This garden is in Virginia, and with some sections of boggy ground I feel obligated to grow Virginia bluebells (Mertensia virginica, below). But, repeated half hearted efforts have been unsuccessful, so I must be content to visit local floodplains where these grow in much greater abundance than I could possibly grow. I’ve discovered multiple sites nearby with more than enough bluebells to satisfy.

Unquestionably, the sight of many thousands of nodding bluebell flowers is inspiring, though after too many wasted efforts not inspiring enough to overcome my small amount of common sense. There are plants not well suited to the gardener, and I guess this is one of them for me.

With bluebells’ fleeting nature, April weekends are carefully planned for visits which often pay bonuses with yellow flowers of ground hugging Trout lilies (Erythronium americanum, below, surrounded by bluebells) often mingling in rich, damp soils. The back end of the Bluebell and trout lily season leads into native trilliums, then several varieties of native orchids, so before the spring has ended my wife and I have hiked dozens of miles and witnessed many thousands of splendid native blooms.