Fritillaria & Mahonia

Fritillaria is a pretty bulb plant which name means a cup for dice, has also popular names 'snake's head' or 'chess flower'. The plant is represented by 179 species, common in the temperate zone of Europe, Asia and North America. Places of growth of different species can be separated from each other for thousands of kilometers and be in different climatic and natural conditions.

I grow Fritillaria of two species: white Fritillaria Meleagris alba and Fritillaria Meleagris beautifully marked. Meleagris alba grow between tujas since many years. I'd planted 5 bulbs of the 'chess flower' Fritillaria last year. As you see the only one of these Frittilaria bulbs  blooms, others have no buds.

Fritillaria bulbs should be always planted in groups of one species, imitating natural clusters of plants. Large species are magnificent in single planting, especially since they bloom much earlier than other ornamental flowers. 

Low species look better in rock gardens. Fritillaria of especially small species are grown in pots, several plants can be grown in one container.

My another plant of this post is Мahonia aquifolia. This plant is found in the west of North America, in forests and on slopes. It's enough drought resistant, evergreen shrub up to 1.5 m tall, has interesting large, leathery, shiny leaves.

In my garden Mahonia blooms from mid-May for a month, sometimes blooms again in October. Elliptical, dark blue edible, sweet-sour fruits up to 1 cm ripen in August or September if weather is not warm enough. Thus the bush gets a unique originality.

Mahonia is a cross-pollinated plant. I grow 2 plants and they yet have not had fruits. But they say that if cross-pollination is successful, then the plant may be covered with fruits. So I will wait for the berries :-).

Do you grow these plants in your garden or balcony? What is your experience?