Chionodoxa and Co

     I bought Chionodoxa bulbs 3 years ago and planted them in my front garden. Its bulbs are small, roundish. Now as soon as the soil has warmed these amazing bright blue small plants bloom there. I'm growing Chionodoxa luciliae Boiss variety with other vernal bulb flowers as Pushkinia, Scilla, Muscari.

 

              Chionodoxa, Scilla and Pushkinia

Elegant, undersized bulbous plant with basal leaves, which appear simultaneously with stalks. Usually there are two, dark green leaves, 8-12 cm long. Bell-shaped, of six petals, up to 4 cm in diameter, flowers are collected in inflorescence, and are blue, white or pink with a white spot in the center. Flower petals are slightly folded back. It blooms in April and May for 20 days.

                                                     
Chionodoxa grows wild in the south of Turkey, in the mountains of the Ala Dag near the border of melting snow, at altitudes up to 2500 m above the sea level. It is in the culture since 1764.

                                                                                           Chionodoxa and Pushkinia

Pure Chionodoxa varieties easily hybridize with each other and with Scilla, forming numerous hybrids. Young plants bloom in the third year, and it is difficult to find two identical copies. If desired to do selection, the source of new varieties will never run dry! It needs only some one square meter or so to work! 

Chionodoxa is winter-hardy, well in partial shade and in the sunny areas. A flowering is early where the snow melts first. I have them growing in partial shade, their flowering starts a little later, but it lasts for a few days longer.

I think that the best place for these magnificent plants is the alpine slide, because these structures are rarely found in the shade. 

 Chionodoxa forms its flower stems in the previous year and they grow in autumn and winter. It needs one or two warm days to flower stalks appeared on surface of the soil. At this time I usually strew a bit of fertilizer around the plants, making sure that it did not fall on their leaves.

Early in the spring there are no many flowering plants in garden, and for a few years this small miracle of the lily family will create a magnificent vernal courtines.

It does not require any covering for winter, and eventually grows in width, forming a striking scenic spot. 
I noticed that Hepatica nobilis, Primrose, Eranthis, Pushkinia, Scilla, Snowflakes, Daffodils and Hellebore will make a suitable company to Chionodoxa.