BULBS

Now that spring has sprung I'm worried that it will be fleeting.  There is still time to prune and transplant but not much.  Today I'm going to talk about Bulbs before they pass us by 'til next year.  The King of Bulbs, and I think you would have to agree, is the Daffodil.  Someone even named one King Alfred.  They are lovely and come in many colors.  But the many reasons I rate them King is that they are a no muss no fuss plant.  They arrive early, and they are very drought tolerant.  They are long enduring.....  You can find them in a field where there must have been a cabin or house long ago.  They are very drought tolerant.  They multiply year after year.  AND the deer don't eat them.  Did I forget something??  One small draw back is that it's best to keep their leaves after they bloom.  I just cut them down a third to a half and they look great.  The KINGS.

Now if Daffodils are the kings Tulips are the queens.  Lovely..... lovely.... but a little high maintenance.  They are edible to man as well as to the animal kingdom so they get readily eaten.  I treat them more like an annual, and put them in containers.  They will come back for a couple of years, but they eventually fade away.  My personal favorite is the Lily Flowering Tulip.  But I can get lost in a catalog of Tulips easily.  If you are careful you can extend the season by planting early bloomers and late bloomers.  Like I said.......  lovely.

I rate Snowdrops or Galanthas really high because they are the first to bloom.  They reliably bloom in February.  So sweet.  If you put them with Hellebore they can cheer you up on a cold wet winter day and they will multiply over the years.

The Scilla sibericas are pretty nice especially  en masse.  They readily multiply.  The birds must seed them because I'll find them even in places I never planted, but not out of control.

Now I love all bulbs in the right place, but I have to say Alliums or Flowering Onions are a show stopper.  They are big and flashy and deer resistant.  If you want to make a statement plant an Allium.  In a naturalistic garden plant them with Knautia and Japanese Blood Grass.  You can't loose with this one.

Right now a good combination I have in my garden, that I like, is the Native Bleeding Hearts or Dicentra formosa with Wind Flowers or Anename blanda.  They do a nice job of filling in a shady spot.

This time of year I always enjoy what I have and realize I have to make changes.  I like to write it on my calender in August so I remember what to buy when the time comes.  Enjoy the colors of spring.