There have been several plantings of winter aconite. I don't think we have found the sweet spot yet. They linger is all I have seen so far.

Another early ephemeral is Corydalis solida. They would look good in that setting too.

All aconite demand is moisture during their winter and early spring growing season and not complete dessication during the rest of the year, and a place in the sun (preferably shaded after they go dormant) Taken today

Have the Corydalis and it is spreading wonderfully of late. There are also many populations of Anemone blanda. You'd have to know Bulbarella. She sits down with her bulb catalogs and thinks, "I don't have that. I need some." Add in natives like Claytonia virginica and the larkspur, Delphinium tricorne that bloom with the Corydalis.

My parents made two rather egregious errors when they started this garden 30 years ago. It was the times, landscape fabric around shrub groupings and planting silver lamium, Lamium galeobdolon. I have been rectifying that over the last decade mainly in killing off the lamium. The result has been an explosion in the small minor bulb populations and a return of many native spring ephemerals.

dbarron, none that I have planted ever looked that perky and we have plenty of moisture for them. We also have every kind bulb eating varmint you can think of. They have bloomed and set seed so I have hopes.

I planted my aconite in Oklahoma in a sandy soil and was quite successful with it. It's been pretty much as happy with my mucky clay here in Arkansas (seedlings moved from Oklahoma when I moved). Can't imagine what the issue could be?

It sounds glorious, Christopher. I imagine if you have A blanda you also have A nemorosa, our native wood anemone. I do envy you all the lovely N American ephemerals.

Yes to your native. A. nemorosa, our native A. quinquefolia and A. multifida was added recently. I really like how the A. nemorosa stays as a tight clump of flowers and foliage while they others tend to be more individual and spread out.

I should be making more effort to reintroduce the trilliums inside the garden boundaries such as they are. They live in the forest by the thousands.

Trilliums seem to be tougher than people think if you learn about their basic requirements. I've had at least a few trilliums in the various gardens over the last 20 years.

Trilliums are a lot like the bulbs. They would move easy when dormant. I have transplanted them successfully at the end of their season when I can still find them by the dozens.

Marsh marigold (Caltha palustris) ? Yes, it grows best in damp situations but my large clump is growing well in a dry, acid, semi-shaded spot. Zone 7. Planted about 25 years ago.

That's a surprise to me, Nandina. Caltha palustrus is native here and only grows in very wet conditions, often actually right in the water. Is that definitely the correct id?

floral, you are correct. I am also surprised. Marsh marigold only grows in damp conditions on this side of the pond. I know it very well. I acquired this property seven years ago. Former owner had landscaped with only native plants. And this one clump, strong and healthy, sits high and dry. I suspect Christopher has a run off spot at the base of a slope where it would be happy.

Also, I wonder if he has turned a few Wintersweet shrubs, (Chimonanthus praecox), loose for early winter/spring bloom among greys of winter?

There is one robust Marsh Marigold, Caltha palustris, growing in a sunny, stream side wet spot here. It has remained that one happy plant for a decade. In this garden that is considered a failure to take. What has done very well to the point of removing seedlings when not wanted is the Celendine Poppy, Stylophorum diphyllum.. Another spring ephemeral wild flower showing promise is Jacob's Ladder, Polmonium reptans. And I am totally in favor of mixing all this in with the bulbs.

Nandina I have bumped into some very fragrant winter blooming shrubs up here. I will have to look into the winter sweets. Plenty room to set things loose.

This is what I did with snowdrops. The title is "In Hawaiian Waters". The conditions were not quite right to show up well in a picture.

With just a little more time, the conditions won't have to be perfect for my snowdrops to show off.