Sketchbook: Mariposa Lily Seed Pods

Phew!  So much to blog, so little time!  I'll start out the week with some really fabulous Calochortus seedpods (these things just keep getting better and better!  For blooms, click this).  I was so taken by them, I had to do a little sketch and splash it over with wild colors.  The discovery of water color pens- fun!

I should probably add:  my work is copyrighted, so using my images without permission is just not nice and downright illegal!  Ok, back to the regularly scheduled program! 

Mariposa Lily: An Abrupt End to the Story

This weekend consisted of waves of adrenaline, constant amusement, and well-earned sleep at the end of it all!  One of the many excitements resulted in the photos here:  the journey of the Mariposa lily, which I am now so totally obsessed with.

She opened up right before the compost delivery truck dumped three yards of compost on her.  Yeah, ouch.  I'll always have pictures to tide me over until next year.  And a few other lovelies will climb their way out of the mulch to endlessly amuse me in the coming weeks.

Her neighbor, who survived, closes at night only to awaken to the sunshine the next morning.  Those petals seem to fit together so perfectly!

Another bee's eye view.  After a quick google diversion, I still can't figure out what its pollinator is...  I know that a few plants produce flowers that resemble meat to attract flies as pollinators, but I don't know if this is the case here.  Can anyone contribute to my confusion any further?

Presenting: Mariposa Lily in Four Acts

I'm trying to embrace my impatience with the reluctant Mariposa Lily, instead focusing on the ever-changing story unfolding in my garden.  I'm beginning to learn that the other parts of the story besides the climax can be important, too as this Calochortus slowly unfurls her party dress in the sunshine.  She's striking quite the vogue-style pose in the photo above!

The drama builds...

An unexpected sub-plot emerges!

The tension rises and the suspense continues...

Plant of the Week: Mariposa Lily

I'm getting tempted to gently pull apart the bud of this lovely Calochortus superbus just to see inside as my patience is that thin.  Ok, I won't, but the suspense is terrible!  It is with that anticipation that I preemptively name the Mariposa Lily "Plant of the Week."

A native bulb, Mariposa Lily emerges in the Spring, with lackluster foliage and a knock-out of a flower.  Very Impressionist, I think!   This is one of the natives that has found an international following.  I obtained these bulbs from Scheepers, in Connecticut, of all places!

Photo found on Calphotos, © 2002 George W. Hartwell

Sun:  Full sun to part shade

Soil:  well drained with no summer watering

Plant:  Stick the bulbs in the ground in Fall, but if there's greenery (a 4" or gallon container), try to plant it before it blooms

Buy it:  Ok, next year I'm totally getting my bulbs from these guys, Far West Bulb Farm.  They've got some fantastic varieties!  If you didn't get a head start, Annie's might have some at the nursery.

Good for:  Springtime showstopper, filling in blank spaces between new plantings, containers.  I can't figure out if this flower supports wildlife.  Mariposa means butterfly in Spanish, but is it because its petals resemble a butterfly's wings or because the butterflies enjoy its company?  Anyone like to jump in here?

With Visions of Calochortus Dancing in Her Head

Calochortus introducing itself

While I've heard lots of folks talk about how they're impatiently waiting for Spring, I can't help but smile at this bleak garden season and realize that it's the one closest to my heart.  Warmer weather brings the splendor of flowers, it's true.  However, it's the anticipation of those flowers that I enjoy the most.  The presents that Nature decides to bestow can never quite live up to the daydreams which materialize in paging through my bulb catalogs, googling care and propagation instructions for wildflowers (again and again), and fussing over the microscopic sprouts slowly  peeping up through the mulch. 
Don't get me wrong, I love the Spring and its frenetic surprises.  But imagining what those surprises will be before they arrive can be just as satisfying.

The Bulbs Are Here!

Hooray!  I was so late in the game as far as bulb ordering goes, but they finally arrived and I'm ready to squirrel away my weekend!  Pictured here is Brodiaea coccinea, which will dazzle my springtime with firecracker red flowers (at least that's what I'm hoping for).  Town Mouse includes a great picture of the blooms on her post about the bulbs she ordered this year (although she was totally on top of her game and got them months ago!).  The excitement in planting bulbs for me is always the anticipation- it's greater than the actual result, but I can't help myself year after year. 
I'm also going to try Calochortus superbus and a Brodiaea mixture.  Happy planting!

The Bulb Catalogs Have Arrived!

I have been looking, musing and looking again at the pages of my new bulb catalogs! Here's how it typically goes: look at every page, dog ear a few, flip back, fold the dog ear back, circle a few items, each round more emphatic until you can't read the typle, order the bulbs after 2 months of deliberations, and wait impatiently for the garden to match the beautiful pages that by this point have become folded and wrinkled from handling and spots of spilled tea. This year I'm going to order some mariposa lilies and some pink brodiaea and maybe even some daffodils because who can resist?! What bulbs are you planning on planting this fall?