It is not easy to forget annual forget-me-not, Myosotis sylvatica. Even if it dies back early in the heat of summer, it will probably throw plenty of seed to regenerate through next winter, and bloom again by next spring. It can easily naturalize in damp or riparian areas, and might be considered to be a weed; but like nasturtium and foxglove, it is a polite weed that is not aggressively invasive.
The tiny blue flowers start to bloom while winter is still cool, and then get a bit more abundant as the weather warms in the beginning of spring. Some modern garden varieties bloom with pink or white flowers. Tender leaves are about two or three inches long, and less than an inch wide. Soft stems creep laterally, but do not get far. Mature plants are less than a foot tall, and two feet wide.
Between autumn and early spring, seed can be sown directly where plants are desired. Because they are so tender, plants are not often available in nurseries. Forget-me-not is a nice understory plant to larger rhododendrons and up-pruned shrubbery, or covering for daffodils, freesias and other spring bulbs. They want regular watering and rich soil, and can be happy in cool partial shade.
I have also sewn them in my garden and are a welcome plant with their bright blue flowers through the beginning of the year. There is also the Siberian Bugloss type of forget-me-not which you probably know better than I, that I have them the garden. They have larger leaves but are everlasting. They tend to spread, but make a good show every year and do not have to be replanted from seeds every year
LikeLiked by 1 person
Actually, I am not familiar with those. Even these common forget-me-nots are uncommon here. Because they are naturalized, some consider them to be weeds; and no one want to plant weeds.
LikeLike
I would not be without mine. But no danger of that, as they are very generous with their self-seeding!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I have never planted them. They just show up in nice out of the way places. The light blue is such a perfect accent color for a dark forest floor.
LikeLike
I’ve tried, I’ve tried without success.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Seriously! Well, that could make sense. Although they naturalize and are very easy to grow in many regions, they do not like aridity. I have never seen then in Los Angeles. I sometimes see them in suburban gardens around San Jose, but only where they get water and rich soil.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think you might have found a plant that we can both grow! Forget-me-nots are a flower I always associated with childhood. Maybe because it was a flower my parent’s definitely didn’t mind me picking from the garden.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, you can pick all you want without doing much damage. They just make more.
LikeLike
Love them here at Coppertop!
LikeLiked by 1 person
They are not a weed there?
LikeLike
I love these sweet little flowers.
LikeLiked by 1 person
So do I. They are such a perfect blue. They happen to be the sate flower of Alaska.
LikeLike
I’ve seen seeds for them offered in catalogues and it looks like such a lovely little flower, but i haven’t gotten around to seeing how it would grow in my climate. Maybe in the fall? It looks to tender to like the summer here.
LikeLiked by 1 person
They do best in spring and autumn here, but get roasted in summer; not so much because of the warmth, but because of the lack of humidity. They grow all year near the coast and in redwood forests. It does not get cool enough to frost them in milder areas (like at the coast and in forested situations). Individual plants do not live very long, but can get replaced as quickly as they die in the right situations.
LikeLike
Thank you! I bet it would like our fall
LikeLiked by 1 person
Even if they do not, they will find a season that they do like. We have so many different climates in our region, and forget-me-not seems to adapt to all of them, even if it means blooming at different times in different locations.
LikeLike