A few years ago, quite a few years ago, somebody planted Scilla in the yard currently owned by the Phactors. And in terms of naturalization, this introduction was more than a little bit successful. Large portions of our lawns and gardens are now populated by hundreds of Scilla bulbs per square yard. For a week or so the blue lawnt is quite charming, downright jolly, and a very welcoming sign of spring. Later as the vegetation matures, these areas have to be avoided especially by the lawn mower or they get slimed by the mucilage in Scilla leaves. Virtually nothing else grows in some of these areas at least until the Scilla dies back, and fortunately it does so by early summer. In a fine color counterpoint, the Rhododendron mucronulatum, Korean azalea, also began flowering today displaying their clouds of bright pink flowers. You need this plant. It's hardy, the easiest species to grow, and the earliest to flower. The rest of the gardens are basically yellow: forsythia, spice bush, Cornus mas, winter hazel, daffodils, aconite. And boy, is it all early! 