Glory of the Snow

I finally managed to get a brief rainless tour out front tonight after work, and was quite excited to see that the Glory of the Snow (Chionodoxa) had arrived --albeit post-neige-- this year. I'm sure they were just biding their time underneath all the piles of snow until the recent thaw, and with some of the real warm-up days we've had of late, they came rushing up to brighten the early spring garden.

With their unique hues of blue and warm golden inner bits, these diminutive flowers were a real delight to discover on a damp, mostly overcast (the norm of late around here) late afternoon. As for growing them, they could hardly be easier to establish in a sunny spot near the front of your perennial border. The biggest drawback is that they are not that widely accessible (these were internet buys a few years ago) and are relatively pricey for one of the smaller bulbs. But that disadvantage aside, they recommend themselves eminently as one of the more unusual of the early spring bloomers. And as bulbs go ... they could hardly be easier to plan t... they don't go very deep (unlike tulips, daffodils and other larger bulbs), and all they require is a sunny spot in fertile, well-drained soil, a chilly winter and the early warming rays of the sun to bring them forth to catch the eye of the observant early spring garden observer. They also appear to naturalize quickly and our three plantings have been increasing in width every successive year ... what's not to like?

And finally, why not a quick bonus crocus! This variety is called Pickwick and is one of the "giant Dutch crocus" varieties. We're particularly fond of the purple veining in this one, and it's a shame that they don't last as long as the earlier snow crocus ... our giant crocus have been battered by the wind and rain this past week, so most of them are already a bit past their prime. I actually really liked how the folded texture came out on the petals of this one, even if it would have been perkier a day or so ago ... But still... even slightly bedraggled, they still bring a wonderful splash of color here and there in the big perennial border ... I'll have a few more soon in another post, complete with detailed inner bits for Olivia ...