Bluebell Poetry Competition - Closing Date for entries 15th May 2011

If you would like to enter this competition and write a poem about bluebells please send it in to Louise@woodlandplaycentre.com by 15th May 2011.
The one we love the most (from each age range) will be published on the blog and there  may also be other prizes!
There are two age ranges, under 18's and over 18's. So, all you parents out there and aspiring poets, please send your poems in too!

• The poem can be as long or short as you like 
• It has to be about a bluebell or bluebells

That's it!
Get writing!

A little Bluebell info:

Bluebell - Latin Name - Agraphis nutans - Non Scripta
The old name was actually Agraphis nutans, the first part "Agraphis" meant "unmarked - or not written on" - which really is the same as the more modern version of the name that was used "Non Scriptus" - really alluding to the clear blue colour - with no markings on - unlike the traditional hyacinth. The second part of the name "Nutans" - means "nodding,"a reference to the dangling flowers. Sometimes infact the plant is called Nodding Squill
Bluebell - Latin Name Endymion - Greek Myth
In Greek mythology there was a young man called "Endymion" who chose to sleep forever and never aged.. Some versions of the myth say that Endymion was visited by a moon goddess Selene, who fell in love with him and every month she visited the cave where he slept, she shirked here duties as a moon goddess, (guiding the moon through the heavens) this accounts for the phases of the moon. Some writers suggest that bluebells help to promote a dreamless sleep - like that of Endymion's sleep
Celtic Times - Bluebells
Celtic legend has it that the bluebell was known as a fairy flower which was dangerous. There are tales of Celtic heroes, Merlin and King Arthur, who are still sleeping somewhere in a cave - they are supposed to be lying in wait to wake up when Britain needs them.
Other Names
Also known as Bell Bottle, Blue Bonnets and Ring o’Bells.
Symbol of Botanical Society
These tiny flowers are the symbol of the Botanical Society of the British Isles.
The Law
In Britain it is illegal, under the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981, to sell plants of H. non-scripta; and it is illegal to dig up any plant in the wild without the permission of the landowner.
From: http://www.virtualheb.co.uk/bluebell-wildflowers-western-isles.html