If you are not familiar with the early spring perrenial called "Squill," please go to this link for a picture of what's growing in my garden.
http://www.twofrog.com/images/squill28.jpg
Google Images has a number of pictures of squill, but this one is the closest to what has volunteered in my yard. It's spread nicely over the past 15 years, and continues to move it's way across the grove floor. The chipmunks have moved some of it to my sidewalk garden, the herb garden and the grass on the north side of the house. The leaves are a bit darker and "strappier" than grass, so you can see the contrast.
Squill is well worth adding to your gardens for contrast with crocus, and the blue would be lovely mixed in with daffodils.
Speaking of chipmunks.....the little rodents are up and around and making themselves known. I saw two of them doing the "Oh NO I WON'T....Oh yes you will" dance earlier this week. You know, they must keep their babies in the burrows until they are almost full grown. I don't think I've ever seen a baby chimpmunk!
Chimpmunks and mosquitoes....two things I could really do without!
Comments (7)
an old friend of mine married a girl who's father kept chipmunks...really sweet they were but with very sharp teeth!
Posted by bod | April 1, 2007 4:20 PM
Posted on April 1, 2007 16:20
The Squill is beautiful and wish I could get it or anything with color growing right now everything is brown still.
Posted by janet | April 1, 2007 7:37 PM
Posted on April 1, 2007 19:37
Hmmm, I don't think I've ever come across Squill. I checked on Wikipedia and although it would survive out winters where I live without any problems I am on heavy clay which has become completely baked that last two summers and it would certainly not like (Wikipedia says it likes well drained soil but does not do well in hot or dry conditions. I don't know if it survives elsewhere in the UK though.
Posted by Adele | April 5, 2007 3:26 AM
Posted on April 5, 2007 03:26
What am I talking about! I've just noticed that it's a scilla. We have these in the UK, just not many around here. Oh well, it was the name that threw me.
Posted by Adele | April 5, 2007 3:27 AM
Posted on April 5, 2007 03:27
Bod, I was looking for a picture of a baby chipmunk, and found a lovely story about a woman who saved a baby chipmunk and returned him to the wilds. She commented on how sharp their teeth have to be to break through acorns.
Posted by buffy | April 6, 2007 11:04 PM
Posted on April 6, 2007 23:04
Janet, I bet that squill would grow for you. It's a bulb that you plant, similar to crocus. Surf and see if you can find it at an on-line nursery. If you need help finding it, let me know, and I'll give you a hand. I'd like to plant some in my gardens, too, but I don't want to dig up any of the volunteer squill. It spreads nicely. You'll love it!
Posted by buffy | April 6, 2007 11:07 PM
Posted on April 6, 2007 23:07
Adele, our entire lot is heavy clay. The volunteer squill is growing at the base of a tree at the edge of the grove. It's possible that the leaf mulch keeps that soil moist, where the rest of our soil bakes to cement in mid-summer. Try planting it at the outskirts of the yard, and mulch it. Sorry...I should have said it was in the scilla family. My bad.
Posted by buffy | April 6, 2007 11:10 PM
Posted on April 6, 2007 23:10