About the woodlands I will go To see the (bluebells)

[callmemadam]

Only I couldn't. This morning I'd done a few essential things, I was in the car and I thought, 'Hang spring cleaning' and decided to go to a secret location wot I wot of to see the sheets of bluebells under the trees. I tramped round the edges of several fields, soaking the hems of my trousers, then when I reached the magical spot I found it was all fenced off with barbed wire. So I had to gaze through it at the beautiful cool blue depths beyond and the tempting little path through the middle, just like Alice trapped behind the door into the garden. How I hate the National Trust! How glad I am that we resigned our membership a few years ago when we disagreed with some batty policy decision. The bluebell walk must now be filed away under 'past pleasures'.

My little jaunt was far from wasted, though. The sun shone warmly and I was completely alone. I didn't see a living creature apart from lots of bunnies and a few cows in the distance. The only sound was birdsong. The hedges were full of Cow Parsley, Red Campion (a misnomer, since it is pink, and I was sorry not to see a white one for Margery Allingham's sake), primroses, violets and Sweet Woodruff. The pasture was yellow with dandelions. Truly, time out.

Afterthought. I was scanning this picture for a quite different purpose and thought it was appropriate. If I had got into the wood, I don't expect I would have found a baby.

Comments

[sloopjonb.livejournal.com]

The NT are the spawn of Satan and The Enemy.

- Jon, English Heritage member

English Heritage

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

I liked it when it was the Ministry of Works, she sa in grumpy old bat mode. When we started visiting places you'd just find a board with 'Ministry of Works' on it (even after the name changed slightly) and no visitor centres to explain everything or shops to rip you off.

[minniemoll.livejournal.com]

Ooh, gorgeous picture! Where's it from? It looks vaguely NKBish, is it? I *love* the cat, just held casually under her arm.

What a shame about the bluebells, but the rest of your walk sounds lovely. Much better than my day in the office, looking at the sunshine through our non-opening windows.

My few bluebells aren't out yet, although looking at the way the rest of the garden has come on in a couple of days' sunshine, I expect that they will be soon. The cats keep hunting for something (mice? frogs?) underneath them though, so how many will survive is anyone's guess.

picture

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

Isn't it lovely? Not NKB but Rosa C Petherick. It's the frontis to Princess Charming by KLO. Interesting because according to The Book, P. Charming is illustrated by Elsie Anna Wood. I've just bought a copy on eBay which is said to have two illustrations by EAW and I thought it might be lacking a colour frontis but as I haven't got the copy yet I don't know. The edition with this picture has those standard Collins boards (not Blazer Girl) with a Guide waving a handkerchief on the front board and a girl on a stile on the spine. Rosa C Petherick also did gorgeous illustrations for The Fortunes of Billy and The Fortunes of Doria. She gets every tiny detail of the book description right.

The walk was short but like a foreigner's dream of England, thatched cottages and all.

Lots of bluebells here but most of them are the notorious Spanish invaders. I should think the ones I saw this morning are the real thing as it must be old land.

Re: picture

[minniemoll.livejournal.com]

Well, blow me down. I have a that very edition sitting on my bookcase upstairs, now I go to check. I must read some more KLO, I read the CP ones when I was young, and remember liking them, and I read Princess Elizabeth recently and enjoyed it a lot, especially the antique shop. I have quite a few nice thick editions, but as with so many of my books they sit on the shelf. Although I have found a way to read and knit at the same time, so maybe I'll get on better now ;)

Re: picture

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

I like KLO a lot and have nearly all her books, even the ones for younger children. I read the Children's Press ones when I was a child but had no idea until much later that they were cheapo reprints or that there were others. Yes! I love the antiques, too. I think she must have known quite a lot about them. Princess Elizabeth is one of my favourites; I don't know why it wasn't reprinted. Reading and knitting at the same time I cannot do, so I am full of admiration for your skill.

Re: picture

[minniemoll.livejournal.com]

I didn't think that I could knit without looking until I tried when I started again in January - it's something of a leap of faith, a bit like riding a bike, but once you've done it it's easy. I can only do stocking stitch or a simple rib though, anything else I'm sure I'd mess up. Thickish wool helps too, I definitely can't do the kidsilk haze, and I'm not sure about the four ply, I've not tried that yet.

Re: picture

[minniemoll.livejournal.com]

PS When my bluebells come out I will photograph them and ask for your opinion as to whether they're English or Spanish, I'm not sure exactly what the difference is, although I have a vague idea that the English ones are more bell-like.

Re: bluebells

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

I think the Spanish ones are generally taller and have thicker, stronger stems. A lot of the ones here are pink or white. I've never planted one, they just turn up. I try to deadhead them promtly to stop them seeding everywhere.

Bluebells

[sallyodgers.livejournal.com]

I wonder if your bluebells are my scilla? I have them in my garden, fat white tubers, long, round and/or lumpy, that put up green straps and blue flowers. I'm very fond of them.

Re: Bluebells

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

They do have long tubers like you describe. The native bluebell is really Hyacinthoides non-scripta, which you can see here. What we call scilla or Squills is Scilla verna and it looks like this.

Re: Bluebells

[sallyodgers.livejournal.com]

How nice! It seems mine are the genuine native bluebell. They are very easy to grow, and also quite well-behaved. The arise, flower, and then vanish until the next time.

Re: Bluebells

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

Glad you have the real thing. I wonder who took them to Tasmania?