Thursday, March 13, 2008

Winter Aconites


This sight greeting me yesterday when I returned from work. These particular bulbs of winter aconties orginated from my partners family. His grandmother planted them 40 some years ago at the house his parents now live in. They cover the hillside, ravine and lawns at their house. It is a sight to behold, and one we look forward to, for it yells out, "Spring is Coming!".
Winter Aconites are inexpensive and easy to plant in the autumn. The reward is indescribable.

Winter aconites have been grown since the sixteenth century in English Gardens and extend the flowering season of perennials by adding a splashes of colour from January to March, often pushing through the snows of winter.Their name comes from the Greek “er” meaning spring and “anthos” meaning flower and hyemalis which means flowering in the spring.
Winter aconites have upturned yellow cup shaped flowers (¾ - 1 inch or 2 -2.5 cm across) that sit stalkless on a ruff of bright green leaves and they can flower for up to six weeks.From April onwards the leaves die down and the plant will be dormant and hidden until next winter. Cultivation
The knobbly tubers need to be planted 2” (5cm) deep.
3-4” (7.5 – 10cm) apart.
They do best in moist, fertile, well-drained soil.

2 comments:

Poppy said...

I have never seen these before, or I did not notice them. They are wonderful! I miss spring and the bulbs pushing through. Such a time of hope and anticipation. Nope, none here in Florida. I know we have new leaves and more colour here in the spring but there is something about the first flowers popping out of the snow.

Favorite post so far!

Jill in Florida

La Fig said...

Well it is official la familia de la fig is moving back to Michigan! With irises blooming already in Cali it is nice to see that all is not white and gray in MI. Having so much green and sunshine I will definitely have to consider gardening options to extend my growing season. Spring here though is disappointingly nondramatic, so looking forward to that aspect of returning.