Fritillaria obliqua

Fritillaria obliqua

Charles Hervey Grey wrote about F. obliqua "It flowers in March-April, and should be grown in a sheltered position in very gritty, welldrained soil, it is not I think an easy plant to establish although it does extremely well in gardens where conditions suit it"

Fritillaria obliqua

I've written before about how I just love the sinister,  deep black flowers, although in the right light they have this almost reddish, brown, darkness that is like congealed blood.

From Greece, these are some of the earliest Frittilaria for me in the greenhouse. I would agree with the sentiment about gritty, well drained soil. I usually don't ever skimp on the pumice and I've had these rot off at the base before. They are doing fine this year, but I'm sure they could benefit from more airflow.

Sun breaks today! The first dry day after a week that saw 3 inches of rain in the valley. I think everyone around here is ready for some sunny warm, spring like days. 

Cheers, 

Mark