The Inside Scoop on My "Garden Bed Trillium"

My husband enjoys working with prairie restoration, woodland planting and management, wildlife food plots, etc. on our few acres of land located several minutes' driving time from home.

Anyway, during the early Spring of 2007, I dug a couple of trillium there and brought them to our backyard woodland. (We didn't have any out there!)I found one especially interesting plant and put it in my backyard Center Garden. This mutant trillium sported five leaves and five petals on its flower!

I was determined to watch it grow the next Spring... to see if it remained a five-leafed trillium.

This was taken 4/17/08
Note: Four Leaves!

Already on 4/29/08, the appearance has changed somewhat.

This photo was taken this year (4/19/09)
of the same little plant...
Three Leaves!!

Getting a little taller...
(4/23/09)

And, as before, the appearance changed
as the blossom appeared.
(photo taken 5/04/09)

Oh! How I wish I'd taken a photo of the five-leaved plant! I cannot understand why I didn't. Perhaps I'll yet run across it, but for now - please take my word for it.

And what is your opinion as to whether this plant will remain three-leaved from now on, or follow what seems to be a pattern and return next year with only two leaves??

:-) Could be a "Shady Subject!"

Can YOU Contain YOUR Excitement?

Just look at some of the discoveries I made in our yard today!

(This photo was taken of one of my very favorites flowers on May 17.)

Same flower; photo taken today!

Another favorite... Lady's Mantle!

Spring Beauties are everywhere!

Trilliam Recurvatum Beck

Last year I put the little fellow below
in my woodland flower bed
so I could monitor it.
Instead of three leaves, it had five!
(although it had the usual three-petal burgundy-red flower)
This year it has 4 leaves.
Hmmmmm.....

Way out in the woods, planted by a former owner of our home.

Out in the woods, again planted by a former owner of our home.

Double Dutch Daffodil - could be "Blond Beauty"

Pulmonaria "Baby Blue"

Pulmonaria "Trevi Fountain"

Pulmonaria - "Milky Way"Two common names: Trout Lily or Dog-toothed Violet

Dutchman's Breeches

Dutchman's Breeches, close-up!

Just outside the back door... a ton of Lily of the Valley.
I didn't plant it... it was here when we came. It's contained...
Did you know florists charge a MINT for one floral stem in May?
(My daughter wanted it for her wedding a few years ago... didn't get it.)

Another beautiful day!
:-)