The carpet of beautiful bluebells makes an almost magical setting and may also be why these wildflowers have been called fairy flowers. According to the photographer, “There are more bluebells (Hyacinthoides non-scripta) in England than anywhere else in the world, and Micheldever Wood often has a magnificent display.” Photo #1 by Anguskirk

Bluebell carpet of Ashridge Forest UK at dusk. These flowers are protected under UK law, but before the law, there were legends with dark consequences about picking these “fairy flowers.” In one legend it was said that if a child wandered alone into a bluebell wood and picked a flower, that child would never be seen again. Another legend applied to adults: “If an adult picks a bluebell they will be lead around by a pixie forever and ever unless rescued.” Photo #2 by Ken Douglas

A footpath in Tourneppe, Belgium, through the bluebells that the photographer said “were as far as the imagination can see.” Photo #3 by Vincent Brassinne

Zillions of bluebells. Paul McCartney, of the Beatles, revealed his heartbreaking last words to his wife Linda. “As she slipped away, Sir Paul whispered: ‘You’re up on your beautiful Appaloosa stallion. It’s a fine spring day, we’re riding through the woods. The bluebells are all out, and the sky is clear blue.’ Sir Paul said: ‘I had barely got to the end of the sentence, when she closed her eyes, and gently slipped away’.” Photo #4 by Chauncey Gardener

Badbury Clump near Faringdon, Oxfordshire. Naturalists John Muir, an early advocate of preserving wilderness, once said, “The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness.” Photo #5 by Stuart Richards

A rich bed of bluebells (Hyacinthoides non-scripta), Little Chittenden Wood, near to Four Elms, Kent, Great Britain. There are many different types of bluebells, just as there are many different common names for them, including bluebell, common bluebell, English bluebell, British bluebell, bell bottle, fairy flower, wild hyacinth and wood bell. Photo #6 by Oast House Archive

“For a couple of weeks in May in each year, many of the woods in the UK are carpeted with English Bluebells. The ancient woodlands on the Ashridge Estate, managed by the UK’s National Trust, are home to one of the finest examples of massed flowering bluebells that are an icon of Spring in England. Here, the English landscape is transformed into a sea of blue – almost as far as the eye can see.” The photographer added, “For only a few days, the sapphire of the bluebells is also contrasted with the emerald green colors from the newly emerging foliage of the beech trees in the spring landscape – a natural gem from Mother Nature. Soon the foliage is thick enough to obscure the light and the blue flowers will be gone for another year.” Photo #7 by ukgardenphotos

The photographer said bluebell time in the Belgium forest shows the “three layers of the enchanted Spring.” Photo #8 by Vincent Brassinne

Dark tree silhouettes and millions of bluebells. “I have spread my dreams beneath your feet. Tread softly because you tread on my dreams, ~ quote by W.B. Yeats. Photo #9 by Anneka

The photographer wrote, “The low sun was casting amazing long shadows between bright spears of light. There was quite a breeze too – and so the whole scene swayed and ‘breathed’. Taken in Ashridge Forest – just off the road to the Beacon. There are several acres of bluebells carpeting the entire forest floor.” Photo #10 by Ken Douglas

Ashridge Park, Hertfordshire, UK, the National Trust Woodlands carpeted with English Bluebells in Spring. People have tried to bottle the strong sweet scent of these delicate bell-shaped flowers and sell it as perfume. Photo #11 by ukgardenphotos

Bluebells at Ashridge Forest, as far as the eye can see. There are all different kinds of bluebells, in the UK and worldwide, but the three best-known types of bluebells are the English, the Spanish, and the Virginia bluebells. Spanish bluebells do well in gardens and English bluebells prefer the woods. The stalk of a Spanish bluebell is about three feet high, whereas the stalk of an English bluebell is grows only to about a foot tall. Photo #12 by Ken Douglas

The English and Spanish bluebells are native to Europe and the British isles. Pictured above are Spanish bluebells. For people in England who are trying to discern if their bluebells are native or not, there is a handy guide. We think they are all beautiful. “Oh! roses and lilies are fair to see; But the wild bluebell is the flower for me,” wrote Louisa A. Meredith, in The Bluebell. Photo #13 by Tristan Martin

Patch of bluebell woodlands called Dockey Wood between Hurst Farm and Ivinghoe Common, UK. The British bluebell woods are late to bloom this year. Matthew Oates, naturalist for the National Trust, said, “The true beauty of our bluebells – the color, the scent, the view – makes them an essential and special element to our springtime experience.” Photo #14 by Keith Hulbert and Paul Zarucki

Misty dawn and the bluebell woods. “Don’t wait for extraordinary opportunities. Seize common occasions and make them great,” ~ quote by Orison Swett Marden. Surely seeing and smelling, experiencing a bluebell carpeted forest would be an occasion to seize. Photo #15 by Ken Douglas

These bluebell woods surely seem enchanted, alive with spring, so much so that this English Springer Spaniel appears deliriously happy running through them. Photo #16 by Katariina Järvinen & #17 by Katariina Järvinen

Not just dogs love the bluebells; this is Vladimir the Siberian Tiger relaxing in the bluebells at Yorkshire Wildlife Park. Photo #18 by Rob Brooks

The photographer said this is the inquisitive Muntjac in the bluebell forest. This animals is also called the “barking deer.” Photo #19 by MARK-SPOKES.COM

Bluebells in the highlands of Ballachulish, Scotland. Although these wildflowers can be planted, they are a woodland plant. So when you see bluebells in a field, it tends to mean that the area was once a woods before man moved it and cut it down. Off the coast of Pembrokeshire in southwestern Wales, beautiful bluebells bloom across the open fields of Skomer island which used to be wooded. Photo #20 by Jim Monk

Springtime comes to Waterton National Park in Canada. Wikipedia states, “Hyacinthoides non-scripta is native to the western parts of Atlantic Europe, from north-western Spain (occasionally even north-western Portugal) to the Netherlands and the British Isles. It is found in Belgium, Great Britain, France, Ireland, the Netherlands and Spain, and also occurs as a naturalized species in Germany, Italy, and Romania. It has also been introduced to parts of North America, in both the Pacific Northwest (British Columbia, Washington and Oregon) and the north-eastern United States (Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York).” Photo #21 by Gord McKenna

Bluebells at Badbury Hill. BBC wrote, “The brevity of the bloom gives the sense of the circus coming to town for a few days only. Transience is everywhere at play: in the way that the light falls and changes the color of the woodland floor. When the sun’s high at noon, there’s a sapphire dazzle that leaves an imprint on your retina when you look away. The poet Gerald Manley Hopkins was fascinated by bluebells. He wrote of the ‘blue-buzzed haze’ and how ‘woodland banks wash wet like lakes’ lines that make instant sense when you visit a bluebell woodland like this one.” Photo #22 by Paul Appleton

The bluebells path at the end of an afternoon in Belgium. The bluebells of Halle’s woods has been called one of Belgium’s best kept secrets. Photo #23 by Vincent Brassinne

“Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul,” ~ John Muir quote. Photo #24 by David Anthony Hall

Bluebell path at Cardross, Scotland. Bluebells “are known as harebells in Scotland. The name originated due to the hares that frequented the fields covered with harebells. Some sources claim that witches turned themselves into hares to hide among the flowers. Another name for bluebells is Dead Man’s bells. This is due to the fact that fairies were believed to cast spells on those who dare to pick or damage the beautiful, delicate flowers. The people of Scotland are fond enough of the flower to continue this tradition in the hopes of protecting the little flower.” Photo #25 by Colin Houston

Sunlight on the enchanted forest. The symbolic meaning of bluebells “have long been symbolic of humility and gratitude. They are associated with constancy, gratitude and everlasting love.” Photo #26 via 1ms

Fairyland bluebells set the imagination loose. And “imagination is more important than knowledge,” said Albert Einstein. He added, “Your imagination is your preview of life’s coming attractions.” Photo #27 by David Bailey

Bluebells in the evening. Mark Twain said, “You cannot depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus.” Photo #28 by Christopher_Hawkins

Spring at Ashridge Forest looks almost like something out of a dream. Lanston Hughes stated, “Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken winged bird that cannot fly.” Photo #29 by ukgardenphotos

Bluebell Woods on Stamford Hill in Stratton Cornwall. Mountain bluebells that are found in the United States were used as medicine by the Cheyenne Indians. The leaves and powdered roots were used to relieve itching from smallpox and measles. The entire plant was used to treat women after childbirth in order to increase milk flow. Photo #30 by Mike Pratt

Meanwhile in Belgium, one of these things is not like the others. Photo #31 by Vincent Brassinne

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams,” ~ quote by Eleanor Roosevelt. Photo #32 via Desktop Nexus

The sun was going down, path among the bluebells of Belgium. Photo #33 by Vincent Brassinne

An inspirational view, along with a motivational quote by Norman Vincent Peale, “Change your thoughts and you change your world.” Photo #34 by Happy Jack

Mossy trees in the bluebell forest. In the ancient forests, bluebells were present but were scarce because the dense tree canopy blocked out the light. It wasn’t until humans started chopping down the woods that bluebells thrived as if it were a floral carpet. Photo #35 via Scenic Reflections

Silent eloquence in Glasgow, Scotland. Photo #36 by Norma Desmond

Bluebell carpet in the enchanted woods. “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle,” ~ quote by Albert Einstein. Photo #37 via Kleverish Thoughts

Bluebell Woods by Diamanx. “All our dreams can come true—if we have the courage to pursue them,” quote by Walt Disney. Photo #38 via jchip