With cool weather approaching it’s time to start thinking about bulbs to plant in the fall. There’s an endless variety of bulbs available in stores and online but you’ll get a better selection from specialty internet stores.
I’m sure you’re all familiar with tulips, daffodils, crocuses and hyacinths, but there is no reason to stop there!
The world of bulbs is full of spring and early summer color ready to be added to your landscape.
I’m not calling them uncommon because they’re hard to find, in fact most of them can be easily found online.
But you likely won’t see them in the stores and they probably weren’t on your list to plant in the coming months. Chances are good you’ll find at least one you haven’t heard of!
Anemone
Called Windflowers, these small woodland flowers grow from ~5 cm shriveled black corms. The 4-inch tall plants bloom in April in white, pink or purple/blue and then go dormant until the next spring.
Anemone spread via tuber and self-sow their seed so they are useful for naturalizing in woodland gardens.
Camassia
If you’re looking for a bulb that can handle a little bit more moisture this is a great place to start. The bulbs send up flower stalks in May/June in shades of blue and purple as well as white.
They grow best in full sun and make excellent cut flowers. Like Anemone they naturalize well in wet areas. Depending on variety they grow from 15 to 30 inches tall.
I planted a few dozen in my orchard around the trees. They bloom a few weeks after the daffodils.
Chionodoxa
Known as Glory of the Snow these diminutive flowers are stunning planted in large drifts. Deer-proof and early the 4-8 inch tall plants send up blue, pink, purple or white flowers in March and April.
Eranthis
These strange-looking flowers are also known as “Winter Aconite”. The bright yellow blooms appear in March and April atop green re-curved leaves, sort of resembling those dolls you make out of hollyhocks.
They grow 4 inches tall and prefer moist soil and partial shade.
I planted a bunch in the wooded area next to my house and promptly forgot about them. I was delightfully shocked to find them blooming this spring!
Eremurus
Also called Foxtail Lilies, they don’t grow from bulbs, instead, they are spidery-looking tubers planted in the fall at the same time as tulips and daffodils.
They are large plants requiring their space and send up giant bushy flower spires in a variety or reds, oranges and yellows as well as white. They bloom in May/June and can reach 3-6 feet tall.
Erythronium
Dog-toothed Violets or Trout Lilies, these plants grow 12-14 inches tall. They prefer moist soils and partial shade. The drooping yellow, pink or white flowers bloom April/May.
I planted a bunch of these around my hostas in a small flower bed and they fit in perfectly. They come up and flower before the hosta fill in and have been going strong for a few years despite the best efforts of my chickens.
Fritillaria
Fritillaria flowers resemble upside-down tulips, they hang down singly or in clusters on tall spires. The Guinea Hen flower has a checkerboard pattern in shades of purple and or white and cream.
They range in size from 6-36 inches tall. Fritillaria are more delicate than most bulbs and require quick planting. They do best in filtered sunlight and have a scent described as slightly skunky.
Galanthus
This one isn’t really uncommon but I’d say it’s less well-known than the major bulbs. Snowdrops are one of my favorites because they show up so early.
Long before the first daffodils show their cheery heads and even beat out crocus in the race to flower snowdrops flower in early March through April.
Hyacinthoides
Bluebells are a close relative of the Chionodoxa and they are also good for naturalizing in woodland areas and are considered deer-proof.
They do best in moist soil and light shade where they reach 12-15 inches tall with white, pink or blue flowers. They can be invasive in some areas so that’s worth looking into.
Ipheion
Spring Starflower are related to onions and when crushed the foliage smells like onion. They grow 3-5 inches tall and have 1 inch flowers in shades of blue and white. They will naturalize in a woodland setting and are deer-proof.
Did you find something new for you garden? I know fall is a crazy time in the garden but I’m always able to find an afternoon to plant masses of bulbs.
If you’re looking for a gorgeous book with more information than you could possibly need about bulbs, tubers, rhizomes, and corms try to track down the book Bulb, it’s on Amazon right now for really cheap but only from third part sellers.
I picked mine up on the clearance rack at Barnes and Noble when I was picking up a book for a baby shower. It’s full of so much information!
Every plant is described in detail with a beautiful picture and includes some insight into the origins and best practices for growing.
Check out my Flower Garden Page for more info or start here:
sandi
Tuesday 1st of September 2015
where is the best place to get these beautiful bulbs?
Alecia
Thursday 10th of September 2015
I order mine from Van Engelen, they have a $50 minimum but you get much better prices. They have a sister company that sells smaller quantities but I've never ordered from them