Friend Julia, who has an amazing memory, pointed out that I’ve mentioned this delicate spring perennial before. And so I have, back in 2011, first glimpsed when volunteering at Great Dixter. However, it’s such a gorgeous (and useful) plant, that I’m mentioning it again!
These lilac blooms seem to pop out of nowhere in early spring, flower for a good few weeks, and then, equally swiftly, vanish after giving their sterling performance.
En masse, they look wonderful with snowdrops and hellebores and strangely this year, with the rather early appearance of Leucojum (just nodding there in the background, and normally flowering in April). Along with the hellebores and snowdrops, it’s happy in shady parts of the garden and its lilac petals are such a welcome splash of colour in February and March, when the rest of the garden looks so dull and monochrome.
Over the last few years, it’s slowly increased its mounds of gently serrated green foliage, and as soon as it’s finished flowering, before it does its vanishing act again, I’ll be dividing a few clumps to plant in other parts of the garden (and maybe a few divisions will be winging their way to Julia’s garden too.)
That’s well worth mentioning again and it’s now on my ‘must have list’. It looks great with the hellebores and is such a pretty colour.
Hi Sue, Yes, this definitely is a ‘must have’ plant. It’s so cheering to see it in the garden this time of year and great that it spreads (non-invasively!) over time too.
I love it Naomi! Did you buy seedlings or diect sow to get these started! I must do this for next spring!
Hi Cat, I bought these as small plants from the Great Dixter nursery. Not sure where you can buy seed from, but Kake@Barnhouse below says it happily self seeds. Do let me know how you get on.
It’s a most pleasing plant Naomi. Mine is under the petticoats of a hellebore too and has a pulmonaria and snowdrops as companions. I bought it in April 2013 with just the odd flower or two still hanging on. It’s now made a substantial clump so I’ll be dividing it for the first time and spreading it about.
Hi Anna, last year’s divisions have flowered sparingly this year, but will hopefully clump up in future years….
It’s beautiful, especially with the bulbs pushing through. Does it self seed at all?
Hi Joanna, Wasn’t sure if it self-seeded or not, but Kate, from the stunning Barn House Garden says it will self seed. Great to know.
How lovely, what a useful late winter addition. Is this the same as/related to the wildflower Ladies smock? If so, on the Welsh borders, I find it does self seed gently and responds well to cultivation.
Hi Kate, Thanks so much for your comment. Yes, I think it is Lady’s smock. I haven’t noticed it self-seeding i my garden, but great to know that it will self-seed.
I’ve just had a look at the Barn House website and Wellywoman’s visit. Your garden looks absolutely amazing and would love to visit in summer.V.best Naomi
It would be lovely to meet you and show the garden.
That would be a very welcome early spring filler. An earlier forget me not type plant. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Lisa, I think I appreciate this early bloomer more each year and although it does bulk up, it doesn’t have quite the thuggish tendencies of forget me nots.
Very pretty. I’ll look out for it – I have just the spot…
Hi Sam, it not available locally, Great Dixter nursery will post out plants out until the end of the month.
Thanks for the tip. I’m planning a trip there in a couple weeks, so I’ll see what they’ve got.
Gorgeous. That’s going straight on my list, looks fab with hellebores. Perfect for my back border.
Hi Janet, this little plant seems to be gorgeous for many areas in my garden at this time of year. Looking forward to spreading it all over the garden.
Today, I found this plant for the very first time in a customers garden, almost under the hedgeline, a huge block of it, I cannot believe I have not noted it before, and now I know its name. Thankyou. I also found a small clump of it that had a variegated leaf. Sally
Hi Sally, what a delight to find such hidden treasure! The variegated leaf variety sounds really interesting too. V.best Naomi
Hi Naomi, I might make my next blog about hidden garden plant treasures, there are so many about at the moment. Day off here, just to wet to garden, time to write invoices instead. kind regards Sally
Hi Sally, after a very wet start to the day, the sun has come out and I have managed a couple of hours gardening. Good idea about invoicing though!I just noticed a couple of small Cardimines in the client’s garden today-must have popped some divisions in last year! Look forward to reading about your hidden treasures….Nx
That is beautiful! I’m always on the look out for spring bloomers other than the tulips.
I’ve never seen these lovely flowers before, but I’ll definitely asking my local Garden Centre about them! Thanks for the great photos! I’ll be able to show them what I talking about!
What a delightful surprise. I think I have no choice other to investigate how to get them into my garden 🙂
Nice pictures! this is a great way to add some purple & lavender colors to the garden – too bad they don’t last long, but it seems like such a treat when they do… 🙂
[…] I’ve waxed lyrical a couple of times before about Cardamine quinquefolia (above, and you can also see its leaves on the top left hand corner of the first pic). This […]
[…] and Cardimine quinquefolia for delicate lilac flowers in March. […]