Did you find yourself ooo-ing and aahh-ing over the beautiful flower bulbs blooming in other people’s gardens this spring only to come home to no colorful display in your own yard? Many people love spring bulbs and then forget that they need to be planting them in the fall. With a little planning and planting now, you can have a gorgeous spring flower display of your very own!
Bulbs are the perfect way to stretch the growing season
In the Chicago area, we suffer through our long, harsh winters with a kind of solidarity (and probably pride) that makes us really treasure our springs. We drive with the windows down on the first sunny, warm day of the year. We brazenly go about with our heavy winter coats left at home, giddy with the sudden freedom of movement being coatless allows. So often, our landscape is still stuck in the winter doldrums. Adding flower bulbs – many of which come up and bloom before anything else in the yard is awake – starts your growing season early, adds vibrant color against a dull palette, and gives us something to look for as we anticipate spring.
Two very early blooming spring bulbs, Botanical Iris and Snowdrops (shown below) are only 4-6 inches tall when in flower but are quickly noticed and enjoyed because everything else in the landscape is a drab gray-brown. Snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis) are at home in naturalistic settings and formal gardens alike. Botanical Iris (Iris reticulata) flower bulbs have elegantly detailed petals and should be planted along a walkway where their vibrant colors will delight passers-by.
A beloved traditional choice, Crocus is another early blooming spring bulb (shown below). Available in shades of purple, white, and yellow, they can be planted within the landscape bed or allowed to naturalize in the lawn. The flowers stay closed on overcast, rainy days and open fully (to the delight of early bees) during sunny weather.
How to plan for easy maintenance and full enjoyment
There are a few instances that can frustrate and discourage a new flower bulb grower: animal disruption, unreliable garden bulbs, and foliage that persists long after the flowering is done. Squirrels and rabbits have favorites (like Tulip bulbs, darn it!) but ignore Daffodils, Allium, Fritillaria, and some smaller bulbs like Tommie Crocuses (Crocus tommasianus), Snowdrops, and Irises. Sometimes, planting delicious bulbs like Tulips next to poisonous bulbs like Daffodils is enough of a deterrent, but further discouragement from a repelling spray like Liquid Fence may also be necessary. Most spring bulbs require good drainage, so don’t plant them in a persistently wet spot – the bulbs will rot and you’ll never have flowers.
Flowering bulbs are a bit weird – they’re only visible for a short time and then disappear altogether, unlike our typical perennials which have a presence in the garden even when not flowering. Energy for the next year’s flowers is captured through the leaves and sent to the bulbs. Therefore, if you cut off the bulb foliage too early, the bulbs may not get enough energy to bloom the following spring. Some bulbs bloom so early and their foliage is so short and grassy that the withering foliage is not so bothersome. Larger spring bulbs like Tulips, Allium, and Daffodils have taller foliage that can be unattractive as it yellows. The best way to combat this is to plant these bulbs near other plants whose new growth will help hide the bulb leaves. Groundcovers like Pachysandra and Geranium are a beautiful cover plant; the bulb flowers rise above the perennials, then their foliage can fade into the groundcover without becoming unsightly. Perennials such as hosta, ornamental grasses, and daylilies are also good companion plants for flower bulbs.
Bulbs let you get away with cheating
Those with shady gardens often bemoan the lack of flower bulb options available to them, but early flowering bulbs are perfect for the areas under deciduous trees! Snowdrops, Crocuses, and many Daffodils bloom early before the trees have their leaves, so they still get enough sun to bloom and thrive. It’s a perfect opportunity to cheat and get more flower power from your landscape.
There’s more to bulbs than just Tulips and Daffodils!
Lesser-known bulbs like Summer Snowflake (Leucojum aestivum), above, are worth getting to know. Unpalatable to animals, tolerant of more shade and wetter soil, Summer Snowflake’s bell-shaped flowers look lovely on their own or planted near any other spring bulb. Their gracefully arching stems look lovely in a bouquet of daffodils. All of the taller bulbs make wonderful cut flowers, so plant enough to enjoy outside and in a vase. Checkered Lily (Fritillaria meleagris), below left, has a striking flower unlike any other. It, too, is avoided by animals and blooms in May. There are many ornamental onions (Allium) to choose from, like ‘Purple Sensation’ below right. With varying heights, there are low Alliums for the front of the border and taller Alliums whose blooms float above the neighboring plants. And, because they bloom a bit later, Alliums help extend the spring blooming season into May and June.
Daffodils aren’t just yellow!
It’s easy to love the ubiquitous yellow daffodil with its bold tones that announce the arrival of spring – but don’t limit yourself – there are so many lovely daffodils to choose from! And with a little planning, you can have a continuous show of daffodils from early April through May. Visit a local plant nursery in fall and you’ll get an idea of some of the varieties that perform well for us.
Know when to hire a professional!
Adding a few flower bulbs here and there is easy for the average homeowner. Still not sure where to begin? Or do you just not have time to shop for spring bulbs and plant them yourself? Let Bruss Landscaping do it for you! Our designers will evaluate your landscape and create a garden bulb design to complement your existing plantings and give you the spring color you’ve longed for. All you’ll have to do is look forward to spring!
To consult with one of our landscape designers, visit us here.