Posted on by Donna

Spring Dreams On Bloom Day

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“I pray that the life of this spring and summer may ever lie fair in my memory.”   
Henry David Thoreau

 

This weekend, as the temps finally rose between 35 and 40, we smelled that wonderful aroma of melting snow.  Around here, there is no better smell in early March than that.  It is a slow melt, and we are still below normal in temps, but the wildlife are showing up to trumpet in the coming of spring.  Robins have returned to the garden.  Although they are around all year, they live together in groups where food is more abundant.  And a pileated woodpecker showed up to see what insects might be stirring under the bark of the trees.

But with all the snow cover, there are still no blooms on Bloom Day.  Just snow everywhere.  But as Tammy@Casa Mariposa reminded me, “You are closer to spring today than you were yesterday”.  And that thought makes me happy.

Last year at this time, most of the snow was melted, and crocus were blooming along with a snowdrop or two.  But with the hard grip of winter hanging on (more snow due midweek with cold temps), I am still dreaming of spring and the first blooms.  As I link in with Carol@May Dreams Gardens, where she hosts GBBD on the 15th of every month, I am highlighting another little early spring bloom, Glory-of-the-Snow or Chionodoxa.

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The pastel pinks, blues and white of Glory-of-the-Snow spread fast under trees, shrubs and beside later growing perennials.  Glory-of-the-Snow grows in zones 4-8, and grows 3-6 inches tall.  The star-shaped flowers have six-petals, yellow anthers and last a few weeks. Plant the bulbs in fall in any partly sunny spot with moist well-drained soil.

 

 

 

 

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This lovely little flower is part of the family Asparagaceae.  It is found naturally in the eastern Mediterranean, specifically Crete, Cyprus and Turkey.  The common name comes from the fact that the bulb flowers in high alpine areas just as the snow melts in spring.  I have found buds waiting under the snow for me in my garden.

 

 

 

 

IMG_0639Glory-of-the-Snow is closely related to Scilla so much so that Chionodoxa species are often included in Scilla.  The most common garden species is also hard to tease out as both C. forbesii and C. siehei are thought to be the same.  It depends who you talk to as to which one is considered the most commonly planted.  I have lost track of which is which in my garden.

 

 

 

 

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Glory-of-the-Snow is a very underused early flowering bulb.  It flowers and then dies back and disappears as the later spring perennials grow larger and fill in.  Chionodoxa’s botanical name is derived from the Greek words for “snow” (chion) and “glory” (doxa).

 

 

 

 

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This flower can be used informally in woodland gardens, meadows and rock gardens.  I have some planted in the lawn, meadow and throughout various flower beds.

Good  companions for Glory-of-the-Snow are hellebores, Pulmonaria and Primula.  I like to include them with spring bulbs such as daffodils, tulips and snowdrops or planted in the lawn mixed with crocus.

 

 

 

 

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Glory-of-the-Snow is a great plant for naturalizing because it self-seeds and produces new bulbs. Bulbs planted in fall will flower in spring, but plants growing from the self-seeding take 2-3 years to flower which is why you have to be patient for this plant to spread.  Mine should be taking off this spring I hope if they haven’t drowned.

When they start to look crowded you can split them up after the leaves die back, and have new plants for another part of the garden.   

 

Do you grow Glory-of-the-Snow?  Have you seen it naturalized in a lawn or garden bed? 

 

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Gardening in the mind is a gentle vice with an impetus of its own; it may not be as potent as actually making one, but there is a whole different threshold where gardening in the head can fill our winter tranquility with unrest.  ~Mirabel Osler

 

 

 

 

 

Seasonal Celebrations meme is happening now.  Please join in as we celebrate our new season.  Details about how to join are below.

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Come Join Us:

Seasonal Celebrations is a time for marking the change of seasons and what is happening in your part of the world during this time.  I hope you will join in by creating a post telling us how you celebrate this time of year whether winter or summer or something else.  Share your traditions, holidays, gardens and celebrations in pictures, poetry or words starting March 1st.

And it seems so appropriate to collaborate with Beth and her Lessons Learned meme.  What lessons have you learned this past season of autumn here in the North and spring in the South.  Then tell us about your wishes, desires and dreams for this new season.

The rules are simple.  Just create a post that talks about lessons learned and/or seasonal celebrations.  If you are joining in for both memes please leave a comment on both our blog posts.  Or if you are choosing to join only one meme, leave a comment on that blog post.  Make sure to include a link with your comment.

Beth and I will do a summary post of our respective memes on the equinox (around the 20th of March).  And we will keep those posts linked on a page on our blog.  Your post should be linked in the weekend before the solstice to give us enough time to include your post in our summary.  And if you link in a bit late, never fear we will include it on the special blog page.  The badges here can be used in your post.   So won’t you join in the celebration!!

 
 

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Next up on the blog:  If I can get my act together, I will have a post Thursday about life, retirement and Lessons Learned in the Garden this  winter.  Next Monday I will have an interesting Garden Book to review.

I am linking in with Michelle@Rambling Woods for her Nature Notes meme.  It is a great way to see what is happening in nature around the world every Wednesday.

I hope you will join me for my posts once a month at Beautiful Wildlife Garden. See my latest post.

I can also be found blogging once a month at Vision and Verb.  I hope you enjoy my latest post.

As always, I’ll be joining Tootsie Time’s Fertilizer Friday.sharethelove

I am also joining in I Heart Macro with Laura@Shine The Divine that happens every Saturday.

All original content is copyrighted and the sole property of Donna Donabella @ Gardens Eye View, 2010-2014.  Any reprints or use of content or photos is by permission only.

 

 

 

51 Replies to “Spring Dreams On Bloom Day”

  1. Lovely choice of flower for this month, such a pure blue and there aren’t so many of those. I can’t tell you how much you make me appreciate the fact that my garden isn’t buried under snow for months on end. Sometimes it is hard to realise what we have until we see someone else’s reality. I like the thought too, that “today we are closer to spring than yesterday”. But above all tell me more about the ‘smell’ of the snow melting – I just can’t imagine what that is like.

    1. Christina it is a hard smell to describe. When the warmer temps of March and the warmer sun continue to melt the snow slowly, it takes on a heavier consistency. It is very wet snow and the smell of all the water reminds me of a warm rainstorm that is coming. That metallic smell of the moisture is what we smell finally in spring when we know the snow is really melting and spring is approaching. No one seems sure as to why the metallic smell happens.

      Once the snow melts and the soil warms then we get the second incredible smell of spring, the soil. Then I know spring is definitely here. We are expecting more snow this week. Another foot they say. So as spring is slowly slipping in winter continues to blow her back.

      1. is that the same as ‘blood of the earth’? That to me intensely African smell of first rain laying the dust. I can smell rain coming. Petrichor.

  2. Donna I’d never considered the aroma of melting snow – perhaps because ours is so fleeting but it must be the smell of stirring earth and sap rising. What better show-off in the snow than Chionodoxa – I think blue is a more apt colour for the season than the garish yellows of daffs.

    1. I think these smells all mixes together in spring. I long for the smell of warming soil Laura. Isn’t this blue flower so special and a herald to a gorgeous spring.

  3. Melting snow has a SMELL? The things you learn on people’s blogs 🙂
    Lovely flowers!

    1. Only spring melting snow Mac. Very heavy metallic smell like a rainstorm as the large drifts are heavy with moisture as the warm air melts them.

  4. Hi Donna, I do grow Glory-of-the-Snow. Actually, I have never heard that common name before. Interesting! I like Chionodoxa for those big flowers- larger than the scilla that I have in another part of the garden. I have just a small number of blue and pink bulbs and can’t wait until they spread and I have even more.

    1. The first time I saw this flower was after the snow melted and a house I drove by on my way to work was a sea of blue throughout their lawn. I was mesmerized and found out the name of the flower. I actually only knew its common name for a long time. I think I agree about the big flowers being a favorite Jennifer. We need to see these big flowers in early spring after all that white.

  5. I love this little bulb, but I’ve only planted a handful in my garden. I don’t know why I don’t have more, I should remedy that this fall. This was an excellent, informative post about them. I hope your snow melts soon. Spring is coming.

    1. More snow this week but I know it will end soon. Glad you enjoyed the post Alison. This is such a worthy little flower it deserves more space in my garden. I hope to see it naturalize more soon.

  6. Beautiful shots. I didn’t know about chionodoxa’s common name being glory of the snow. I have a lot of that plant and it usually is one of the earliest to bloom in my yard but I haven’t seen any coming up yet this year although I do have other flowers coming up.

  7. Glory-of-the-snow is such a pretty flower and I love to see it in my garden too. The first are peeking out the ground now – later than usual, behind the crocus, maybe because the lack of snow confused them! Gorgeous pictures Donna. 😀

    1. Thanks Cathy. How wonderful you are seeing them already. I hope soon to see them here, but I fear we are delayed again with more snow and cold weather.

    1. Glad I could acquaint you Susie. This another one that would look great in the front naturalizing in spring. I disappears as the other plants grow so it is an easy one to care for.

  9. Hi Donna, I really like those cute little gems, I don’t think I’ve seen them before.
    I know what you mean by “the smell of melting snow”…. it’s such a refreshing and much anticipated smell. I’m in the White Mountains of NH and we still have several feet of snow on the ground & it’ll be a few weeks before anything that resembles Spring around here. It’s been such a cold and snowy winter this year I can’t wait to start working in my garden. “Just a little bit longer, hang in there”…. That’s what I’ve been telling myself every day for the past month. Happy Gardening!

    1. Oh I am glad to know you understand that wonderful smell of the melting snow. We don’t have as many feet as you on the ground, but in spots at least 2 ft and some just 1 foot. But more on the way with cold so no big melt yet. I am trying to hang in there but really want to see those first blooms soon. Thank you for visiting and commenting!!

    1. Thanks Shey. Once the snow melts, I will see them again. I can’t wait, but we have to be patient here as the weather is still snow and cold.

  11. Spring is in the air, your flowers are lovely.. We still have a lot of snow around my yard, we are one of the last places here to melt.. I am looking forward to seeing our daffodils.. Have a happy day!

    1. Eileen we still have at least a foot of snow still on the ground. It has been colder than normal so we have not had much melt and now we are due for more snow (a foot) and more cold. So spring is delayed here, except for my dreaming of flowers like this one in the post. I know it is growing beneath the snow and will pop up once the snow melts.

    1. Oh I am sorry to hear about your front bed. I am behind catching up with blogs, but I am glad this spring flower might work in your front bed Christienne.

  13. These blooms are beautiful. I want to pick rooms in my house and paint each a color you have represented here! The blues are so vibrant and lovely. Thanks for posting pics.

  14. I have Glory of the Snow sprinkled all over my garden. I hope it naturalizes and spreads to form large mats of these beautiful star-like blooms. I can’t wait to see them! We are bracing for another possible 18″ of snow and it has started snowing now. But I have ordered seeds and I heard a Robin singing yesterday morning (yesterday was beautiful almost 50 degrees!) so I will hold on to that. I won’t have any blooms for bloom day either – but you never know there are a few more days and maybe I can dig something up.

    1. Oh I would love to see pics of them naturalizing in your garden Kathy! We had the same weather yesterday and I saw a snowdrop just breaking through the soil with a flower bud tucked deep in the leaves….I had a few patches of bare soil finally…snowing now and we are supposed to get 18″ too. Let’s keep our fingers crossed that we don’t get too much.

  15. It has been a cold winter. Here in my neck of the woods we still have snow!! This is unreal considering it has been more than 1.5 weeks since the snow and ice came yet we still have piles and snow on the ground. It has never ever lasted this long in Tennessee as far as I can remember. I grow glory of the snow and love this little diminutive bulb. You reminded me I should go see if they are up. I have them naturalized on a slight hill on the south side of our garage under oak leaf hydrangeas. They grow well in this out of the way area that is fairly shaded. I need to dig some to take to the land soon tho. I forgot all about them so thanks for reminding me. Spring is close!

    1. My goodness Tina that is most unusual. Glad I reminded you not to leave all these beauties behind. They will love your new land!!

  16. They are so pretty, Donna! I don’t have them in my garden, but I like them! Spring is trying to assert herself. Hang in there–it will be so glorious when it gets here, after this awful winter. 🙂

    1. Thanks Beth. What a storm we are having. 1.5 ft of snow and blowing bitter cold wind. All the snow that melted is back. But I have lots to do indoors still but I better get cracking. Before I know it, spring will be here. 😉

  17. I had that short respite from the awful weather and I agree about the smell. I was thinking about that as I was outside..Lovely post Donna….Michelle

    1. Thanks Michelle. What a change we have both had. From nearly 50 degrees to bitter cold and over a foot of snow. Now the snow will probably not melt until April. I will wish for it sooner and hope!

  18. Spring is coming even if it is under a blanket of snow. After Monday, we break into temps above freezing which hopefully melt the snow. Today was 50°, but it will be back to 19° Sunday. Coming in like a Lion.

    1. We had similar snow here and so cold yesterday. Today it started to melt and I am seeing buds on maples started to get bigger. Not as warm here next week with some days in the 40s and some in the 20s. Hoping to see the garden soil soon. Yes it sure is roaring this year.

  19. I love Chionodoxa. I love the way it makes rivers or lakes of pure blue. You have taken some lovely shots of it. The pink one never grows as strongly for me.

    1. So far the pink and blue have not naturalized as much as I would like, but I expect they will soon. I love the way you describe their look Chloris…rivers and lakes of blue…perfect!

  21. Such pretty little flowers–I love anything blue! I can’t remember now whether I have some of these or another spring bloomer that starts with an “I”…hmmm, I’ll have to search my records for this. This winter certainly has been a long one–I did discover some green poking through the ground once the big snowdrifts melted. Certainly a cause for celebration! Let’s hope next Bloom Day we all have something blooming in our gardens!

    1. Oh I hope so Rose…I do love little blue flowers in spring. Great to hear you are seeing a bit of spring…once we melt more later next week, I will see lots of growth I bet!!

  22. I don’t have Glory of the Snow but I do have Scilla…and believe it or not, that is not even up yet, here in VA! I’ve been searching but have only seen a couple of the green tips poking through. It was blooming in Feb in some years! We’re now expecting another snowstorm tonight…after temps in the 60’s yesterday! I know YOU have had your fill of snowstorms, Donna…I’ve been watching them across the country and your area got socked recently. I hope it will be ‘spring’ for you soon!! Jan

    1. Oh Jan I can’t believe you are going to get more snow. How awful really at this point especially in VA. Yes we have had between 12 and 13 feet of snow and are currently covered with at least 2 ft left. Cold here for a few more days and then a few days of 40s…I hope those temps last and the storm misses you. You would love Glory-of-the-snow if you love scilla!!

  23. I do, and I love it. It doesn’t always perennialize here, but I did have it for several years. Thanks for the reminder. I need to go back and plant more this fall. Making a note on my phone now.~~Dee

    1. Wonderful Dee…I wanted to say how happy I am for you and your fabulous book…congrats and I know it will be a smash success!

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