Severe winter Daffa maybe. Too shallow planting. Bluebells are tough customers. Don't worry you can't keep a good old bluebell down for long. They will be there like a marching army after a while...all a bloom. I love em and curse them. My garden looks a mess for a while until the leaves are out of the way. If you don't want them to seed, pull out the stems before the seeds set hard.

Thank you so much, so I pull out the stems when the flower starts to die back , is that correct please?

That's right Daffa, when thev'e lost all the colour and look spent . Grasp the stem fimly and pull upwards. Should come out with a white bottom to the stem . Makes very good compost as long as seeds have not set and dried off. Then the leaves die down, if you can bear to wait, like i do. Keeps the weeds down. Mine are in a riotous herbaceous border. I wait until the leaves dry up and they can then be cleared very quickly. any bluebell bulbs I find while planting are ruthlessly culled. I am sentimental about bluebells, as my mum took us for picnics in a bluebell wood.... but not that sentimental.

Thanks for the advice - I have noticed two little flower heads this morning , so they seem to be o.k. I particurly wanted them to come this year as my Mum is 81 and wanted a bluebell bank ! - but I will be quite ruthless also as I don't want them to spread too much .