The Magic of Bulbs

Benefits of Bulbs

It may seem early but now is a great time to start planning and ordering your Fall planted bulbs! Ordering earlier in the season gives you the best selection. Of course, ordering later is okay too as you may get things for a cheaper price but there will be a much smaller stock to select from. I love using bulbs in the garden for several reasons I will highlight below. I've included lot of pictures from my time at Chanticleer that inspires me and I hope inspires you as well! 

Early Color 

Winter can feel very long and dreary. It especially does for me being a southern transplant who is used to a milder winter - I've spent many winters in North Carolina outside in shorts and a t-shirt. While there is beauty in the stillness of winter and the snow covered trees, I look forward to seeing a sudden pop of color in the landscape. Bulbs aid in adding color to gardens while most trees and perennials are still having their winter snooze. At Foulkeways there's an abundance of Daffodils that brighten up the entire campus and will continue to do so for years to come. 

Iris 'Katharine Hodgkin' blooms in the Gravel Garden at Chanticleer

A sea of Scilla covers the ground at Winterthur in Delaware 

Hyacinth 'Gipsy Queen' and other bulbs color the rock ledge leading to the Pond at Chanticleer

Bulbs beginning to brighten up the Orchard at Chanticleer 

The Winter Shrub Border at Chanticleer pops with daffodils 

Tulipa accuminata (a species tulip) adding color to the Gravel Garden

Yellow tulips amongst annuals including lettuce in a border

Affordable and Low Maintenance 

Bulbs are a type of geophyte. Geophytes are perennials that have underground storage organs which includes bulbs, tubers, corms and rhizomes.  We encounter and consume these type of plants in our everyday lives - think onions, garlic and potatoes. The benefit of a plant being a geophyte is they are able to store carbohydrates, nutrients and water underground and then grow when the conditions are right. This makes bulbs fairly easy and low maintenance for gardeners! Honestly even if you say you have a "brown thumb" you can pop a few bulbs in the ground and forget about them until you see them emerge in the Spring! If that's your style of gardening you may want to avoid bulbs such as Tulips as that is a favored snack by critters. On top of being low maintenance bulbs are also fairly affordable and you'll get a lot out of them! Many bulbs multiple and can naturalize in areas - Daffodils, Scilla and Galanthus to name a few. 

Daffodils line paths through the Orchard at Chanticleer. They reliably emerge each Spring to put on this show. 

Fritillaria meleagris (Snake's head fritillary) naturalizing in the lawn 

A sea of Camassia is a must see at Chanticleer. This adds interest along the creek every year. 

Bulbs are often used under trees to add easy blooms

Little Space Needed

Don't have a lot of space? Or do you have gaps in the garden that need some filling? Bulbs may be your answer! Bulbs emerge and then die back, making them an easy plant to use when garden space is limited, a small space needs some filling or to add a little something when not much else is going on. Container plantings also work wonderfully for early spring displays. 

A sweet little container with Hyacinth at Chanticleer House

A rain chain I planted with bulbs in the Ruin Garden at Chanticleer

Planting bulbs in the Fall to be hung above the mantel in the Ruin Garden at Chanticleer

It turns into a long bulb burrito :) Placed into the cold frames until the Spring

Tucking bulbs in the railing of the staircase leading to the Tennis Court at Chanticleer

Fun with Colors

Orange and blue? Purple and yellow? An all white garden? You can do it all with bulbs. The color combinations are truly an endless possibility and sometimes a bit overwhelming. There are several ways to go about color selections. Buying a mix that is already done and in the colors you want is an easy way to get what you're looking for. Many bulb companies offer mixes as an option. Creating your own color scheme is another fun way to design. I like to start with one color and branch out from there, creating combinations that compliment my initial color selection. Editing and adding to the design over the years will keep the interest alive in the garden. When you're not into doing too much design, just plant whatever you like! Like pink? Go in with those pink tulips! Want daffodils for days? Plant a mix with staggering bloom times. Bulbs don't have to be complicated. 

A blue and orange combo

A pop of burgundy tulips by the Pond Garden 

More burgundy used in the Ruin Garden

Moody tones created with dark purple tulips

Pastel yellow softens an area of the Bulb Meadow

Try some Oddballs! 

Sometimes experimenting and thinking outside the normal bulb display can make a huge impact - even with just one or two bulbs. Some of my favorites for this are any type of Fritillaria, species tulips (unhybridized), and Eremurus (foxtail lily). If you see a bulb you haven't tried before why not try a few and see what happens? 

Fritallaria persica in the Ruin Garden wall. How fun is that?! 

What a tuber! Eremurus robustus (Foxtail lily) has an enormous tuber! 

A cart full of... Aliens? 

Wow! Eremurus robustus (Foxtail lily) blooming in the beginning of June. 

Don't forget the Natives

Yes there are native geophytes! Claytonia virginica (Spring beauty), Sanguinaria canadensis (Bloodroot),  Hymenocallis occidentalis (Northern Spider Lily)  and Erythronium americanum (Trout lily) to name a few. 

Hymenocallis occidentalis (Northern Spider Lily) in Bell's Woodland at Chanticleer. Native to the South but able to grow in the North. 

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Do you have any favorite bulbs or are you excited to order any this year?  Comment below! 

-Julie 

A mystery tulip in the ruins of the Crowinshield garden of Hagley in Delaware.