Have you started planting your bulbs yet?
Are you done? I haven’t started! Of course here in Virginia I still have time. The weather is such that as a procrastinator I have a least a month left. This is a good thing – I haven’t even bought any yet!
After doing some research for this post – I am hoping I still have time to order some of these cools finds of mine! I have picked deer-resistant bulbs as I have found more and more people are dealing with deer visiting their gardens.
First up are Alliums – one of my favorite bulbs.
Alliums are mostly purples, white with some pinks, and very deer resistant, most requiring full sun, which is pretty easy unless you have evergreen trees or a building shading the area where they are planted.
One of my favorite sources, White Flower Farms says “Alliums are sun-lovers and prefer well-drained, even sandy, soil. Deer, mice, chipmunks, and related predators generally avoid this group, so you can plant with impunity. Tuck them among clumps of summer-flowering perennials where the Allium’s withering foliage will be hidden by the expanding perennials.”
Below are three alliums to try this year.
the pictures are links to White Flower Farms
Allium roseum bulbiferum
2” blooms on 15” stems, blooms last 2-4 weeks, good cut flower
Allium bulgaricum (Nectaroscordum)
blooms early May-June, baseball-sized heads that hang down, reach 2-3’ in height. I have these in my garden and am always sorry to see them finish.
Allium Globemaster
They have one of the largest, if not the largest, flowerheads – reaching 8-10” in diameter. With a silvery purple color, a conversation starter! 3 bulbs per square foot of your garden.
Next up is Fritillaria.
This is a bulb I have pondered for years. I finally bought a few for my current garden. I was hesitant due to the skunky odor they have. Luckily, mine are small and not close enough to a walkway where I smell them.
That might change as I am looking at a larger variety for this year.
Fritillaria have over 100 species with even more varieties. The flowers have delicate shapes, unusual shades with some having a checkered appearance.of their flowers. The characteristic skunky odor of Fritillaria has the benefit of deterring deer. They perform well in rich, well-drained borders and with the smaller ones working nicely in rock gardens.
Below are two worth looking at.
Fritallaria persica
Narrow, bell-shaped flowers of rich plum purple, almost black, alternate up the stem, which can range from 1–4′ tall. They dangle above glaucous gray-green leaves. Plant this Fritillary with white Narcissus or pastel pink Tulips to provide a light backdrop for the spectacular dark bloom spikes. Fritillaria persica is a garden heirloom that dates to 1573.
Checkered Lilies (Fritillaria meleagris)
These bulbs are winsome, charming, with bell-shaped blooms in shades of purple (and occasionally white) marked with a faint checkerboard pattern. Native to damp meadows and woodlands in Europe, these bulbs need partial shade and abundant moisture, which makes them highly sought after among gardeners who have less than perfectly drained soil. An excellent choice for naturalizing in a moist, shady garden. Heirloom, 1572.
Third, Galanthus – one of the first harbingers of spring.
Galanthus, or more commonly – Snowdrops, pop up in the winter, right thru the snow – bringing me much joy as I am not a fan of Winter. A great deer resistant bulb as they will naturalize in your garden and look wonderful in a woodland setting. They do best in filtered sunlight and are showier in clusters of 10 or more bulbs. Unlike some bulbs – you do not want to plant these among your perennials.
Single bloom Snowdrops
Galanthus woronowii has bright white, delicate flowers with a bit of green at the base of the inner petals and shiny green, recurved foliage. They bloom March/April, reaching a height of 5″- 8″.
Double bloom Snowdrops
Galanthus nivalis ‘Flore Pleno‘ produces dainty, nodding white flowers about 1 inch in size. The flowers are slightly fragrant, but you would need to plant large clusters to notice the fragrant. They bloom in late winter – early spring atop narrow, grayish-green leaves. Height 6″ – 8″.
Lycoris is a bulb I am thinking of trying this year also.
I am on the edge of the zone quoted for cold hardiness for them, but really want to give them a try. There are two types of Lycoris, I have those commonly referred to as “Naked Ladies”. These bloom in the spring after their foliage has come and gone. Typically a pale pink.
The ones are am talking about today bloom in late summer before their leaves come out! Another deer-resistant bulb, most are a shade of red with some newer ones being yellow. One common name for them is Spider Lily – which when you look at the pictures you can see why. They make a great cut flower with a long vase life. Cut when the buds are full color and just before they pop.
Lycoris aurea
A favorite heirloom in southern gardens, L. aurea reaches 18-24″ tall with the umbel (cluster of florets) being up to 8″ across.
Lycoris radiata
Lycoris radiata has stunning bright red flowers with the long, curling filaments that give it the common name of “spider lily”. As mentioned before – these flowers will last weeks in a vase if cut at the right time. Growing to 18″, they prefer partial shade,
Daffodils are a large group of deer-resistant bulbs.
I used to have a flower shop and one of the flowers we sold like crazy towards the end of winter was daffodils.
Everyone was looking for something cheerful after the gloomy winter nights. So, although most people love them – I have seen enough of the basic yellow daffodil to last me for quite some time….sort of like red roses. Not to knock them – all flowers are amazing to me, these just aren’t my first choice.
But, a double daffodil? With pink petals? Oh! Count me in!
‘Delnashaugh’
When I found ‘Delnashaugh’ I was excited – until I realized it was sold out! My procrastination had caught up to me, lol. But you better believe this is on my list for next year!
'White Cheerfulness'
White Cheerfulness is a favorite of mine
It has a nice height(14-16”) along with a light fragrance. Another cool feature of this bulb is that there is more than one flower on a stem! They also tend to naturalize. A winner all around.
"Thalia
Another favorite white daffodil, I love how her heads nod and her daintiness. Thalia grows to 16-18″ and has a nice fragrance as a bonus!
Miniatures
Have a small space you need to fill? Try one of these miniatures. This is a mixture with a long bloom period but you could pick one or two to use. All of these are adorable.
Want to learn more about bulbs and their relatives? Check out the books below.
What do you think? Did you find something to help you out? A new favorite? Do you have a favorite in your garden you can share in the comments? Let me know what your thoughts are!
Want more deer-resistant plants? Check out my post on Deer Proofing Your Yard
Thanks, as always, for visiting.
