Gardening Sweet Spots
By Donna Hessel
Planting bulbs is an exercise in delayed gratification, since you plant dead-looking bulbs in the fall and need to wait until spring for the reward… but the vibrant colors and cheery appearance of these beauties in early spring are well worth the wait. Here is a handy how-to if you’re new to planting bulbs and a guide to unusual bulbs that can brighten your garden.
Spring flowering bulbs need pre-chilling and should be planted in fall so they have enough time to establish their roots before freezing but not enough time that they start to sprout. Late October or November are good planting times.
A sunny spot in well-drained soil suits most bulbs. These bulbs are hardy in our Zone 6a (-5 to -10 degrees F). Although referred to as bulbs, some of these are corms (crocus), or tubers (winter aconite and Grecian windflower). To plant, dig a hole about three times as deep as the bulbs are tall. For smaller bulbs, place a dozen or so in each hole with a few inches between each bulb. Bulbs and corms should be planted pointed end up, tubers sideways. To deter squirrels from digging up the bulbs, cover the soil with bird netting weighted down with stones. Water thoroughly after planting.
If spring rain is sparse, water lightly. Allow the leaves to mature and fade naturally after they bloom as the foliage supplies nutrition to be bulbs for next year’s flowers. Fertilizing isn’t necessary, although I’ve noticed increased flowers in years after I added a bulb fertilizer to the soil after the flowers have disappeared and the foliage begins to die down.
Here are some unusual bulbs you will want to try:
Crown Imperial – This flower is from the lily family, but does not smell that good. It 
makes up for this drawback by being extremely showy. Crown Imperials can reach a height of two feet. The flowers appear in late spring for about four weeks. There are many different varieties with flowers ranging from yellow to bright orange to reddish-orange, so choose the color you like or to complement surrounding blooms.
Snake’s Head Fritillary (Botanical Name: Fritillaria meleagris) -Also known as the checkered lily, this plant grows to 6-8 inches tall. It has stunning bell-shaped flowers. All the shades of flower — from purple to white to reddish-brown — are attractive. Blooms appear from March to early May. As an added bonus, they are deer resistant.
Allium (Botanical Name: Allium ‘Globemaster’) – One of the best spring flowering bulbs comes from the Allium family. Large, majestic flowers make it a real show stopper. The upright spherical and purple blooms of this plant make its height around 32 inches. The sphere is made up of small star-shaped flowers blooming from May to June. Consider other members of the Allium family to add color to your garden throughout spring, summer and fall. Don’t cut the faded spheres. They add texture to your garden.
Jeannine (Botanical Name: Allium moly ‘Jeannine’) – You wouldn’t guess from its appearance that this flower is a member of the Allium family! It’s easy to grow and displays numerous bright yellow, star-shaped flowers early in summer. Clumps can be divided when the flower clusters become too crowded.
Wisley Blue (Botanical Name: Ipheion uniflorum)
Starflower or Spring Starflower is a bulbous perennial that can grow a half foot tall and wide. It belongs to the Amaryllis family. The star-shaped flowers are made up of six petals which are a lovely hue of whitish-blue. Choose a well-draining soil to plant them in as the bulbs may rot in soggy soil. Watch out for slugs and snails, which can demolish this plant.
Glory of the Snow (Botanical Name: Chionodoxa lucilliae) – These flowering plants well deserve their name. They appear very early in the spring when the last remains of snow melt away. The star-shaped blooms are in an attractive shade of blue with specks of bright whitish-blue in the center. They grow just 4-8 inches tall, making them an excellent ground cover. There is also a pink cultivar available
Yellow Trout Lily (Botanical Name: Erythronium americanum) – This uncommon plant is native to North America. It gets its name from the fish, brook trout, which it resembles in color as the leaves are mottled with brown or gray. Its unique mottled gray-green leaves give this plant an engaging look, even when it’s not blooming. Each flowering stalk bears multiple flowers with yellow petals that curve outward.
Spanish Bluebells (Botanical Name: Hyacinthoides hispanica) – This bulbous perennial flowers in spring and will stretch to two feet tall and spread over one foot wide. It is suitable for container gardening, as well. The bell-shaped flowers appear on upright spikes and are a brilliant shade of light purplish-blue. Flowers grow in the downward direction and appear to be nodding.
Siberian Squill (Botanical Name: Scilla siberica) – I love these little guys when they pop up with their blue flowers in early spring! Belonging to the Scilla family, Siberian is a small-sized species which grows to a height of 4-8 inches. This plant is self-seeding and multiplies quickly. It is well adapted to cold weather and can bloom in the frost or even light snow. There is also a striped Squill with ruffled flowers.
Summer Snowflake (Botanical Name: Leucojum aestivum) – This ornamental plant is commonly known as Loddon lily. It looks like lily of the valley but it’s not! Plants reach a height of one foot with flowers appearing at the top. The bell-shaped white flowers, like lily of the valley, look beautiful. Its tepals (an outer part of the petal) are green-tipped, giving it a unique look. And a bonus: they are mildly chocolate-scented.
Snowdrop Anemone (Botanical Name: Anemone sylvestris) –Snowdrops are one of the earliest flowers to appear in the spring – sometimes even through the snow. A low-maintenance plant, it has cup-shaped, fragrant white flowers and can grow one to one-and-a-half feet tall. It loves partial shade with loose and medium-moist soil. In ideal growing conditions, it can be invasive. Additional clumps of my snowdrops show up in different places every year. There are a lot of varieties of snowdrops from which to choose.
Of course, include crocus in white, yellow and purple and purple grape hyacinth that are especially appealing when planted with a yellow-flowering bulb (OK, maybe mixed in with those daffodils you already have). Also look for winter aconite (three-inch tall yellow carpet), purple Grecian windflower and tiny rock garden iris when you are choosing new bulbs.
Now is the time to order bulbs for fall shipment. Request catalogs from these sources for unusual bulbs: brentandbeckysbulbs.com, colorblends.com, johnscheepers.com and bluestoneperennials.com.
Emerald Necklace Garden Club is sponsoring a free, open-to-the-public education seminar on Sunday, September 19. Subject: Unusual Bulbs. Meet Phyliss Mahalik, a Master Gardener, whose presentation will introduce attendees to a variety of unusual bulbs. The seminar will be held at Christ the Redeemer Lutheran Church, 9201 Brecksville Road, Brecksville 44141 from 2:00-4:00. Free catalogs and some bulbs will be available. Attendance is limited and for the safety of everyone, masks will be required. If you would like to attend, please RSVP to Jane at [email protected] or 440-526-4213 by September 15th.
Resource: Balcony Garden Web (including photos); BH&G Magazine, February 2021; author: Marty Ross
