Early spring wildflowers in our yard

Here's a brief post- a look at what is flowering this week in our garden. Above are shooting stars (Dodecatheon conjugens), dramatic, if not tiny.

Below the prairie smoke (Geum triflorum) is pinking up.One thing I am really happy about is that we have incorporated a lot of diversity in our garden, and by diversity, I don't mean rare plants. Most plants in our garden are locally common and easy to grow. The reason I like this, is that what is flowering in our garden is also in bloom on the hills, forests and remnant short grass prairies around Missoula.

Below the prairie crocus or pasque flower (Pulsatilla patens) is starting to bloom in the shadier areas of our yard.

But in the front prairie, the is a lot more happening. The sagebrush buttercups (Ranunculus glaberrimus), the first to flower are still hanging on...

and so are the aptly named yellowbells (Frittellaria pudica).

I suspect if I looked hard enough, I'd find some lomatium in flower, but why spoil all the surprises in one day.

Soon, however, lots more species will join in the bloom, like bluebells (Mertensia oblongifloia),

larkspur (Delphinium bicolor),

and even arrowleaf balsamroot (Balsamorhiza sagittata), which had a good year last year. Let's hope the seedlings that showed their first leaves last year will be back for another. Then in a mere 5 or 6 six short years, our little prairie will be awash in balsamroot!