Bluebell season is wonderful but please, please, please ensure that you are not growing Spanish Bluebells in the UK or Ireland ๐ชป
The fact that these things are still widely sold is awful. They are highly invasive and hybridise with the native species....slowly wiping them out.
The leaves of the Spanish variety are about 3 cm wide whilst the native species are much slimmer and their flowers, which are quite often pink or white, grow on both sides of the stem giving the plant an upright profile whilst our native Bluebells have that fairytale drooping appearance ๐ช
The plants are toxic so bring a pair of gloves on your walks and pull them out. Digging them out is much more effective but the trauma of being pulled out for two or three seasons will eventually kill them.
Cherish our native species ๐
๐ธ B&Q (who still sell gross Spanish Bluebells)
@deirdrenugent4@mtully21 Have you looked into the loan scheme rather than a morgage Deirdre? At least it's capped at 3 years. Have been through this unfortunately-dealing with the trauma of ones mam & dad having to go live in a nursing home facility is enough never mind all the financial ramifications.
The number of โbellsโ an English Bluebell has reflects its age
It is dependent on the increasing size of the bulb, root system & leaves capable of managing the weight, nutrients & water
Individuals plants can live over 15 years. Established colonies can be a thousand years old
Echoes of a rainforest in central Belfast ๐ฟ
The epiphytic ferns growing on older trees in the city are a beautiful bit sad reminder of the the lush forests that, not so long ago, covered Ireland ๐ณ
We quite obviously cannot blanket the entire country in forest again but we can surely do much better.
How many people die alone without their families being notified in time?What outreach organisations are involved/ensure relatives know before burial or cremation? Is it a box-ticking exercise, or is it carried out in a genuinely meaningful & thorough way. @lbbdcouncil@NAFD_UK
A funeral director has issued an appeal to try to find next of kin for an 81-year-old woman who died alone in hospital without any family.
https://t.co/diD48jteCc
Called "Coinnle Corra" in Irish the Bluebell is associated with Springtime and beauty ๐ฑ๐ชป
They were once known as "Cuckoo's Boots" having been gifted to the bird by the fairies in order to allow the Cuckoo to move silently as it placed it's egg in the nests of other birds ๐ชบ๐ชถ
@Eanna00 I'd imagine that they would have known from the start that this was always going to be a very short term disruption but would have maximum effect to create an urgency within the political establishment & not allow them drag their feet. Getting the issues addressed quickly.