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Friday 9 October 2015

The Secret of the Bluebells

Seeing this Beatrix Potter picture from Cecily Parsley's Nursery Rhymes recently, I realised that I have been falling in love with English gardens, bluebells & woodlands all my life without even knowing it!
Quite a funny thing to be enchanted by something you've never really seen.
And now, at last, I have a carpet of blue this spring down under the trees in my own back garden. 
Some are English bluebells, some are Spanish.
I really don't mind. 
I love them all.
There are even a few little white ones amongst them.
I have mentioned the valley in Havelock North before-the one at the bottom of Keirunga Gardens where great old oaks reside. This autumn I decided to "share" a few of my bluebell bulbs, in the hope that in years to come the dell may be full of the magic of their sweet presence.
Last week we went back to see what had become of them... 
And found some clumps of Spanish bluebells that others have already planted.
The council (caretakers!?) have made a terrible mess in the valley, doing some kind of massive earthworks for drainage. I'll have to make enquiries as it's most disconcerting.
I couldn't bear to see these fragile blue friends bulldozed over.
There are patches of forget-me-nots too.
Oh yes, over here are-the Spanish family.
There's a nice path up this side that leads past the wild violet patch.
I picked bunches of wild violets here just a few weeks ago.
These pretty evansia japonica irises, have naturalised well under the trees.
Looking across the valley I can see spring blossom & more forget-me-nots....so pretty & English.
Then back down the path toward the entrance.
 A funny mix of brand new spring leaves & all the old autumn shed ones still on the ground.
Here we spied the last few bluebell clumps, amongst them some pretty white ones.
And a lone straggler.
I have a dream that this valley could become a magical place, filled with the beauty of a "million bells waving bright bonnets of blue".
I plan to return each autumn to plant more bulbs & every spring to admire them & witness their progress of settling in to their new glorious purpose.

Bluebell Time – Poem by Fay Slimm

 Million bells waving bright bonnets of blue
Flaunting tall ranks of incredible hue.
Groundbreaking columns of stalks fill the shade
Assailing our senses from every dull glade.

Mid dapple-dim woods we tred without sound
Breathtaking armies of blue all around.
Sun shedding Spring over cold woodland dew,
Highlighting patches of mystical blue.
Sheer seas of colour all billowing there
Dance to perfection their Show of the Year.


~ Fay Slimm