Bluet Colony Growing Well on the Mountain Ridge

Evidently, I planted these little cuties in an acceptable place for they are growing and multiplying each year.

A small sample of bluets was planted in the middle of the side yard with no special care in April 2010. I figured that they were already growing wild so the plants should do alright without fertilizing them.

The original plant colony was growing in a field pretty close to the river where they received full sun.

Their new location provides about 50% sun with shade from large trees in the morning and shade later in the day from the garage. Also, the location is on a rocky mountain ridge, not in a river bottom, so the quality of the soil is surely different.

I planned for the unexpected find that day when we were driving around looking for spring flowers. By carrying my trusty pocketknife in a front pocket and a plastic grocery sack in a rear jeans pocket, I was prepared. Thanks, Dad! Learning to Be Prepared! was one of the great things you taught me.

By the way those plastic bags are great for transporting plants and even for holding them temporarily. The bags without holes are keepers! They will help keep plants moist during transport and they cut down on the mess in your car, too. Always keep a few plastic bags stowed in a seat pocket for your outings.

I used the pocketknife to dig around a quarter-sized clump. The soil was moist and it was easy to lift out the clump and place it in the plastic bag for the quick trip home.

No fertilizing or real digging of the ground was done like I’d do for a transplanted annual. A hole just big enough for the roots was scooped out and the plant was sunk in there and the top soil put back and tamped down.

Each year the mass of bluets grows. The colony of little flowers now stretches over a foot across with many satellite plants extending the colony to new areas.

The mass of bluets do provide a lot of smiles. They will be blooming for another week at least and were a happy addition to the mountain top.

I’m curious though, does anyone else have these little blooms popping up in their yard? Or know where a field of them shine?