Steve Schwartzman showed us a bluebell gentian bud, in north-east Austin, Texas, which prompted me to check out our bluebells in Little Hagley Park, today, September 9th. Our bluebells, hyacinthoides non-scripta, or English bluebells, are completely different from Steve’s, but it is fun to compare not only the bluebells but the quality of the photos. Steve’s photos are, of course, the ones that are infinitely superior to mine. 🙂 But I try, and I did get down on my knees to take some of these photos, so I guess I can say I am attempting to follow in Steve’s kneesteps.
‘Across the road in Little Hagley, carpets of bluebells (Hyacinthoides non-scripta) bloom
where Māori traders camped in the early days of the settlement.’ http://resources.ccc.govt.nz/files/CityLeisure/parkswalkways/christchurchbotanicgardens/BotanicGardensWalkingGuide.pdf
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© silkannthreades
silkannthreades 
Lovely! When my son was a little boy, I had to paint these on his clogs because he loved those flowers so much. He still loves them, in fact…
That’s so sweet! And yet one more advantage of clogs over shoes; you can paint on them. 🙂
I am sorry for the late comment but I had a bug, nothing serious, so I missed out on reading blogs while I recovered. I love bluebells especially when they are massed together under trees, they are such a lovely sight in spring.
They truly are a spectacle en masse. Do hope you are feeling better now, and you were still able to start your much anticipated photography course.
Thanks yes I was. 😉
The bluebells are lovely. Spring flowers always seems special.
Very special. Each spring I look out for the bluebells, much as Helena looked out for the trailing arbutus http://ahundredyearsago.com/2014/04/30/picking-trailing-arbutus-with-friends/ Only the bluebells are easier to find. 🙂
Spring at last, enjoy!
It’s a ridiculous 26 degrees today. That’s a summer temperature!
Beautiful – and such a sight for sore eyes! We’re coming out of a wicked three-day snowstorm and everything in the garden is buried. There are broken trees lying everywhere in the city – the damage is incredible.
I have just checked your post. Your gardens are a sorry sight. 😦 We are not past snow danger yet, even though the temperatures are already shouting summer!
I am back and am reading–hopelessly behind, but loving all you have had to say about your beloved land and white-stone days!
Good to have you back. Have been vastly entertained by your crazy cats.
All are pretty. Interesting–the varieties from place to place.
Yes, there are so many different ‘bluebells’. It becomes confusing unless one uses the Latin names, and those confuse me, too. 😀
i am so glad that you gave this tribute to steve! his daily postings, always beautiful, always showcase some lovely flower as well as the trivia. you definitely gave us an equally-beautiful version – i loved the series as if we first sniffed the individual flower then drifted slowly away before leaving this page!
Steve’s posts are exceptionally beautiful and informative.I do so enjoy them. I am delighted you noticed the order of the series. It was a good exercise for me to go from the smallest stage I could find to the larger view.
I love your photos…Steve must be an excellent mentor!
Thank you Mrs P. Steve is a skilled photographer. I just play. 🙂
I adore bluebells and enjoyed seeing these.
I can’t imagine spring in Christchurch without the bluebells. They are adorable, indeed.
So pretty…..one of my favourite flowers, and colours. I have fond memories of the bluebells in the woods where I grew up in England. My car is called Bluebell, its a much darker blue, but it was the first thing I thought of when I was asked to name it 🙂
What fun to have a car named Bluebell. I haven’t ever named a car; what a lost opportunity to add joy to life. Maybe it’s not too late to give my old car a name. I love this photo of bluebells in Wales; probably like the ones you remember in England.http://mikehowe.com/2014/05/04/may-is-bluebell-time-in-the-welsh-woods/ Ours aren’t quite this prolific.
What a pretty picture! Very similar to what I remember – a scattered blue carpet in amongst the trees, quite lovely!.
Glad you enjoyed the photo. 🙂
I’m always tickled by the number of people, either not from Texas or not very familiar with our Texas flowers, who call our bluebonnets “bluebells.” The bluebells are as beautiful — no question about that. And from some of the pictures I’ve seen from Europe, they can be fully as dramatic as a field of bluebonnets.
Of course, the other thing that comes to mind when I hear “Bluebell” is our famous ice cream brand. Here’s one of their cartons filled with bluebonnets. It’s a lovely combination, for sure!
So much fun to learn about your ‘Bluebell’ icecream. Would love to try it. I did not know of it when I lived in the US but, then, I was in New York, where it wouldn’t have been easily available. I remember Breyers but I didn’t like it all that much. I do like the combination of the bluebonnets in the Bluebell carton!
Very pretty indeed! 🙂
Thank you Dianne. What’s in flower at your place? And are you enjoying the beautiful moon over the fields?
The moon is magnificent! The mango and lichee flowers are in bloom. But I’m too busy eating all the passion fruit to notice what else is going on around the place! 😀
Oh Yum, passionfruit. Lichee flowers? Pretty? I have just come from the shops where I saw fresh lichees, a most unusual sight in the fresh produce section. I didn’t dare look at the price. 😀
We had some friends stay from Holland a few years back and they actually camped under the lichee tree because they were so excited about them! They said they would walk a long way to the shops back in Holland to buy tins of lichees when they had them (at a very high price). Now they could just pick fresh ones off the tree whenever they wanted. They thought they were in heaven! lol 😀
I would feel much the same! But, probably, not to the extent that I would want to camp under the tree.
Lovely! I remember the bluebell fields from my childhood just as you have beautifully pictured them here!
Our bluebells are delightful but I would love to walk in bluebell woodlands in Europe.
Lovely photos!!
Silly WordPress. I found you in Spam. First time that has happened with your comments. Thank you for enjoying my photos.
I love the field, and your photos are all beautiful.
Thank you April. I guess it helps to have a beautiful subject which keeps quite still. 😉
Isn’t it so lovely to see all the spring flowers out – down here the daffodils are blooming along the roadsides and the parks but I haven’t seen any bluebells anywhere. Your photos are very good I think 🙂
Perhaps the bluebells are hiding in the woods! At Olveston? Or Lanarch’s castle? Ah, Mr Google suggests Glenfalloch Woodland Garden. I love all three of those places. By the way, my husband’s Kiwisaver funds came through; so fast, so easy. I am still in shock!
I obviously used the wrong outfit! They still haven’t even acknowledged my application for withdrawal of my funds as yet. The moral? Don’t invest with Mercer!
I love Glenfalloch – I have never been to Lanarch Castle, the entrance fee always puts me off. There will be some bluebells at the Botanic Garden but I haven’t visited there in a while………. when Mr Mercer sees fit to give me my money I will have a new car and be out and about again 🙂
The Botanic Gardens in Dunedin are lovely. As for Kiwisaver, I was gobsmacked that it happened so fast. Trouble is, there won’t be much left after all the bills are taken care of. 😦 But, I already have a trusty little old car so that’s okay. Do hope they hurry up with your Kiwisaver.
What are you talking about, Ann, your pictures are beautiful!
Thank you, GP. I am happy with my photos, but Steve’s photos are works of art, and science and skill. 🙂
How lovely! They are so beautiful! Our leaves are getting golden – your spring is coming…. I love to see your spring!
Happy to send you bunches of bluebells, Ute.
Spring is on the way…for you. Enjoy it well. 🙂
I am making the most of every fine day to get out and see the blossoms and the flowers.
Your bluebell photographs are really lovely. They are a favourite flower of mine but I have always found them very difficult to photograph and you have managed it from near and far. Amelia
I am pleased to hear you say that they are tricky to photograph. Blossom is hard to capture, too, I find. Well, with a point and shoot camera, it’s tricky. Or maybe I just go at the wrong time of day. Glad I was able to show you some of your favourite flowers. 🙂
Took me back to our spring! Your gravatar is nice!
Thank you Alex. We have had a mild winter but it stills feels wonderful to have the warmth of spring and the delight of spring flowers.
You did a wonderful job of capturing how special these flowers are.
Thank you Charlie. It’s properly the first time I have inspected them so closely. 😉
Love your new gravatar my friend!
Oh, so glad that you do, Laurie. I am not very good at changes, so it was a big decision to change my gravatar. 🙂
Beautiful photos, Gallivanta, all of them!
Thank you Lavinia.
Looks like spring in these lovely shots – is that a daffodil sneaking into the group shot? I think they call it ‘photobombing’ these days!
Indeed it is a daffodil. The bluebells and daffodils are all mixed up together in the park, but depending on which angle you take the photo, you either see lots of bluebells or lots of daffodils, and, just sometimes, you can capture both.
Just lovely…..
The arrival of the bluebells in Little Hagley Park is one of the highlights of my year. 🙂
Thanks, and happy inspiration, Gallivanta. I like the phrase you coined, following in someone’s kneesteps, and I suspect—certainly hope—that the earth in Aotearoa treats your knees more kindly than the often harsh ground in Texas treats mine.
The earth in Hagley Park was supremely comfortable. If I hadn’t been in my usual rush, I could easily have spent considerable time seated under one of the lovely trees. Of kneesteps….and new words….one of my offspring always said “kneebows” for elbows, which seemed perfectly sensible to me. Elbows, in our house, are now usually referred to as kneebows.