HERE WE ARE, Labor Day at our doorstep, school starting and summer sun is waning.
Ah, September!
I just so love the Olympic Peninsula, especially as we hear about horrendous forest fires, massive floods and death-dealing heat waves elsewhere.
We are blessed and, as we move through the year, I am thinking of this year and gardening.
So with the baskets aglow, fruit ripening, lavender abloom, sun in abundance, dahlias in bud and me in a reflective mood, let’s again explore the now timely subject of spring bulbs.
Your mailboxes by now have been crammed with all manner of bulb catalogs, price sheets and magazine articles selling and toting spring bulbs.
I am gung-ho about a lot of things, but nothing is so ideal in our own climate as spring bulbs.
Our weather is perfect! Never so cold as to cause bulb harm, never so hot as to blow the flower in a few quick days.
And planting is easy.
Dig a hole, put them in with bone meal and water, then wait 4 to 6 months, sit back and totally admire.
Today, I want to emphasize great perennial and naturalizing bulbs.
The true trick for a beautiful, successful, fulfilling spring bulb bed is longevity or duration.
There is no excuse for not having blooming perennial bulbs from the end of January through June.
So let’s start with:
1. Winter aconite
This lovely, bright, creeping ground cover naturalizes quickly and can easily flower amid the snow.
Great cut-leaf interest with the foliage is a real plus. Deer resistant.
2. Species crocus
These very early bulbs actually bloom mid-winter and are extremely prolific, vivid in color and rapidly multiply.
They are best used in conjunction with regular crocus, thus creating 2 months of early low color. Deer resistant.
3. Species iris
Here is truly one of my favorite spring bulbs.
Not only is it early, but very surrealistic — a perfect little 2- to 6-inch miniature Iris bloom floats out there before most of the foliage emerges.
Hardy, perennial and fast growing, they are a must for cut flower possibilities. Deer resistant.
4. Scilla
Moving into March, a perfect, naturalizing bulb is the beautiful blue-star-shape scilla.
This plant moves out over the lawn or woodland area quickly, and can form a delightful blue hue.
Blends well in grass and is right behind the crocuses. Deer resistant.
5. Species rock tulip
These are the original tulips found around Turkey and first imported to Holland.
They are very hardy, early (March) and perfect in rockeries or as a border plant.
Excellent varieties are Tarda, Lilac wonder, Persian pearl and Turkestanica. Deer resistant.
6. Daffodil
We all know that the daffodils are a great perennial plant for spring, but we really need to expand to the miniatures like Tete-a-tete, Jetfire, the very novel Golden Bells or the bizarre Rip Van Winkle.
My favorites are the split-corona or butterfly Narcissus with their gorgeous form and colors.
The double and multiple daffodils are not to be overlooked and are great for cut flowers. Deer resistant.
7. Fritillaria
Now here is a spring bulb sure to get the oohs and aahs, and most of the (“what is that?”) questions.
Fritillaria is a very stately, tall spring lily that gives great visual interest and height to the spring garden.
A crown of flowers adorns this plant. Deer resistant.
8. Dutch iris
Here is another extraordinary cut flower bulb plant grown commercially for florists.
They bloom in May and June in an array of bright, dramatic flowers and are 3 feet tall, which is perfect for a backdrop in the late-spring garden.
They are very hardy, easy to grow and great when mixed with other iris types. Deer resistant.
9. Allium
Most of us know this plant as the purple globe or ball plant.
Related to the onion, these very hardy bulbs bloom late in the season and add wonderful visual interest to the yard.
They are superb cut flowers and actually come and varieties that range in height.
For a truly unique flower, try fritillaria meleagris with its Japanese lantern-type flowers. Deer resistant.
And do … stay well all!
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Andrew May is a freelance writer and ornamental horticulturist who dreams of having Clallam and Jefferson counties nationally recognized as “Flower Peninsula USA.” Send him questions c/o Peninsula Daily News, P.O. Box 1330, Port Angeles, WA 98362, or email news@peninsuladailynews.com (subject line: Andrew May).
