Pretty picture: Puschkinia scilloides var. libanotica

Saw this yesterday on the walk with Sheba. Puschkinia is one of those signs of spring that make me think, oh, I should plant some of those sometime in April, and that I've completely forgotten about by June. They may also have the most badass-sounding namesake of any plant I'm familiar with: they were named for Count Apollo Apollosovich Mussin-Puschkin (1760-1805), who led a botanical collection expedition to the Caucasus in 1802, when this plant was collected. It's been grown in gardens (and, as in this case, lawns) around the world ever since.

Pretty picture: Scilla NOID Puschkinia scilloides var. libanotica

One of our suppliers sells us pre-made bulb gardens from time to time, which usually contain some daffodils (often Narcissus 'Tete a Tete'), some Crocuses, and some Scillas Puschkinias. I see lots of the daffodils, and quite a few Crocuses, but by the time the Scilla Puschkinia flowers open, the pot has already sold, or else work is crazy and I just can't get a moment to stop and take a picture. And then the pot sells. The stars aligned last Friday, though, and we had a bloom and a spare moment, so now there's a picture.

Picture can be viewed much larger if opened in a new window.
I'm glad I got it: in person, I'd never noticed some of the details, like the stripe down the center of the petals. And how often do you see blue pollen?