Tulips and Daffodils are an unmistakable sign of the beginning of spring. While it can be so exciting to see those first pops of color in your garden, they also act as a great reminder to start thinking about what you want to plant to keep your garden bright and beautiful all summer long.
It’s pretty hard to narrow the list down to just a few, but after flipping through our spring bulb catalogue collection with Brent, we have managed to wrangle a list of what we would consider some of the best bulbs to plant this spring. Some of these are totally new kids on the block, and we are so excited to introduce you to them.
Agastache ‘Crazy Fortune’: One of those newcomers that we are so looking forward to having in our gardens this year. These beautiful, critter tolerant plants are the whole package. In addition to their beautiful flowers, they also come with striking, variegated foliage. So, whether they are in bloom or not, they bring something extra special to your garden right through the summer season.
Gladiolus ‘Mohican’: Gladiolus is one of our favorite bulbs to plant in the spring season. They come in every color of the rainbow, and as an added bonus, are relatively inexpensive. Gladiolus flowers have a unique, upright, sword-like quality to them, adding a nice texture and shape to your garden. Due to their height, they are not often used in flower-beds because they tend to fall over, but this spring bulb problem can be easily remedied by planting them a little bit deeper and in full sun.
Brent’s expert tip is to plant your Gladiolus bulbs in two week intervals starting near the end of April. You’ll have new blooms every couple of weeks for the first year that you have them. If you add Gladiolus Mohican into this repertoire, you’ll be able to bring a distinct mauve, copper color to your garden.
The Daffodil is hands down, Brent’s favorite plant group. But, if he had to pick a second, it would be Lilies, and there are a few extra special Lily bulbs that he can’t wait to plant this spring.
Leichtlinii: A hardy, heirloom Lily which will make a great addition to any garden. This pollinator-friendly plant is an early bloomer with freckled golden flowers that hang down, making them great blooming neighbors to other bulbs and perennials.
Lilium ‘Zelmira’: A hybrid between an oriental and trumpet Lily makes a spectacular, late-season bloomer. These are giant lilies, which can grow up to 3 to 5 feet tall, and they have the most wonderful, subtle evening fragrance.
Colocasia ‘Royal Hawaiian Kona Coffee’: While not a bulb (it will come in a 4-inch pot), this is a wonderful new addition to the Elephant Ear family. While most Elephant Ears have two to three-foot leaves, this beautiful variation is a little bit more compact. Its critter-resistant leaves are a muted, dark color that makes for a wonderful container plant.
Tulips and Daffodils act as a great reminder to start thinking about what you want to plant to keep your garden bright and beautiful all summer.
Dahlia ‘Melody Harmony’: Native to Mexico and Central America, Dahlias provide us with more pleasure than almost any other summer bulb. Shipped as a tuber, once blooming, this beauty grows large double flowers in a lovely, soft pink shade that stands in perfect contrast against black foliage.
Polemonium ‘Stairway To Heaven’: Sold as a plug, this plant has variegated fern-like foliage and striking blue flowers. While we can all appreciate the beauty that plants in bloom bring to the garden, they only last for so long (in this case, likely from late April into the end of May), but Polonium’s variegated foliage is pleasing to the eye throughout the entire length of the growing season.
This is just a small slice of Brent’s favorite selections for spring 2021, but we hope it has inspired you to add some distinct new structure, color, and texture to your garden in the coming season.
