Wake-robin, toadshade, whippoorwill flower - by any of the numerous common names, Trilliums are truly harbingers of spring.

Often the first wildflower of the season, they’re popping up in local gardens to the delight of collectors and “yardeners” alike.

Trilliums are especially sought after in Japan. The simplicity of three leaves and three flower petals on a single stem works equally well in the formal Asian style as in the woodland garden.

The Great White Trillium (Trillium grandiflorum) is native to the eastern United States and the species most commonly available in nurseries. The large white trumpets are instantly recognized, and seen on the emblem of the Canadian province of Ontario.

Here in the west, we have our native Trillium ovatum (Western Trillium - duh!). Though smaller than the eastern variety, the white flower is as serenely beautiful on a bright early spring day.

In both species, the flower takes on a mauve tone as it fades.

Local and mail order specialty nurseries can supply a large range of other Trilliums including those with red, yellow or green flowers and variegated foliage.

T. luteum has bright yellow (or sometimes greenish) stalkless flowers, while T. erectum has outfacing sultry, velvety burgundy-red blooms.

Giant Wake-robin (T. chlorpetalum) has mottled foliage and deep maroon upfacing stalkless flowers. A native of western redwood forests, this elusive variety rarely sets seed and has been called the black trillium.

Trillium flowers should NEVER be picked. Those three leaves are the only foliage they’ll get and have to replenish the underground rhizome for next year’s show. A picked trillium may die for lack of food, or take many years to recover.

For this reason, it’s illegal to pick wild trilliums in Washington, Oregon and British Columbia.

Along with hardy cyclamen, trilliums are one of the few flowers whose seeds are disbursed by ants. The seed coating is high in sugars, so the ants carry them off to be buried for later dining. Bon appetite!

Spring is awakening new growth hardy ferns, so it’s time to trim back the fronds of many hardy evergreen types, including our native Sword fern (Polysticum munitum).

Carefully trim old fronds back to the crown, avoiding injury to the very brittle emerging fronds -- also known as “crosiers” or fiddleheads.

Careful observation of fronds as they unfurl will reveal their likeness to the coiled end of a violin. As it so often does, art mimics nature!

A number of hardy ferns retain their fronds in good condition for several years. These include the Japanese Holly ferns (Cyrtomium caryotideum and C. falcatum), Autumn fern (Dryopteris erythrosora) and Tongue fern (Asplenium scolopendrium), along with a number of newer introductions from Chile such as (Blechnum chilense, syn. cordata).

Tidy them up by removing only dying and damaged fronds - careful of the new crosiers.

Ferns and trilliums make great companions in a moist woodland garden. Both require soil high in organic matter and dependable moisture during the growing season.

Throw in some Dog’s tooth violets (Erythronium sp.) and English bluebells (Hyacinthoides non-scripta) for a dependable spring show of color and texture.

Q When can I start my vegetable garden?

A Late March begins the garden season for homegrown goodness.

Prepare the soil by weeding, tilling and testing the pH. Vegetable crops generally prefer a neutral to slightly alkaline soil. Since our soils are naturally acidic, you may need to adjust the chemical balance with a bit of lime. Test before you treat.

Cold hardy veggies such as lettuce, peas, radish, chard and carrots can be direct sown where they are to mature. Early maturing crops can be spaced close together because they’ll be harvested by the time warm weather crops are planted in June/July.

Floating row covers placed over leaf crops help keep off chewing and disfiguring insects like leaf miners and caterpillars. Produce is more appetizing without evidence of bug visitations.

Row covers also help keep in daytime heat so early plantings get a good start. On really warm spring days, be sure to open the ends of the cover to vent heat.

Grow something new in the veggie garden this year. Seed companies offer a wide variety of new introductions so there’s no reason to grow the same old things every year.

Live a little!

E-mail inquiries and suggestions to lazy.gardener@comcast.net