Thursday 14 May 2009

Secret Bluebell Woods

A narrow path leads into the bluebell woods.

Carpets of blue go on for ever among the trees.

*
All is silent.



The path curves on and up to a faery hill.

Bedazzled by shafts of sunlight, dark shadows, illuminated blooms.
*
*

28 comments:

Catherine@AGardenerinProgress said...

How pretty to see so many bluebells in bloom there. They do look magical under the trees. It almost looks like a place a fairy tale would take place. I just love the lighting in the last picture.

Phoenix C. said...

Thank you Catherine. The place does have a wonderful atmosphere, especially when the bluebells are out.

Diane AZ said...

It's hard to believe that such a beautiful place exists. Your images are enchanting.

Barbara Martin said...

How wonderful to walk along a carpet of blue in a small forest. It sets my mind at ease. Thank you.

Rune Eide said...

Nice!

Monica the Garden Faerie said...

OOh, lovely woods. Though I can share an irony: faeries do in fact like being ON hills, but we don't like walking up to them! :)

Phoenix C. said...

Thank you Diane. There are many beautiful places around here, and I have to try to remember their seasons of especial loveliness to visit them at those times!

Phoenix C. said...

I'm glad my photos set your mind at ease, Barbara. Those woods are always so peaceful.

Phoenix C. said...

Thank you RuneE! (I was so entranced with the bluebells I forgot all about benches!!)

Phoenix C. said...

Monica - I'm sure you don't need to walk up to the hills, you have wings!!

Rune Eide said...

I have had a new go at it :-)

I think I spotted it in No. 2 and No. 5. In any case, a lovely place to both sit and wonder, and wander and sit.

Prospero said...

This series of shots is definitively one of your best. Absolutely great.

Phoenix C. said...

RuneE - How marvellous that there will be a bench even when one is too entranced by the bluebells to consciously photograph it! A faery bench maybe ...

I love your phrase 'a lovely place to both sit and wonder, and wander and sit.'

Phoenix C. said...

Thank you Prospero! The place is great, the shots were lucky - I was following the sylvan muse ...

Nutty Gnome said...

Beautiful photos Phoenix C. The bluebells have been magnificent this year and you have captured them so well that I was there walking with you!

I looked very hard, but I couldn't see Rupert anywhere! (but he wouldn't be up there really - he lives in Silverwood Woods just outside Rotherham. My dad saw him every time we went through them - but he'd always walked behind a tree by the time I looked!!!)

Phoenix C. said...

Thank you Nutty Gnome!

Glad you enjoyed the walk.

Maybe Rupert was in the wood - he may have hidden behind a tree when I went past too. It's not far from Rotherham to the North East by Rupert's air balloon or flying saucer, especially if the Professor is on board with some gadgetry to speed it up!

Anna said...

Beautiful photos of the woods and oh what a glorious carpet of bluebells. Everything looks so fresh and vibrant.

Phoenix C. said...

Thank you Anna! The bluebells do look as if they go on for miles, and make you want to see how far into the wood they bloom.

Lona said...

How wonderful. What a beautiful path to walk upon with all of the sea of blue blooms and it looks so inviting. Just gorgeous!

Rob (ourfrenchgarden) said...

You've taken me back.

Oh to walk through the bluebell woods.

Rob

Phoenix C. said...

Thank you, Hocking Hills Gardener. It was so inviting I didn't want to leave!

Phoenix C. said...

Walking through the bluebell woods felt like a real priviledge, Rob. Glad to be able to share it.

Pondside said...

Beautiful.
We don't have Bluebell Woods over here. One sees clumps of bluebells but never swathes such as yours.
The photos are lovely - they draw me in - I'd love to feel that path underfoot.

Phoenix C. said...

Thank you Pondside. The path underfoot felt lovely - softish and slightly bouncy because of the layers of fallen leaves.

Bim said...

Ah, beautiful - I'm sure they smelled as gorgeous as they look - mine did :)

Earlier this evening I've searched for the name of the pretty flowers below. As luck has it, you named them for me. Thanks!

Phoenix C. said...

Must be the collective unconscious, Bim - a wave of interest in Zaluzianskya flowers!

Everything about the bluebell wood was wonderful - the tangible and the untangible too.

Shady Gardener said...

Phoenix C, I really like Virginia Bluebells... I have a growing number of them (meaning that they are growing more numerous.) ;-) You have captured beautiful photos of them in bloom. However, in my yard at this time, they are very ugly. This is because they are dying back to rest. They will be dormant from now until early next Spring.

Phoenix C. said...

Thank you Shady Gardener!

I found the same with my snowdrops when they were dying back in the garden. I now naturalize them in the grass, so I can let it grow longer around them to disguise the die-back!