A passion for bluebells
Hello all
This week the team is at the Malvern Show and one of the special features from the programme is all about bluebells. So I thought I'd share some of the fascinating facts that I've just discovered about these wonderful plants:
- In Elizabethan times bluebell bulbs were crushed to provide starch for the ruffs of collars and sleeves.
- All parts of the bluebell are poisonous; make sure you seek medical advice if any parts are ingested, although Badgers have been known to eat the bulbs.
- Bluebells are important early food flowers for bees, hoverflies and butterflies which feed on the nectar.
- Honey bees can steal the nectar by biting a hole in the bottom of the bell, reaching the nectar without pollinating the flower.
- Bluebells grow from the cliffs of Cape Wrath in Sutherland to Land's End in Cornwall.
- Breaking leaves by trampling and picking can kill the plant.
- In ancient times the sticky sap from the bluebell leaves was used for attaching feathers to arrows.
- The bluebell was once the flower of England.
Why not see some fabulous bluebells in their native habitats on one of the many special walks set to take place over the next week? The Ramblers Association has a list of bluebells walks around the UK on their website.
Finally for those of who started sowing seeds last weekend, how did it go? My first lettuce shoots are starting to sprout!
Enjoy
~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~23~RS~)
Comments
I was most disappointed by the gardeners world coverage of the malvern show yesterday night. It appeared to me to relegate the horticultural content to a small part of the overall show, and gave very little information about any of the plants mentioned, or much view of the show gardens. I sincerely hope that this is not the way Chelsea or Hampton Court Flower shows will be covered as it will certainly cause me to stop watching the BBC coverage.
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Is there reasonable test for whether a Bluebell is an English one, a Spanish one or a hybrid? I have a clump of bluebells in the garden I'd like to move to a woodland patch I'm creating but if they't aren't the real thing I'll get rid of them and plant true English bluebells. I just can't seem to find a method for checking this. Perhaps the GW team could put some pictures of the examples they had on the show on the website so they are easier to compare than the fleeting view during the show. Thanks.
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I for one enjoyed the coverage of Malvern in Friday's GW.
I was actually there on Friday and thought the coverage gave a good flavour of the show.
I even managed to bump in to Terry Walton, from the Jeremy Vine show, on the stand for his personal website - gardenersclick. He was such a friendly chap and was exactly how he seems on the radio. He even broadcast from Malvern on the Jeremy Vine show - but I had to listen to that when I got home :)
Which reminds me - who else thinks Terry should have an allotment slot on Gardeners World?
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If you want a good key to identify your bluebells plus a chance to contribute to a national survey on bluebells go to this site:
www.nhm.ac.uk/nature-online/british-natural-history/survey-bluebells/bluebell-identification/index.html
(It's the national history museum)
I am just wondering if anyone knows the best way to care for native bluebells if you find them in your garden. I've just moved house and discovered I have a clump of white ones which I've heard are quite rare and I want to look after them. What's the best food for them etc. Anyone have any ideas??
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This is my first comment, and I am glad to be here!! Gardening is so relaxing and a wonderful way to spend time outdoors. It is one of my favorite hobbies that I love to share with others online! Thanks for taking the time to write this post, I always learn so much about gardening from many different sources online!
:)
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