Scilla vs Chionodoxa

I love seeing the little blue flowers that appear in the spring. They often appear naturalized in the lawn or showing up in the garden bed among the daffodils and hyacinths. But which are they - Scilla or Chionodoxa?

The main difference is the direction the flower head faces.
Scilla have electric blue flowers that are bell-like, drooping downward.

It's six blue petals surround stamens that have thread-like filaments and are not clustered together. Scilla can grow 3-6 inches high and each bulb produces 3-4 stems with medium, strap-like leaves. It's very tough and cold hardy that easily naturalizes by bulb offshoots and self-seeding. 

Chionodoxa is commonly called Glory-of-the-Snow because it is among the first bulbs to bloom in the spring. Each bulb produces six petaled, soft blue flowers with white centers that face upward and are surrounded by narrow, basal leaves.

If you look closely, you'll notice the stamens have very flattened white filaments arranged close together, giving the appearance of a central white cone.  The plant naturalizes easily by bulb offsets and self seeding.

Both these bulbs are planted in the fall and during the late winter/early spring months begin to bloom. They may be small, I think they are both adorable and beautiful!

Little Blue Spring Flowers - What Are They?

I love seeing the little blue flowers that appear in the spring. They often appear naturalized in the lawn or showing up in the garden bed among the daffodils and hyacinths. But which are they - Scilla or Chionodoxa?

The main difference is the direction the flower head faces.
Scilla siberica, or Siberian squill, have electric blue flowers that are bell-like, drooping downward. 

It's six blue petals surround stamens that have thread-like filaments and are not clustered together. Scilla can grow 3-6 inches high and each bulb produces 3-4 stems with medium, strap-like leaves. It's very tough and cold hardy that easily naturalizes by bulb offshoots and self-seeding.  

Chionodoxa is commonly called Glory-of-the-Snow because it is among the first bulbs to bloom in the spring. Each bulb produces six petaled, soft blue flowers with white centers that face upward and are surrounded by narrow, basal leaves.

If you look closely, you'll notice the stamens have very flattened white filaments arranged close together, giving the appearance of a central white cone.  The plant naturalizes easily by bulb offsets and self seeding.

Both these bulbs are planted in the fall and during the late winter/early spring months begin to bloom. They may be small, I think they are both adorable and beautiful! 

100,000 Bulbs in Bloom!

100,000 bulbs, over 500 varieties in bloom. With beautifully landscaped grounds and so many things blooming, this garden reminded me of Keukenhof in Lisse, Holland. But it was actually the private home of my friend Deb Van Bourgondien on Long Island. Debbie is the executive vice president of Van Bourgondien and Sons, which sells bulbs via its Van Bourgondien catalog and website dutchbulbs.com.

Every fall she plants more and more bulbs on her property - a task I'm sure her neighbors thank her for every spring.

Pulling into the driveway I was met with a sea of yellow daffodils, beds of tulips and two enormous cedar trees.

The side bed was anchored by two gorgeous Saucer Magnolia trees (Magnolia x Soulangiana) in full bloom.

Because of all the different varieties, the bloom times were different. Each bed had some tulips or daffodils that were blooming, some that were still in bud and others that had just finished.

Everywhere I walked, something new was blooming and under the foliage of the bulbs, I could see the new stalks of late spring/early summer blooming perennials, like Hostas and Peonies, peeking through the soil.

I was so happy to have explored her garden and am in awe at the amount of work that has been put into it. I can't wait to go back again soon to see what the garden looks like in the summer!

An Amaryllis to Keep Me Sane

Long Island just got another dumping of snow yesterday, with more expected over the next few days. Yes, it's lovely, but I am aching for spring to come. I'm anxious to see my bulbs emerge from the ground and the trees come alive with bright green leaves. Thankfully, I have a beautiful blooming amaryllis on my windowsill to brighten my day and remind me that spring will come eventually. 

The plants commonly called amaryllis are actually members of the Hippeastrum genus, which consist of many species and hybrids of bulbous, flowering plants. The scientific name Hippeastrum is Greek for "horseman's star" - a reference to the large star-shaped flowers. Most of the species are native to South America.

Soon after the bulb is planted, a large flower stalk emerges topped with a cluster of trumpet shaped flowers. As the flowers begin to fade, large strap-like green leaves emerge. The flower stalk is removed and the leaves can remain ornamental for quite some time. These leaves produce food by photosynthesis and store it in the bulb. Eventually, the leaves wither and die allowing the bulb to go into dormancy. If kept in a cool, dry spot, it can bloom for you again next year. 

Maybe next year we won't get as much snow. But winter will still be cold and gray. You can bet I'll have another amaryllis on my windowsill to help keep me sane while my garden hibernates until spring.