Bulb Crazy

I've been scouring the stores and catalogs looking for really interesting spring bulbs. It's become something of an obsession for me to find unusual things to plant. I even bought a couple of Dragon Lilies (Dranunculus vulgaris), and I'm not sure I'm even comfortable with their appearance :>)

Beyond the traditional tulips, daffodils, and crocus, what are your favorites? I've become enamored of the Allium family since they seem to require less protection from the critters. I wish I'd invested a bit more in the very earlies (Chionodoxa, Puschkinia, Scilla, Winter Aconite), but it's probably just as well that I didn't. I don't really have a feel yet for what works in our climate yet.

I'd love to get some wisdom ( not that it will help me this year, I already broke the bank on bulbs) from all you experienced gardeners. That way, next year I can probably save myself (and hubby) a lot of time and money!

Hi Shultman - I've been ordering from"Van Engelen Inc" for many years now. They have a bulb catalog with heavily discounted prices for bulk orders (lots of 50, 100, 250...). It may not work for you this year (did you previously say 4500?), but Fall 2007???
The website is www.vanengelen.com. There is a sister company as well, selling many of the selections, but in smaller lots. They are: www.johnscheepers.com.
I happen to have extra catalogs of both & would be happy to send them to you. Dmail me with your address if you wish & I'll send them your way. I use them together, because the Scheepers catalog has photos & Van Engelen does not. But the layout is virtually the same.
You might find others that want to go in on an order with you, which makes it very affordable as you can purchase more varieties. This has worked for me. Gotta hand it to you - that's lots of bulbs!
Did you say on a separate thread that you & your DH built bulb cages? If so, how did you make them? Please tell if you have time...Katye

I think I've looked at the Van Engelen site (I searched out as many as I could), but haven't placed an order there yet. Scheepers is a new on, so I'll visit that as well. The idea of going in with others sounds very appealing. And yes, I did say 4500 bulbs! Pretty ridiculous, huh? I've planted about 1200 or so thus far, and still have a great many to go.

I found some Specie tulips today at Costco, and some more at Home Depot, so now I have three kinds. I am returning some cultivated ones to Costco, as I'm sick of building cages for bulbs that are unlikely to survive more than a year. I bought a lot of bulbs from Costco and Home Depot (Lowes, too), and I hope that I haven't wasted my money. Perhaps they are of a lower quality (though most of them look great) than mail orders. I can't tell, because the mail order places haven't shipped any of them yet :>)

We are building cages out of poultry mesh (for the larger bulbs) and hardware cloth (for the small ones). For the tulips and hyacinths I cut a square about six inches square of 1" hex mesh, then join two corners, fold up one end and twist the wires (there's always a little left on the edges) to secure, drop in the bulb, and do the same on the top. They aren't pretty, but I think they might be effective. For the crocus, we've used hardware cloth (1/2" wire mesh). These are different -- we cut a piece about 4-5 inches (making sure to leave a little wire on one side) wide and 6 inches long, roll it lengthwise into a cylinder, cut 1" tabs one end, then fold them over. Drop in the bulb(s) (I confess, I've been putting 3 to a cage, because I had so darn many bulbs. Two would probably be better), then cut 1" tabs on the other end.

I should just take a picture of each one, but in fact, poor hubby is waiting for dinner! I'll try to do that by this weekend.

Also you can plant some daff. with the tulips and the animals will stay away, from what I hear.

Shultman - I thought you might be making them out of hardware cloth - not the most fun stuff to work with, but it does last a long time in the ground. I guess that will be one of my rainy day projects. I usually don't plant bulbs until November - that way I've got time to prepare the holes so I can pop them in later.
I really like Alliums a lot, too. Also, the smaller Fritillarias, Erythronium & Ornithogalum are nice. But Daffodils are a favorite of mine - they're dependable & undemanding...
Must dig more holes!

I wasn't sure if the repellant nature of the daffodils would be enough to keep the squirrels and moles away from the tulips, so we've been building cages. I heard that fritillarias are supposed to be great for protecting bulbs, though -- able to repel critters from as much as 20 feet away

Shutlman, Breck's has "perennial tulips" on sale - Here's their blurb: "Specially selected for longevity by our garden experts in Holland. Large flowers and long stems add to their enchanting beauty. Zones 3-8. Top-quality 11-12 cm bulbs. Height: 22-26". Blooms: Early to Mid-Spring.
Reg. $59.99 SALE $29.99 for 60 bulbs!

Botanical Name: Darwin Hybrid Tulip
Plant/Bulb Size: 11/12 cm
Sun Exposure: Full Sun / Partial Shade
Height: 22" - 24"
Hardiness Zone: zone 3 - 8
Flower Color: various colours.
Flowering Date: Mid Spring
Planting Instructions: Plant 6" deep and 3-6" apart.
Unique Characteristics: Specially selected for longevity by our garden experts in Holland. Large flowers and long stems add their enchanting beauty. Top quality bulbs.
Winterizing: Mulch is only required for the coldest zones."

Shutlman, are you planting your bulbs next to some perrenials that supposed to hide fading foliage of bulbs later in summer or standalone?
I have planted prev years plenty of bulbs, btw, instead of building cages i just covered area where i have planted bulbs with chicken wire and covered with mulch (usually bark) and spring picture usually is great but later when i have to wait for foliage to completely dry, i prefer not to look at recently such a nice skirt around my cherry tree.

So, now i looking for creating some combination when bulbs are planted next to perrenials that wil grow after bulbs finish.

Any ideas what perrenials to use because i assume they have to tolelate dry soil for bulbs to survive?

Hi Briergardener! Yes, I have tons of perennials already in place, and my bulbs are just being jammed into any spot I can find among them. Hopefully this will mean the leaves will be hidden, but we'll see. This is my first year of all-out gardening, so I haven't any history to go by.

I have 200 Double Freesia bulbs, and am getting the impression that they are not good for outdoor planting in our area. Does anyone have more authoritative information on these builbs? They are so beautiful and fragrant that I'd like to plant them near my entry way, but not if they will just die out.

I, too, am interested in planting freesia for the scent. In my Better Homes and Gardens Beds and Borders mag (2006) it says freesia 'Ballerina' is good zone 8 - 11. I've never planted bulbs before. If you dig the bulb, will it matter?

There is a place in my local area called The Satsop Bulb Farm. They raise their own bulbs and do mail order as well. Check with the phone company for the phone number and addy. They are on the Elma Monte Rd. outside of Satsop Washington between Montesano and Elma on the old highway.