Bulbocodium vernum

Judy Glattstein jglatt@ptd.net
Sun, 30 Mar 2003 06:34:00 PST
Every year I forget about this sweet charmer of spring. Disguised under a
mat of creeping thyme, up pop the dainty fuchsia-pink flowers. I panted a
half-dozen corms several years ago, in a sunny spot towards the base of the
slope behind my house. Since my soil is heavy clay, I amended with some red
shale gravel, color-coordinated with the rocks that are naturally embedded
in the clay. And by now there are several flowers emerging at each
point-of-planting, suggesting that the corms are multiplying away
underground. At the time I planted, I was struck by the corms appearance, a
smaller version of colchicum. And at one time they were, I believe, placed
in that genus. So how come I rarely see these offered, grown, mentioned? As
their name suggested they are a welcome harbinger of spring.

Judy in New Jersey, where this morning's rain has intimations of snow and
sleet.


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