Since you are in the US wonder if you are really talking about true English bluebells, as in Flora's photo or are instead talking about one of the other, more common ones - many grown over here as Spanish bluebells are hybrids between English and Spanish. In my area these are often disliked as they often grow readily, multiply and come up where not wanted. I ordered English bluebells last year from a US bulb specialist, with a catalog written in such a way as to suggest they should know. What came up this year appears so far to be hybrid or perhaps even Spanish. I have not looked at them closely, with an eye toward technical details as the inflorescence structure really looks wrong for English and no fragrance is discernible - at least without getting down and my hands and knees.

About a half dozen years ago I bought English Bluebells from some catalog (don't remember which one) planted them along the edge of my patio near some shrubs. I still have them - actually quite a good colony. Unfortunately, they are a pale washed out pink. They bloom in late May, leaves persist well into June, and they have very little impact in the garden. From everything I have read here they are a rather poor version of Spanish Bluebells. Anyway, I plant through them whenever I feel like it, putting in pansies in the fall or other edger plants in the summer, worry nothing about uprooting bulbs, digging out leafed clumps, or drowing them with water run-off from the patio and they still keep expanding! Now if they were really pretty or I just loved them, they'd probably increase really slowly!

Mmmm yes, this is the next stage of my woodland plan - lots of little blue bulbs. I have always liked squills, especially a rather fluffy one called S.litardierei while my eldest son has an impressive collection of numerous muscari....and of course ipheon, chionodoxa et al. Along with omphalodes and the start of my tiny mertensia colonies, in my mind's eye, I see swathes of cerulean blue. Note to self - save seeds of Geranium sylvestris. Ah trilliums. Years ago, these were some of the first things I sowed from seed. Yep, it took years. If only they had lasted as long in my garden. Somewhere along the line, the fact that they require acidic peaty soil failed to penetrate my dimwitted brain.....so my few wake robins dwindled and vanished after less than 3 years (unsurprisingly, in my sandy alkaline soil).

It's true there are tasteless people the world over :) Carefully thought-out gardens should be able to change depending on the season and the plants highlighted at that time. Just a quick example: here's a typical colour set at Mottisfont Abbey during June when the once-flowering Old Roses are blooming: But of course, Summer is much longer than 'Rose Season', and borders change to accommodate the shifts. This mixed border - which we planted just in late May of this year - has taken the richer, late Summer hues that will complement the repeat-flowering Teas, Chinas and Hybrid Musks that are too small this year to notice, but will extend the interest right up until the frosts hit, or Christmas - whichever comes first :) This picture from a week ago: Reds, yellows, oranges . . . colourful, but not garish, I hope. Of course, there are many different styles of 'English Garden', but this is quite a good example of the Gertrude Jeykll/William Robinson/Graham Thomas tradition. Best wishes Jon