Wednesday 15 April 2009

Bluebells

I never saw bluebells more beautiful. They grew tall and stately, singly or in groups, and sometimes in such a crowd that they filled the hollow places and deep shadows of the overarching hedge with a sweet blue gloom and tender azure mist among the young bright fern. Here or there a sunbeam found its way through a little window or skylight in the thick leafage overhead and singling out one bluebell amongst the crowd tipped the rich and heavily hanging cluster of bells with a brilliant azure gleam and blue glory, crowning the flower a queen among her ladies and handmaidens who stood around in the background and green shade.
Kilverts Diary. Francis Kilvert.

Bluebells are symbolic of humility and gratitude.

Bluebells are closely linked to the realm of fairies and are sometimes referred to as "fairy thimbles"

My hundred thousand bells of blue,
The splendour of the Spring,
They carpet all the woods anew,
With royalty of sapphire hue;
The Primrose is the Queen, `tis true,
But surely I am King!
Ah yes,
The peerless woodland King!

Bluebells are members of the lily flower and native to Portugal and Spain.

2 comments:

JoAnn ( Scene Through My Eyes) said...

OH what a lovely post - so many things I didn't know - and such beautiful photos.

Ramblings From Spain said...

Most DEFINITELY fairy thimbles xx