Spring Scilla
Scilla siberica.
Siberian squill – Scilla – brings the first touch of spring to my northern prairie garden. It arrives like a reliable old friend, showing up in late April to offer me a glimpse of the beauty that will soon grace the rest of the garden. It cheers me to see this delightful, small flower, with its droopy blue head, delicate yet so very hardy, blooming on grey days and sunny.
Weather here can turn harsh any time in spring. Yet the bulb finds the right moment, the right conditions it seeks, and pushes its fresh green leaves up through the melting snow into the spring air. Then this gorgeous, nodding flower appears underfoot, poking up through old leaves that have darkened and curled under the weight of the winter snow.
I love this little plant. I am always grateful to see it.
Added: April 25, 2016
It has been cool this April, hovering close to zero celsius on many days, though there have been two or three “sweater” days in the past month.
Scilla has been blooming for just over a week in my garden. It is the first of my plants to show any colour, beyond the fresh green of the new shoots.
I have two clusters of Scilla blossoms, offering delightful splashes of colour on both sides of the walkway on the approach to my back deck.
Photo Gallery
Photos and Text: by Nadine Kampen
Copyright: NKampen / cookiebuxton
