Human Flower Project
Muscari: Mass Choirs and Soloists
Muscari armeniacum
Grape Hyacinth
Austin, Texas, Feb. 27, 2010
Photo: Beverly Bajema
After a hotter than usual, drier than usual summer (putting it mildly), and a wetter than usual, colder than usual (again understating it) winter, who knows what this spring will turn out to be? Our confusion is compounded in that many of the plants here went in just 14 months ago, so we don’t really know their habits, even under normal conditions.
Stan Powers, gardening magus, moved our few grape hyacinths (Muscari armeniacum, we think) and set our expectations low for this year’s bloom – and that was before all the weather drama. But we do, in fact, have several in bloom now. People say they’re too puny to enjoy except in “a large drift,” and of course large drifts of them would be dandy, but we’re enjoying our scattered five or six clumps and can see them twinkling like sapphires even from the curb.
Neighbor Beverly Bajema sent us this heavenly close-up of a muscari blooming outside her dance studio a few blocks away. Beverly has a way with parsley, night blooming cereus, and much more. Thank you, dear and talented birthday-mate.
What a wonderful photo and so timely! I’ve just yesterday divided a big clump of Muscari—of some sort—and will pass-up on flowers this spring for “twinkling like sapphires” next year.