Are these bluebell bulbs?

Slinky

Dug these out whilst planting some new plants today. I seem to recall there were bluebells in this area in the spring.

KajiKita

They look like bluebells to me

KK

Slinky

They are just such weird and wonderful shapes. So random and impossible to tell with some of them which way is up!

Misslayed

They are definitely bluebells, I have dug barrowloads out of my garden! Think carefully before you replant them, bluebells are real thugs. They have three different ways of multiplying- the usual bulb reproduction, those long white things (which are ‘runners’), and by seeds. They will totally take over the area they are planted in, and suppress anything else having the temerity to try and grow in amongst them. Think about those beautiful blue swathes of colour in the woods in spring. Every year I think I’ve finally got them all, then next spring - gorgeous blue flowers thumbing their nose at me! Every year I think I’ll just wait till they’ve flowered, then I’ll dig them up! 

Slinky

Misslayed said:

They are definitely bluebells, I have dug barrowloads out of my garden! Think carefully before you replant them, bluebells are real thugs. They have three different ways of multiplying- the usual bulb reproduction, those long white things (which are ‘runners’), and by seeds. They will totally take over the area they are planted in, and suppress anything else having the temerity to try and grow in amongst them. Think about those beautiful blue swathes of colour in the woods in spring. Every year I think I’ve finally got them all, then next spring - gorgeous blue flowers thumbing their nose at me! Every year I think I’ll just wait till they’ve flowered, then I’ll dig them up! 

Interesting. We had some at our previous house, my Dad dug them out of his garden and planted them in clumps along a shaded spot at the bottom of the garden. The clumps never got any bigger.  I suspect these have been in the ground here for years on the north side of our neighbour's fence. I've been trying to clear the beds of all sorts of overgrown plants. I'm guessing that that lot is just a small selection of what's still in the ground. We have a green area at the front of our houses with grass and some trees, I think I might plant them out over there. Another stretch of grass and trees a few doors down has loads of crocuses which always look good in Spring. A few bluebells would enhance the look of the bit near us.  Might also put some of the crocosmia bulbs on there too as they are also taking over a large area in our borders.

twopenny

No matter how many I dug up they still grew. 
Looked amazing for 3 or 4 weeks.
Mixed feelings.

Btw they are Spanish bluebells. Not the native ones.

Sapindus

Agree - Spanish bluebells, not native.  Be very careful where you move them to, not anywhere they might continue to spread and hybridise with wild populations.  Or anywhere there aren't already Spanish bluebells and they could scupper anyone trying to get native ones established.  Or where someone else might decide to move them on again and dispose of them irresponsibly. Actually don't move them anywhere.

Slinky

How can you tell the difference in the bulbs?

I think you're right, maybe I'll just bin them.

twopenny

Believe me that doesn't work.
They have legs , climb out and procreate when you're not looking 👻

Slinky

twopenny said:

Believe me that doesn't work.
They have legs , climb out and procreate when you're not looking 👻

The ones I've dug out have gone in the bin. I'm not bothered about those still left in the ground, I think they will have been there for several decades given the age of the property and the time the previous owners lived here. They provide some colour and ground cover in an area of the garden where there isn't much. I'll assess the situation next spring in relation to the new planting I've introduced this week.