“Strange how many flowers that bloom so early are the ones you would describe as humble. But it is a good way of edging into a new year–a reminder that it is not the noisiest people or the showiest flowers that are worth taking notice.”
Alan Titchmarsh
February can actually feel like the longest month even though in reality it is the shortest. Cold and snow start to wear on one and the lack of gardening brings severe withdrawals and a need for colorful blooms and perfumed breezes. So the dreams of spring continue and I wanted to share a fabulous early bulb that has a tiny but gorgeous flower.
If you have never grown or seen Puschkinia scilloides libanotica or Striped Squill, you are missing a great early spring bloom. I adore this bulb and its striped flower. I will even lay on the ground eye level just to admire it. Or maybe to peek and see if a fairy is hiding in its bell shaped flower.
It is a fabulous bulb for anyone just starting to plant spring bulbs or if you want to add some unusual color to your garden. And it naturalizes easily and quickly.
I am linking in with Carol@May Dreams Gardens where she hosts GBBD on the 15th of every month as I dream about this beloved spring bloom.
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Puschkinia is part of the family Hyacinthaceae, and grows everywhere in the garden except very wet areas in winter. I avoid planting it where there is a heavy pooling of water from winter thaw. It does love moisture throughout the growing season and sun to part shade for blooming.
This bulb is hardy from zones 4 to 8 and has a lovely fragrance. It has few faults or diseases, and can be grown beneath black walnut trees. Deer also do not like this plant. And I love to see it spreading beneath trees in my garden. I am not sure why I have not planted it in more spots, but I hope to add more of it to my garden plans.
Puschkinia mixes well with other early spring flowering bulbs. I have it planted here with hyacinths. It is related to Spanish and English Bluebells, and its species name comes from its resemblance to Scilla. This bulb grows as easily from self seeding as it does from bulbs. Try planting it in the grass with crocus or anywhere you want to see a lovely early spring drift of bloom like walkways and meadows.
This lovely little bulb is native to Caucasus, Turkey, northern Iran and Lebanon. Puschkinia was named for Count Puschkin who collected many plants in the Caucasus area. There is one other cultivar of Puschkinia that I may plant eventually and that is the pure white ‘Alba’. It will look great naturalizing in my white garden.
Have you grown this lovely bulb? What are your favorite early spring bulbs and blooms?
We had this stone marker made by Adirondack Stone Works commemorating our gardens that were started in 2005 when we moved into our house. It is when the dreams started and they continue to this day, as I observe and dream about my gardens in 2014.
They speak of hope to the fainting heart,
With a voice of promise they come and part,
They sleep in dust through the wintry hours,
They break forth in glory, bring flowers, bright flowers!
Felicia Hemans
Seasonal Celebrations will be starting on March 1st. Please join us as we celebrate our next season spring. Details about how to join are below.
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!!
Next up on the blog: Monday will bring another Garden Book 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. You can see my posts here.
As always, I’ll be joining Tootsie Time’s Fertilizer Friday.
I am also joining in I Heart Macro with Laura@Shine The Divine that happens every Saturday.
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