How could I have missed this?   For years I lived right across from Beacon Hill Park!  I celebrated their fabulous meadows every spring.  Daffodils & tulips in March & April; later, the camas meadows in May…. But somehow, this Fawn Lily meadow had eluded me – until now!

I first became aware of native fawn lilies when a naturalist pointed them out during a spring wildflower walk around Elk Lake.  The fawn lilies grow along the forest edges of the walking paths there.  I was particularly charmed by the leaf pattern: dappled spots just like the back of a fawn.   (Aw…  Bambi flowers…)

Since then, I’ve also noticed fawn lilies along the trail around Cedar Hill Golf Course.  Later, I was delighted to discover them growing wild in the backyard at the Cedar Hill Road house.

Of course, when we planned our move to the Richmond house, it was IMPORTANT to bring some of those fawn lilies with me to the next yard.

They had such long taps (6 inches or more) that led down to thin, elongated bulbs.  They were really tricky.  Most broke off & stayed rooted where they grew, but I did get a few.

Only a couple survived the transplant trauma.  The 2 successful specimens are in the border near the driveway.  For the first 3 years, they just produced leaves.  Last year one bloomed!  I’m coddling them (go figure).

I’ve also been buying seeds from the Swan Lake Nature Sanctuary & scattering those willy-nilly.  So far, no luck, but I have dreams.

One gardener from the Native Plant Study Group tells me that she seeds them into trays & lets them sit outside for a couple of years.  That way, they’re easier to identify when they come up, & she doesn’t weed out the tiny babies by mistake.  She’ll eventually be able to move them into her beds to naturalize.

I might just have to do that myself – – if I can muster the patience.  I have lots of dreams but little patience.    🙂

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© SVSeekins and Garden Variety Life, 2013

P.S. Here are some other meadow faves:

• • Meadow Blooms 1 – Crocus
  • Meadow Blooms 1.2 – Summit Park Crocus
  • Meadow Blooms 2 – Chionodoxa
  • Meadow Blooms 3 – English daisy
  • Meadow Blooms 5 – Camas
  • Meadow Blooms 6 – Snowdrops
  • Meadow Blooms 7 – Wild Violets
  • Meadow Blooms 8 – January Meadow
  • Meadow Blooms 9 – Daffodil Meadow
  • Meadow Blooms 10 – July Meadow
  • Meadow Blooms 11 – Winter Aconite