As promised here is the answer to yesterday’s puzzle, Snakeshead Fritillary, alias The Guinea-Hen Flower , Leper Lily or Fritillaria meleagris. No one dropped by my blog, let alone guessed the answer.
Can you believe that I have reached the age of 49.75 and never seen one of these in real life? It’s true and when I won the war between me and the pg (see previous posting) I was determined that “one of the things to do before I die” would be to see one. I went one better and planted a couple of bulbs. They were tiny and only 2 or three in a packet at my local garden centre, so obviously they are quite precious. I had forgotten all about them till yesterday when as I stepped out of my car I glanced a couple of feet to my right and lo and behold ……….. my very own snakeshead fritillary.
I can’t remember how old I was when I saw a painting of these by Charles Rennie Mackintosh but I believed he was just doing that arty shading thing that painters do. He wasn’t, they really are just like that and if you have never seen one then I advise you put it on your OOTTTDBID list.
C r a f t y P e o p l e ---- confessions of a lapsed reader 
Monday, April 9, 2007 at 10:08
Aren’t they wonderful? I grew them for a while but it gets too dry here in summer and they all died eventually. THE place for them is Christ Church Meadows, Oxford.
I regret planting those geraniums, too.
Monday, April 9, 2007 at 20:49
Geraniums are about all that will grow here and we adore them, spread I tell them and they do!I’m aiming for the National Collection.
But that little fritillary looks perfect, glad you didn’t step on it.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007 at 6:42
Yes, they are pretty aren’t they and I thought I would like to start a collection until that big pink one started bullying me and grabbing me by the throat every time I tried to get into my own home. Triffids are genteel in comparison.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007 at 23:43
I bought one of those just the other day! Planted it and… overnight the stalk had been broken off. Mum suspects rabbits; I think the evidence is circumstantial. But Magdalen has lots… (more than Christ Church, I would allege!)
Anyway, has been a while since I said hi – hope you are doing oh-so-very-well, and enjoying spring.