FRITILLARIA meleagris is another of the spring-flowering bulbs in my gardens. Dangling from delicate, arching stems (6-10") they are just the most charming little solitary or paired bell-shaped blooms in shades of purple, maroon or white whose most interesting and unusual feature is a faint checkerboard pattern.

Most commonly called 'Checkered Lily' this particular FRITILLARIA has several other very descriptive names including 'Snake's Head' referring to the somewhat snakelike appearance of the nodding flower heads on their long stems; 'Leper Lily' because it's shape resembled the bell once carried by lepers and 'Chess Flower' due to it's obvious similarity to a chess board.

Taken yesterday- I was actually planning on photographing and posting the darker blossom you can see here in the back. Ironically ('meleagris' means 'spotted like a guinea fowl' btw) a flock of Wild Turkeys that have been hanging around chose the same time to make their daily appearance. My young German Shepherd, Comanche, couldn't resist and as she charged off to proclaim this was 'her place' she snapped this little grouping here clean off to the ground....I am really hoping that at least one of the bulbs still to open will be of the dark variety so I can show it at a future date.