Tecophilaea cyanocrocus 'Chilean Blue Crocus'

We were in Boston over the weekend and I got back last night in time to take a good look around the changes in the garden wrought by a few more days of sunshine.  The thing that most caught my attention (and sent me into the house for the camera) was this Chilean Blue Crocus.  This was a new one for me.  I had grown the Leichtlinii variant last year and was very much taken with the white face surrounded by sky blue edges, but I hadn’t ever seen the standard Chilean Blue before.  The blue is a very dark inky blue (I refuse to call it gentian blue so as not to arbitrarily favor the gentiana over the crocus genus) and it’s definitely an attention-grabber.  This one came from Telos Rare Bulbs and they also had a violet-flavored version.  With a little luck maybe that will flower this year as well.

Besides numerous Daffodils, Bloodroot, Daphne, and Pieris there were other flowers of the bluish persuasion coming into flower when I returned.

Scilla siberica 'Spring Beauty'

Note the startlingly blue anthers on this reliable Scilla.

Scilla bifolia

The Scilla bifolia is small but packs a lovely early punch.

And the remarkable Glory of the Snow is exerting its wild power over the landscape.  We probably have several thousand at this point.  They are just lovely as clumps within the perennial garden in both the blue or pink forms.

Glory of the Snow (Chionodoxa forbesii 'Blue Giant)

Chionodoxa forbesii 'Pink Giant'

But they are also lovely just naturalized in the lawn or forest grass.

Glory of the Snow

Beside them the larger flowered Violet Spring Crocus makes a definite statement in a group.

Crocus vernus 'Remembrance'

The ever wonderful Adonis amurensis ‘Sandansaki’ had opened further in my absence.  It has acquired a Lion’s Mane that makes the flower head so heavy that it can no longer support itself without leaning on the ground.

Nodding Giant Adonis (Adonis amurensis 'Sandansaki')

Looking from the far side gives yet another view of the ‘Sandansaki’ varient.

Adonis amurensis 'Sandansaki' backside

The Hellebores are all coming out to play.

Helleborus hybrid double

One of my favorites is the Green Corsican.

Helleborus x nigercors 'HGC Green Corsican'

This was one of the plants I picked up at last years Plant Delights Open House.  The foliage is an added plus and it has real staying power throughout the Hellebore blooming season.