ipheion

Last year I bought a bunch more of Ipheion uniflorum. What's not to like? Strikingly blue flowers, easy growth, not eaten by the rabbits, multiplies quickly but not invasively, nice fragrance (of hyacinth and cinnamon, if you can get your nose that low).  After I had them in the ground, I suddenly realized that I had bought, I. 'Wisely Blue,' instead of what I already had, I. 'Rolf Fiedler.' Oh well. As you can see below, they are significantly different. It is nice having them both in the garden.

This is Ipheion uniflorum 'Wisely Blue.' In my garden this year, it is a very pale icy blue, with darker blue ribs, petals getting slightly darker towards the tips. The petals have pointed tips (and though the photo looks like the petals have been munched by bugs, those petals are actually crimped). 'Wisely Blue' would make a great combination with Muscari, which would pick up the color of the darker ribs. This Ipheion would brighten the scene.

This is Ipheion uniflorum 'Rolf Fiedler', which is an intense chalky blue with a significant element of purple. They are darker when flowers are just opening, but remain a very strong chalky blue with darker midribs. The color is so intense that it seems almost artificial. They also have a more rounded petal. If planted with Muscari, the scene would be dark, and the colors slightly off.