Thursday, April 9, 2009

Ornithogalum

Ornithogalum, Star of Bethlehem, is a late spring bloomer. Here you see it next to a hosta. Unlike most of our other spring bulbs, this one came from Europe and so will thrive in places that are a little damper and possibly a little shadier than the tulips and daffodils. They grow about 6 inches tall, maybe a bit more and are good in a rock garden. It will naturalize if it's happy. The outsides of the petals are a light green and the flowers close up for the night, sometimes even in late afternoon, and open when the sun hits them in the morning. Not a good trait in a cut flower, so don't grow them for that purpose. This is one thing that we grew when I was growing up and I still love them. Not fancy or anything, just a nice childhood memory.
So many things are starting to bloom or come up that I don't know where to head next. Probably tomorrow I'll play catchup and post some pictures I promised to take over the past week or so and maybe some things just coming up. It will be a nice sunny day and so perfect for a walk around the garden (after the weeding is done).
Jane

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