Early spring companions: Daffodils, Tulips, Crocus, Iris reticulata, Violas
Mid spring companions: Daffodils, Tulips, Hyacinths, Leucojum, Muscari
Late bulb companions: Tulips, Daffodils, Alliums, Bearded IrisLayer small bulbs on top of tulips or daffodils when planting for extended bloom, showy combinations, and fewer groups of foliage to have lingering in the garden. Remember – you need to leave the bulb foliage in the garden after blooms fade for 4-8 weeks until it naturally yellows to allow energy to go back into the bulbs and flower buds to form for the next season. Use small Daffodils on top of larger ones. Combine late blooming Allium with early Tulips and Daffodils. Crocus can be planted over everything as they bloom so early! Plant Muscari with all bulbs so that you can use its fall foliage growth to remind you where to fertilize in the fall.
Many of these can easily be potted, cooled and forced for indoor winter blooming! It’s easy to do: pot the bulbs any time this fall, keep in a 40F location for 6-8 weeks then move to a sunny window to bloom. Enjoy color all winter then plant the bulbs outside in the spring to bloom next year.
Detailed instructions about how to force bulbs are available by clicking here.
Legend: E = Early M = Mid-Season L = Late Bloomer
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Allium ‘Gladiator’
Huge 6″ rosy purple globes on 3′-4′ stems in May/June. $6 |
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Allium ‘Hair’ L 18″-24″ True to its name this variety has long green spidery petals that resemble a bad hair day. 8/$7 |
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Anemone blanda
M 4″. Grecian windflower. Very low growing, daisy like flowers in a mix of white, blue and pink, sun or part shade. 15/$8 |
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Camassia ‘Orion’
L 15″. US Native, Camassia ‘Orion’ blooms late in the season with violet blue flower spikes. 10/$8 |
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Chionodoxa
E 6″. Glory of the snow. Early blooming blue flowers, will form a carpet if allowed to naturalize. 20/$8 |
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Corydalis solida
E 6″-8″ Fumewort. A perennial that grows from a bulb, produces delicate pale pinkish violet tubular flowers in April, summer dormant, great for a shaded woodland, plant 4″ deep. 10/$10 |
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Crocus Mix
E 6″ A mix of colors, including purples, yellows, whites and bicolors, sun or part shade. Blooms in March. 30/$10 |
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Eranthis (Winter Aconite)
E 3″-6″ One of the earliest bulbs to bloom in spring, bright buttercup yellow flowers, often coming up through the snow. 15/$12 |
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Hyacinth ‘Blue Ice’
E/M 12″ Pale icy blue flowers, very fragrant, one of the best for forcing. 8/$14 |
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Bearded Iris ‘Batik’
24″ Purple flowers liberally splashed with white, full sun only, plant shallowly. $6 |
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Bearded Iris ‘Swingtown’
36″ Mulberry red flowers, full sun only, plant shallowly. $6 |
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Bearded Iris ‘Tanzanian Tangerine’
38″ Peach colored base sprinkled with wine red spots, full sun only, plant shallowly. $6 |
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Iris reticulata ‘Gordon’
E 4″ Dwarf iris, great for naturalizing and rock gardens, lobelia blue with violet falls. 10/$6 |
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Muscari (Grape Hyacinth)
M 6″ Cobalt blue flowers, great in mass plantings, naturalizes well. 30/$10 |
