Every spring I wonder why some excellent plants aren’t more widely grown. Maybe it’s that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, or maybe it’s lack of supply or some other issue.
A case in point is the spring bloomer “glory of the snow,” Chionodoxa (kee-on-oh-DOKS- ah ), a small bulb with a catchy common name and an awkward Latin name derived from the Greek chion (snow) and doxa (glory).
It produces the most striking, clear blue flowers, a color difficult to find and very desirable for gardens. Though only growing 8 inches tall, these “minor” bulbs are the perfect complementary color match for taller yellow daffodils. Like daffodils, they are planted in the fall for spring bloom.
An additional feature of “glory of the snow” is its ability to self-seed to produce drifts of bulbs, which is more an asset than a drawback, particularly for a naturalized look. There is also a pink-flowered form that adds to spring-season color before foliage disappears in early summer. Both flowers have white centers, which makes them even more striking.
Another plant whose merits are yet to be discovered is the shorter iris, the so-called intermediate bearded type. While tall German or bearded irises have their place, smaller irises have the advantage of being less prone to snapping in frequent Colorado winds. Not having to fuss with staking flower stalks is a big advantage in my book.
The mid-May blooming “Cheers” is a favorite among the shorter iris. It thrives in the heaviest clay and multiplies to form the perfect path edging. Plants reach 14 inches tall and produce white blooms for a month in May. The rest of the year, the upright pointed leaves add a desirable vertical element to the garden.
Look for rhizome divisions of iris for sale in July, the perfect time to transplant them. These smaller iris survive cold, moderately dry growing conditions and require low maintenance.
These two reliable, low-attention perennial flowers are winners in any Colorado gardening book.
Carl Wilson is the Colorado State University Cooperative Extension Horticulturist in Denver. For information on a variety of horticulture topics visit planttalk.org.
