wordsworth's performance with the LPO - having known the Oramo/CBSO (as in that YouTube video) for years