Apple blossoms know it's spring.
April Garden Chores
New: Lawn Alternatives
Seeds, Seedlings & Transplants - Sowing Seeds Outdoors - Seedlings to Transplants
Pinching Seedlings - Hardening Off - Veggie Gardening - Lawn Care - Lawn Alternatives
Spring Planters - Planting Tips - What to Prune - Cutting Back - Spring Rose Care
Make More Plants - Weeds - Insects in the Garden - Why Use Compost
April Introduction - April Plant Combo - Amanda's Garden Blog - April Garden Chores - Plant Police
April Flower Arrangement - For the Tropical Gardener - Plant of the Month: Fritillarias
Seeds, Seedlings & Transplants - Sowing Seeds Outdoors - Seedlings to Transplants
Pinching Seedlings - Hardening Off - Veggie Gardening - Lawn Care - Lawn Alternatives
Spring Planters - Planting Tips - What to Prune - Cutting Back - Spring Rose Care
Make More Plants - Weeds - Insects in the Garden - Why Use Compost
April Introduction - April Plant Combo - Amanda's Garden Blog - April Garden Chores - Plant Police
April Flower Arrangement - For the Tropical Gardener - Plant of the Month: Fritillarias
'Shogun' botanical tulip (Tulipa praestans 'Shogun') and grape hyacinths.
Please note that any text that is coloured is linked to another page on this website or another.
Some of the pictures are linked to other websites.
Some of the pictures are linked to other websites.
April Intro
As the sky clears after a rain filled day, the sun finally peaks out from the clouds as it sets. Maybe tomorrow the sun will shine.
Hello Fellow Gardeners,
April is an exciting, albeit a busy month. It’s difficult to know what to do in the garden first, so I look to nature to help me prioritize. Weather of course is a huge factor. I am a ‘weather watcher’ and I am keen to know when it is going to rain and for how long, when and if the sun is ever going to grace us with its presence – especially when it relates to my gardening endeavours. Predicting the weather is obviously not my area of expertise; that’s the job of the meteorologists. It’s tough forecasting what’s going to happen next especially since we have ‘active’ weather living on the coast, however, it would be nice if their predictions were a tad more accurate. It must be the only profession that if you are wrong, you still get to keep your job. However, since I try to plan my gardening chores according to the weather, this sometimes puts me in a pickle when the meteorologists are incorrect. I like to plant on a dry and cloudy day, followed by a few days of rain. The plants aren’t stressed out, and neither am I, as Mother Nature tends to my ‘babies’. That’s if everything goes according to plan. When it doesn’t, chaos ensues … well, maybe not chaos, but hey, I’m not happy about it. Then the old adage comes to mind ‘adopt, adapt and improve’. Planting is delayed until the weather is suitable. If that doesn’t happen in a timely manner and I planting has to be done when it’s hot and sunny, then the umbrellas and tarps come out to provide shade. On the other hand, if it rains until the end of of time, waiting for window for it to ebb is the only way to get plants in the ground. When it comes down to it though, peaking out the window and looking up at the sky is an old fashioned but effective way of predicting what the day will be like, Doppler radar be damned! Cheers and happy gardening, Amanda Join me on Facebook. 
'White Splendour' windflower, Anemone blanda 'White Splendor' show off their April flowers.
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Amanda's Garden Blog
Chloe and Cocoa are at a stand-off on the garden steps and are not appreciating the spring flowers.
Check out my blog and articles on my gardening experiments, trials. tribulations and excursions. Click on the items below to be directed to its page.
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Need Help?
"Where do I start?"
If you don't know where to start and what to do to grow veggies, clean up your garden beds, to fix your lawn and other spring garden chores, get Amanda to teach you the ropes in your own garden by making an appointment here.
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'Abba' is a double early tulip that resembles a peony more than a tulip.
April Garden Stars
‘Velvet Moon’ polyanthus primrose, Primula polyantha 'Velvet Moon' perennial, 6-12” x 6-9”, light shade, moist soil. Zones 4 to 8
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Serviceberry, Amelanchier canadensis, deciduous tree, to 30' x 20', sun to part shade, fall colour. Zones 4 to 8
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Fringed iris, Iris japonica, rhizomatous herbaceous perennial, grows to 1 ft, part shade. Zones 7 to 9.
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A purple flowered aubretia, Aubretia deltoidea, low spreading evergreen ground cover, sun to part shade, Zones 4 to 9. Click on the pic for more.
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Shooting star, Dodecatheon pulchellum, herbacous perennial, up to 12" when in flower, indigenous to Western North America, Zone 4 to 7.
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English wallflower, Erysimum (Cheiranthus) cheiri, biennial, 6" to 2ft, sun to shade, self-seeds. Zones 7 to 9
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Wood anemone, Anemone nemorosa, herbaceous perennial, 0.50 to 1.50 ft, part sun to shade, summer dormancy, naturalizes. Zones 5 to 8.
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Lake Lolog Barberry (Berberis x lologensis), broadleaf evergreen shrub, deer resistant, sun to part shade, edible fruit, 8ft x 8ft. Zones 5 to 9.
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'Superba Salmon Horizon' flowering quince, Chaenomeles 'Superba Salmon Horizon', thorny deciduous shrub, flowers March to April, ornamental yellow fruit, 5-6’ x 5’. Zones 4 to 8. Click on pic for more.
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Flowering currant, Ribes sanguineum, 5 to 8' x 3 to 5', full sun, part shade. Indigenous to Pacific Northwest. Attracts hummingbirds, bees & butterflies. Zones 5 to 8. Click on the pic for more info.
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Evergreen clematis, Clematis 'Armandii', evergreen vigorous vine grows to 25 ft, fragrant flowers, sun to part sun. Zones 7 to 9.
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Eddie's White Wonder dogwood, deciduous tree, sun, part shade, 20-30ft x 20ft, Zones 7 to 9.
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Hino-crimson Azalea, Rhododendron ‘Hino-crimson’, broadleaf evergreen, 2-4’ x 3-5’, flowers April to May, part shade, attracts hummingbirds, butterflies. Zones 5 to 8
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Dwarf fothergilla, F. gardenii, deciduous shrub, 1.5' - 3' x 2' - 4', fragrant, sun to part shade, good fall colour. Zones 5 to 8.
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Quebec, Greigii tulip, spring bulb, multi-flowered, 3-5 flowers/bulb, 12", naturalizes, sun, Zones 3 to 8.
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White Magic grape hyacinth, Muscari White Magic, spring bulb, 6 to 10 inches, sun to part shade, fragrant, naturalizes. Zones 4 to 8.
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Checkered lily (Fritillaria meleagris), spring bulb, to 1 ft, sun to part shade, deer tolerant, Zones 3 to 8.
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Bellis perennis, English daisy, 6" x 8", herbaceous perennial, sun to part shade, naturalizes. Zones 4 to 8.
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Bishop's Hat (Epimedium × versicolor 'Sulphureum') is a good evergreen groundcover for shade.
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Glory-of-the-Snow, Chionodoxa luciliae, spring flowering bulb that spreads (naturalizes), sun to part shade, Zones 3 to 8.
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White form of red trillium, Trillium erectum f. albiflorum, herbaceous perennial, 10 - 20 inches, shade to part shade, unpleasand scent, woodlands, poisonous berries and roots, dormant late summer, Zones 4 to 7
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April PLANT COMBO
Cyclamen hederifolium, Athyrium niponicum
A Japanese painted fern provides an intricate backdrop to a mauve hardy cyclamen with its lacy fronds that are tinted a soft grey and tinged with purple. The fly-away look of backwards petals of the cyclamen (C. hederifolium), are a nice contrast to the delicate fronds of the fern (Athyrium niponicum). Both plants prefer shade and moist, rich humusy soil. It's a nice low growing combo for a shade garden for growing zones from 5 to 9.
plant police
Remove infected leaves from hellebores asap.
Hellebore leaf spot, Microsphaeropsis hellebori (syn. Coniothyrium hellebori) is a common fungus that attacks hellebores leaves and stems. The Christmas rose (H. niger) is especially susceptible, however, the Corsican hellebore (H.argutifolius) is much more resistant.
This disease is spread by rain and wet conditions, so provide hellebores with good draining soil and plant where they will not be dripped on by overhanging plants and structures. Symptoms: Round, brown, dead patches appear on leaves and stems. The foliage often appears tattered as the dead tissue is prone to fall out, whilst infected flower stems collapse resulting in a very sad and distressed plant. Controls: Remove all infected foliage from the plant and the ground asap and discard them, don’t compost. Be careful when handling hellebores as the infection is spread by spores that develop on the undersides of the foliage. Disinfect all tools used on or around lenten roses. Wash your hands after each plant, or change your garden gloves to prevent spreading the disease. Remove infected foliage throughout the year as soon as you spot any. Finish off the year by removing all the foliage in autumn. Provide plants with a 3 inches of organic mulch on top of the soil inbetween plants. This reduces the spread of the spores that splash up from the soil during rain. Seeds, Seedlings & Transplants
Don't plant petunias and other frost tender plants too early. Wait until the danger of frost has passed in your area.
The timing of planting veggies and bedding plants depends on where you live in the world. There are plants that can handle cool temperatures and a bit of frost, while others will not perform well and won’t survive below freezing temperatures.
To find out what your last frost date is in your area click on your country: Canada, America, Great Britain and France. When it comes to Canada, plant tomatoes, peppers and other frost sensitive plants mid-May during the Victoria Day weekend. Some plants don't mind cooler temperatures so read plant labels and seed packets. In the temperate south of British Columbia, it's safe to plant warm season plants in late April. 
Purple sweet alyssum and lacy dusty miller can handle cool temperatures, but they must be acclimatized (hardened-off) first.
Sowing Seeds Outdoors
Emerging broccoli seedlings.
Sow broccoli, spinach and other cool season crops in the garden. Check seed packets for other suitable candidates. Water garden beds a day before planting, especially if the soil is dry. Suitable plants to start outside are listed below.
Vegetables: arugula, broad (fava) beans, beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, chard, collards, endive, fennel, garlic, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, lettuce, onion sets, pac and bok choi, parsley, parsnips, peas, seed potatoes, radicchio, radishes, scallions, spinach, turnips. Herbs: borage, chives, cilantro, dill, fennel, garlic cloves. Flowers: calendula, cleome, cosmos, foxgloves, marigolds, nasturtiums, poppies, sweet peas, sunflowers. For more information on direct sowing click here. For more on Growing Vegetables click here. 
The seeds of these 'Painted Ladies' sweet pea were soaked for 8 hours before planting to speed up germination.
SEeds to Sow Indoors
Sow basil seedlings indoors in April.
Sowing seeds indoors gives them a head start so they are more mature and are able to thwart plant pests such as slugs, cutworms and other seedling predators. It's a little too late to plant petunias, tomatoes, peppers, lobelia and other plants that should have been sown 6 to 8 weeks before planting out. However, I understand if you want to give it a go, but do it asap. Generally, April is the perfect month to sow zinnias, sunflowers, cucumbers, squash, melons, beans, nasturtiums, sweet peas, calendula, marigolds, lavatera and peas. For more on Sowing Seeds Indoors click here.
Sow seeds of 'Silver Cup' lavatera indoors this month for spectacular July flowers.
Seedlings to Transplants
When growing seedlings, it's necessary to repot into a larger container for optimal growth as indicated by the difference between these marigolds.
Re-potting Seedlings: Seeds that were started in February and March should be ready to put into their own individual pots by now. Once seedlings develop two to three sets of true leaves transplant each one into their own 2 inch pots. Use potting soil, not garden soil.
After about 3 to 4 weeks (maybe less, maybe more depending on the plant and the conditions), roots should be well established with adequate leaves and stems to be prepare them for the outside world. Some plants, such as tomatoes, may outgrow those 2 inch pots before it’s time to plant them outside. When this happens transplant them to a pot two inches larger at most. Refrain from planting a small plant into an overly large pot as this leads to overwatering and often, plant death. 
Remove flowers from seedlings so they will concentrate their energy on roots, not flowers.
Pinching Flower seedlings
Pinch the tip off seedlings when they are large enough or at planting.
To make plants compact, to increase flowers and to promote root growth, pinch off their growing tips when plants develop at least four sets of healthy leaves or just before you plant them outside: zinnias, marigolds, celosia, impatiens, petunias, salvias and other bedding plants (annuals).
Hardening off PlantsPreparing Seedlings & House Plants for Life Outdoors
These basil seedlings have tissue damage because they were not hardened off.
Before planting seedlings that were grown inside - outside, they must be acclimatized. They are not used to direct sun, the wind, temperature fluctuations and extremes. They must be gradually introduced to the elements gradually so they become damaged. This process is referred to as hardening-off. Set plants outside for an hour in a shaded protected spot. Each day thereafter, increase their time outside by an hour or so, as well as their light and wind exposure until they are outside for 24 hours. Check on them often during this process to make sure they are not suffering and have adequate water. They will let you know they are unhappy by wilting, becoming distorted and discoloured.
It's worth taking all these plants inside and outside everyday so they will toughen up.
In the Veggie Garden
It doesn't look like much now, but soon this garden will be bursting with lettuce, kale, broccoli and other cool season crops.
It's time to get the veggie garden ready to plant. Before planting, mix into the soil a few inches of compost, SeaSoil, composted steer or sheep manure. There's lots to do so here's a quick list of some tips and techniques, however if you want some details, refer to Spring Veggie Gardening.
The modest beginnings of a spring veggie garden.
Lawn Care
A professional soil test provides a wealth of information, and is a handy tool when your lawn is struggling.
Test Your Soil: It’s a good idea, especially if your lawn is not doing well. Check for your local testing labs in your area, by doing a search for ‘soil testing near me’. Home testing kits are not known to be accurate.
When reseeding look for brands that include starter fertilizer.
Hate your lawn?Lawn Alternatives
Where the lawn failed to flourish, white clover triumphed.
You don't have to have a lawn if you don't want to. This is especially true if the conditions are not conducive to happy grass such as wet soil, soil that's too dry, nutrient poor soil, soil that is rock hard (compacted) and a very common problem in British Columbia: too much shade.
There are many lawn alternatives growing other plants such as ground covers and clovers to rethinking the space entirely. If you are ready to forgo your lawn and think out of the box, click on Lawn Alternatives. 
A meadow garden replaces a front lawn.
Nature's Gold
Compost keeps plants and soil healthy for bountiful harvests.
If you want lovely loamy soil, stop using synthetic fertilizers as they injure life within the soil and reduces organic matter. To find out more from researcher Rick Haney click here. Luckily compost does a much better job to feed plants without harming a soils’ ecosystem.
Well-rotted compost contains nitrogen, phosphorous and potash, the main elements for plant growth. It also contains boron, zinc, magnesium, iron and other trace minerals, which are often missing from commercial fertilizers. Compost also improves soil textures, adjusts soil moisture, buffers soil pH, is beneficial to soil microbes and makes food available to plants. It also doesn’t burn plants unless it is not properly decayed. Avoid using smelly or steaming compost. Don’t add meat, fat, dairy, processed or cooked food to the compost. Only add uncooked veggie scraps and garden debris. Click on Composting for more. To learn more about Fertilizing & Feeding Plants click here. To learn about Organic Options click here. Learn what the numbers mean click here. 
Acid loving plants like this 'Starbright Champagne' need compost so they will be the best they can be.
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April Garden Chores
Inspecting the garden is a good excuse to go for a walk among the flowers.
Garden Inspections: It’s a busy time in the garden as plants begin growing in earnest. Daily garden strolls are a good idea, not just for the soul, but it gives you a chance to nip any problems in the bud – so to speak. Plants are now flush with new, tender lush spring growth that beckons insects whilst spring rains prompt diseases.
Remove Winter Mulch: If you haven’t removed any remaining winter mulch overtop plants do so now as the mulch is insulating the cold soil from the warm air retarding their growth. 
These tulips need to deadheaded before they form seeds.
Spring Bulbs: Pinch off the dead blossoms from tulips, daffodils, hyacinths and other spring flowering bulbs so they don't set seed. This promotes bigger flowers for next year. Allow their leaves to yellow before you cut them off so they will produce enough food to guarantee flowers next spring. If you dislike seeing the dying foliage or if you need the space to plant something else, dig up the bulbs while the foliage is still green, but be really careful to keep them intact. Once they are dug up, either plant them in pots or in another part of the garden. Don’t forget to label and water. Once the leaves yellow and die, allow the soil to dry so the plants can go dormant. Plant into the garden in fall.
Cut back heather after flowering, but don't go too far. Just cut below the flowers as indicated above.
Heather: Cut back heather, once they have finished flowering. Don't cut either one back too far; just below the flower spikes. This keeps plants more compact so they don't get sparse and leggy.
Ornamental Grasses: Cut them back to a couple of inches before they start to sport new growth. 
Perennials: Divide overcrowded perennials by digging them up and replanting, or pot them up. Discard the centre of the mother plant if it is old and non-productive. Pictured yarrow (Achillea millefolium).
Use Your Compost: Place compost in garden beds, containers and around plants. Remove any large, un-decomposed pieces and place them in the bottom of the compost bin for further decomposition. Keep a few inches of your compost in the bottom of the bin as it provides microbes for the next batch.
Local plant nurseries have lots of goodies to entice and inspire. Pictured Art's Nursery in Port Kells.
Need some plant love? If your garden is lacking colour and you want more pizazz, visit your local garden centre for some floral lovelies. Keep in mind the conditions of your garden and select the appropriate plants. Plant labels offer a wealth of information and don’t forget to ask the plant nursery staff for their recommendations.
Spring Planters
If you need ideas to make a spring planter, visit your local nursery for inspiration. This planter is from GardenWorks Garden Centre.
Add some sunshine to your front door, patio, and balcony or anywhere else you need colourful spring flowers. Combine only two or three colours two or three, and select plants that like the same conditions. Use potting soil not garden soil and make sure the planter has drainage holes so plants don’t drown. Fill the planter so it looks full and lush. For more on container growing click here.
Make more plants
Trees & Shrubs: It’s lots of fun to make new plants from cuttings, and it’s quite easy. At this time of year, make basal cuttings from the roots and softwood cuttings from new growth. To learn more about how to take cuttings click here.
Ferns: Fronds positively glow once old, damaged and dead foliage have been removed.
Cut back Montana clematis as soon as they finish flowering.
Clematis: Prune Montana clematis and other spring flowering clematis (Group A) right after flowering. Prune Nelly Moser clematis and other midseason flowering types (Group B) now. For more on Pruning Clematis here.
April Plantings
Plant trees, shrubs, perennials and roses!
Plant ASAP: Plant perennials, roses, shrubs, trees and vines as soon as possible so they can become established before summer arrives. For pointers on how to plant click here.
Timing: Take a cue from nature to plant hardy plants when the daffodils flower, this includes lettuce, spinach, broccoli, peas, sweet peas and potatoes. Food to Plant Now: Asparagus, onions, shallots, garlic, leaks, strawberries, blueberries, grapes, gooseberries, raspberries and fruit trees. Dahlias: If you want to give them a head start, plant in pots now. It also protects them from slugs and snails. Click here for more on how to grow dahlias. Tuberous begonias: Pot up tuberous begonias now and place in a frost free location in bright light. To learn more click here. Drinkies: Water new plants the day before planting them in the ground or in containers. It’s a good idea to water the garden bed the night before planting if the soil is dry. 
Plant hanging baskets, moss planters and window boxes now with annuals so they will be ready for summer.
Planters & Hanging Baskets: Plant them up now with petunias and other annuals so they will be ready to put out in May. Keep them in a sunny area and protect them from frost. To learn more about growing in containers, click here.
Planting Tips
A cool cloudy day is perfect planting weather.
What to Prune
Prune magnolias and other spring flowering trees immediately after flowering - but only if they need it.
This tree has obviously been cut back too far. Only remove 1/4 of overall growth. Either remove entire branches at their base or shorten stems by cutting them back to a side branch.
Spring Rose Care
Only do a light spring pruning if foliage has already grown and matured.
A good indicator on when to prune roses in spring, is when forsythias flower. It's neither too early nor too late. Keep in mind that no matter what time of year it is, remove all dead and diseased growth asap.
Don't wait too long to prune roses; they should just be budding out. If they have fully leafed out, just do a light pruning. Taking too much off at once when they have gained all their foliage, is not a good idea as it weakens them. If it's not too late to prune them if they only have a little growth. As mentioned previously, first remove all dead, diseased growth then prune off spindly, broken and old unproductive stems. Cut off canes that grow towards the plant’s centre and ones that cross. Finally cut back all rose canes by 1/3rd. After pruning, place a few inches of compost, SeaSoil, well-rotted manure on top of the soil around the roses bush. For more on pruning Roses click here. If you want to know more about roses check out the following: Growing roses click here. Rose Insects & Diseases click here. Rose Types click here. And if you don't believe you can grow roses check out Easy Roses. Or if you want to check out all different types of roses click on Portland Rose Test Garden.
Weeds
Time to mow and bag these dandelions to prevent them from spreading their seeds.
Keep pulling! Persistence pays off when dealing with horsetails.
Insects in the Garden
A ladybug larvae looks like a bad dude, but they devour more aphids than their parent.
Every garden has to have bugs in order for them to function properly, even the bugs that eat plants. It’s a delicate balance between plant eaters’ vs beneficial insects that eat the plant eating bugs. However, when a plant is being devoured, it’s usually because the growing conditions are incorrect, therefore it’s frail. Weak plants emit a hormone (ethylene) that attracts plant eating bugs.
Soap and water kills them on contact, but if conditions persist the insects will come right back, plus bees and other beneficial insects are also killed. To stop the carnage, try to figure out why the plant is so unhappy. Assess the growing conditions to make sure they are suitable and if not, transplant it to another location. Common reasons for insect attacks include incorrect planting, too much nitrogen, soggy soil due to bad drainage, lack of water, too much sun and too much shade. 
Use the organic control Bacillius thuringiensis (Bt) to kill caterpillars on food crops but don't apply near butterfly gardens.
Veggie Garden Insects: Protect non-fruiting veggies such as cabbage, lettuce and spinach from insects with floating row covers. Squish aphids or hose them off. If slimy trails are present, use slug bait in ‘slug hotels’ or copper.
In the vegetable garden, place floating row covers (cloches) made of spun bonded polyester to protect plants hidden underneath from cabbage worm, leaf minor and carrot rust fly
Gotta Mulch!
This chipped fir mulch is beneficial to the soil and plants.
Mulches & Mulching: Protect garden beds from weeds, erosion, temperature extremes and reduce evaporation by laying a 3 inch layer of an organic mulch on top of the soil around plants. As mulch breaks down, it converts into food for plants. Lay a 3 inch layer of wood chips, fallen leaves and other organic matter. There’s no need to remove leaf litter and other organic debris from garden beds as it also adds to the mulch layer. For more on mulch click here.
April Arrangement
This April flower arrangement shows that many spring flowers happen to be white.
Star magnolia, bridal wreath spirea, bridal bouquet, white bleeding heart and a white flowering cherry provide a monochromatic bouquet. For more details and for more monthly floral arrangements click here.
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Plant of the month
Fritillaries
An April display of Crown imperial fritillaria at VanDusen Botanical Gardens.
Crown imperial large nodding bell shaped flowers.
Checkered lily, Fritillaria meleagris.
Yellow and orange crown imperial fritillaria.
A naturalized grouping of checkered lilies (F. meleagris).
An aging white checkered lily.
Aptly named checkered lily.
Crown imperial fritillaria
Checkered lily has a box shaped base.
'Rubra', an orange crown imperial
'Rubra' crown imperial.
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There are many beautiful spring flowering bulbs, but none are as striking as the Fritillaria genus. There are approximately a hundred species but only a few are grown commercially. They are naturally found around the globe from Eastern Europe, North Africa, the Mediterranean, Great Britain, temperate Asia and North America.
Planting Fritillaries are members of the lily family and grow from bulbs. Unlike typical bulbs that are planted pointed end up, fritillaries have a dent or hole in the top of the bulb. To prevent them from rotting, place them on their sides so water doesn’t collect in the concave part of the bulb. Plant in September and October in well-drained soil. If drainage is inadequate, the bulbs will rot in the ground. Care Allow the leaves to yellow and die-down naturally. Cutting them off while they are still green prevents them from making new flowers for next year. A winter mulch improves hardiness and a summer mulch is also beneficial. Use Plant smaller varieties, such as the checkered lilies, where they will be cherished and admired for their delicate appearance and unusual patterned petals. All fritillaries are suitable for sunny borders, meadows, rockeries, containers and anywhere they can spread. Propagation Fritillaries form colonies and are easily propagated by separating individual bulbs from established clumps. Do this in late summer. Pot up any small bulbils and grow them on for a couple of years until they are large enough to plant out. Another option is to collect and sow their seeds in autumn through early winter and cover with a pane of glass. Once they have germinated, grow on in their pots for two years before planting in the garden. Common Types Crown Imperial (F. imperialis) is the largest and most exotic of all the fritillarias. It makes a bold, beautiful and colourful statement that attracts attention. They are tallest of the group growing 3 to 4 feet tall. Flowers form atop their strong erect stems in May to June. Showy, fragrant orange, yellow or red bells encircle the tip of the stem with a downward nod. Leaves are lance shaped and wavy. They whorl around the stem and at the top of the spectacular flowers. Crown imperials are indigenous from Southwestern Asia to the Himalayas, and are hardy from USDA Zones 5 to 8. The do best if full sun, but tolerate light shade. Prefer an organic rich soil with good drainage. Plant bulbs on the side, 6 inches deep and 10 inches apart. Checkered Lily, Snakes’s Head Fritillary (F. meleagris) don remarkable nodding boxy bell-shaped flowers with a purple or white checkerboard pattern. They are indigenous to Great Britain, Europe and Western Asia and establish colonies in organic rich, well drained soils. They grow in sun, part sun and dappled shade. Flowers are usually solitary on slender stems that grow up to 15 inches tall. Blossoms throughout the month of April and as they age, their petals reflex backwards, exposing their stamens. Plant bulbs in autumn, 3 inches deep spaced 3 inches apart. USDA Zones 3 to 8. Chocolate and Checker lily (F. affinis) (syn. F. lanceolate) is native along the Pacific coast of British Columbia, California into Nevada, Montana and Idaho. It prefers cool summers with moist rich soil that has good drainage. . Grow in full sun to partial shade. There tiny bulbs resemble rice grains and spread when conditions are suitable. Its form is variable, which means their flowers and form vary. Heights range from 4 inches to a few feet. Typically flowers are dull dark purple with a checkered mottled appearance with tint of green or yellow. As their nodding flowers age, their petals curl backwards. USDA Zones 4 to 8. Persian lily (F. persica) as it names indicates is indigenous to Iran, Turkey and Jordan. Flowers are borne on elegant 3 foot tall spikes with pendant bell flowers in deep purple or ivory. They bloom in May to June from a base of grey-green, twisted lance-shaped leaves. A rich loam with excellent drainage is required for longevity and naturalizing. They do best in full sun. Plant bulbs 6 inches deep and space them 9 inches apart. USDA Zones 5 to 8. 
Persian lilies.
White and deep plum coloured checkered lilies.
A checkered lily petals curve backwards as it ages.
Chocolate Lily, (Fritillaria lanceolata) is a North America native.
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A bed of Persian lilies (F. persica).
THE GARDEN WEBSITE INDEX
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Container Growing 101Monthly Flower Arrangements
Growing Roses Introduction Mulching & Types Introduction |
for the tropical Gardener
While working in Florida as horticultural consultant, it became apparent that there was a need for a book on tropical shrubs. There are so many wonderful shrubs to choose from, so I wrote a reference book to make the selections easier. Ornamental Tropical Shrubs includes pictures in full colour and information about the plants in point form. So if you live in the tropics and subtropics and need a reference book on tropical shrubs, or you just want to have a look-see click here.
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