Countdown to Spring: Squill

"Squill" sounds like a fish instead of a flower.  The official name is Scilla sibirica or Siberian squill.  Gardeners will call this bulb scilla, a more dignified name, I suppose.  It's one of the flowers in nature that looks blue.  Planted in the fall, the bulbs bloom in early spring before the trees have leaves.  I've got them planted in my lawn with the hope that they'll spread  a little more every year. When the flowers die down, the foliage gathers energy for the next year, so I mow around them until the leaves have yellowed. The photo below is to show how small they are, but so worth it! After a long winter, I welcome their cheery brightness.