Tulipa 'Foxtrot' 2 double pink tulips

‘Foxtrot’ flowers have various shades, from a light shell pink, through medium to rose pink. The blush shading of pink and white on each petal is very attractive. When they first open, each petal is almost pure white, before they develop their mature colour. The double petals can have a bit of a ruffle around the edges, giving them an attractive shape, almost like a peony. If they packed any more petals into the flower, they would look like my ‘Sarah Bernhardt’ peony blooms.

Tulipa 'Foxtrot' 3 double tulips

These tulips also have a wonderful scent. I was pleasantly surprised by the sweet fragrance a group of them can give off. It reminds me a bit of my lilac. Between the lilac, tulips and lily of the valley, the garden is deliciously perfumed right now.

pink Tulipa 'Foxtrot' and blue Muscari

The above picture show the edge of the Muscari armeniacum ‘Blue Spike’ (grape hyacinth) group in front of the tulips. I’ve got over 50 ‘Foxtrot’ tulips planted in this group, and with the Muscari in front it is my favourite garden section right now. They look terrific with the smaller blue bulbs.

Tulipa ‘Foxtrot’ are a little shorter and sturdier, so they remain upright, even when they get a bit of snow. Because they are 30 to 35 cm (12 to 14 in), they look balanced when combined with shorter bulbs, like the Muscari.

With the cooler weather, these spring bulbs have been blooming for three weeks already and are still going strong. I’m very pleased with their vigour and appearance so far.  I planted them last Autumn, but since they are in a part shade location, I’m not sure yet how strongly they will come back next year.

I’ve made a gallery to show how pretty the ‘Foxtrot’ tulips look in a group as well as up close. You can click any of the small photos to see it full sized. It’s a pink extravaganza.

Muscari armeniacum 'Blue Spike' and Tulipa 'Fox Trot'

Muscari armeniacum ‘Blue Spike’ is an extra full grape hyacinth, with double florets along the flower stalk. With all of the open petals, the stalks are very thick and showy. Planted closely, they make a luminous river of blue at the front of the garden bed. The grape hyacinths are 20 to 25 cm (8 to 10 in) tall, while the tulips behind are 30 to 35 cm (12 to 14 in) tall.

Muscari armeniacum 'Blue Spike' closeup

This photo shows a closeup of the grape hyacinth just before the abundant petals have fully opened.

Muscari armeniacum 'Blue Spike' flower closeup

Here is an image of a flower after it has fully opened.  You can see how lavishly the blue petals are packed on the flower stalk, making the grape hyacinth look  like a miniature hyacinth.

Muscari armeniacum 'Blue Spike' flowers of blue

The photo above shows the intense blue colour of a group of the Muscari bulbs. This is my favourite bed right now. Just around the corner of the bed is a group of Brunnera (Siberian bugloss) with blue flowers too, and in the other direction are the blue Pulmonaria (lungwort) flowers.

Muscari armeniacum 'Blue Spike' group

The ribbon of Muscari bulbs winds through some Campanula (bellflowers) in the picture above. When these brilliantly coloured bulbs die back for the summer, the Campanula here will replace them with their own blue flowers.

Tulipa 'Fox Trot' with Muscari armeniacum 'Blue Spike' behind

Beside the Muscari are some Tulipa ‘Foxtrot’, a double pink tulip with extra petals that make them extra showy.

Tulipa 'Fox Trot' first opening

The ‘Foxtrot’ bulbs first open in a white colour, with curled and overlapping petals.

Tulipa 'Fox Trot' after opening

Here is part of the group of tulips, just after they opened, still showing white petals.

Tulipa 'Fox Trot' pink flower

Soon the ‘Foxtrot’ flowers develop their pink colouration. You can see the overall pale pink colour, with medium pink edges to the petals.

Tulipa 'Fox Trot' pink flower closup

Here a ‘Foxtrot’ tulip bulb is opening up more, showing the graduations in pink shades, and developing a rose pink colour.

Tulipa 'Fox Trot' pink flowers detail

This group of four shows the colour range they can have, from mostly white when new, to the stronger pink colouration as the flowers develop.

Muscari armeniacum 'Blue Spike' with Tulipa behind

I had trouble getting the overall photos to show the pink colour of  ‘Foxtrot’ next to the vibrant ‘Blue Spike’, since at a distance the camera (or photographer) seems to capture the tulips as more pale than they are in person. There are over 50 of the tulip bulbs, but as sometimes happens with bulbs, a purple one sneaked into the package. There is also a bright red one with an orange edge. They are not well camouflaged in this pink and blue colour scheme, but I haven’t had the heart to remove the imposters yet.

When I planted the tulips and grape hyacinths last Fall, I wasn’t sure if they would bloom at the  same time, especially because bulbs can have such short flowering times,  so I’m happy to see that the bloom period overlaps closely. The Muscari started a few days before the tulips, and I think they might still bloom after the tulips are finished. Despite the snow we had over the last two days, the bulbs are still flowering upright. Both are sturdy bulbs, as well as being pretty. You can see more details of the pink Foxtrot tulips in this follow up post.

Do you have any favourite bulbs combinations?

Chionodoxa forbesii (glory of the snow)

These Chionodoxa forbesii (glory of the snow) are planted under a Hydrangea. The Hydrangea has yet to break any buds, but the glory of the snow are shining beautifully under the bare branches of the shrub. I love the bright blue flowers, with the white centres. Each flower has six long petals, with a dark line down the middle of each. The white in the middle makes the flowers stand out even more. The upturned flowers of each bulb are very showy, but they look especially nice in groups.

Chionodoxa luciliae (glory of the snow) in shade

The Chionodoxa luciliae (glory of the snow) also have terrific blue flowers that face the sky. These bulbs are planted in a very shady area, but they still bloom each year. The flowers are behind a group of  Scilla, and together they make a beautiful garden bed of blue on the north side of my house. There are still some blue and white Puschkinia (striped squills) flowering next to them, after three weeks.

Scilla siberica (squills) blue flowers

Scilla siberica (squills) come in the prettiest, brightest blues. The flowers hang down from the stems, but the backs of the petals are as blue as the fronts. These squills have spread in this area of the garden, despite getting less than an hour of sun a day. I’m surprised they have been expanding each year, instead of declining under the adverse conditions.

blue spring bulbs in snow

The above photo shows why I appreciate these hardy spring bulbs in a cold climate. The Scilla siberica were getting battered on the morning of a snowstorm earlier this week. The snow actually got deeper during the day, and mostly covered up the blue flowers. After the snow melted, most of these hardy bulbs were still upright and flowering. Their resiliency and tolerance make them great choices for a northern garden. The first photo in the post of the Chionodoxa forbesii was also taken after the snowstorm had completely covered the flowers, and then melted. You couldn’t even tell that they had been buried now.

Scilla siberica 'Spring Beauty' (squills) and Chionodoxa

I have a large group of  Scilla siberica ‘Spring Beauty’ next to some white Chionodoxa ‘Alba’, which flower at the same time. These two spring bulbs make a fresh looking combination in blue and white. This group in the back yard have some blue and white Pusckinia scilloides (striped squills)  flowering to the west in this bed. I waffled, and placed it in a post on white spring bulbs, but could easily have included it with the blues. All of these bulbs have long narrow leaves that fade away by summer, and are easily hidden by the growing perennials.

There are buds on the blue Muscari bulbs (grape hyacinths), but none have opened yet. The little blue spring flowers will continue for a while, once the Muscari fully open. Here is an earlier post with more blue bulb pictures.

I love cheerful flowers that endure and bloom, despite the conditions, instead of sulking and declining. Both Chionodoxa and Scilla are much tougher than their delicate petals and diminutive stature would suggest.

Scilla siberica (squills) blue flowers up close

Iris reticulata 'Cantab' (dwarf iris) long view

The dwarf Iris reticulata ‘Cantab’ bulbs produce gorgeous blooms of blue in spring. Although the plants are only 8 cm (3  in) tall, the flowers are large and put on a great display.

Iris reticulata Cantab blue dwarf iris group

The exquisite blooms of Iris reticulata ‘Cantab’ have a brilliant blue colour scheme.  The petals are reminiscent of their relatives, the larger bearded iris. The three falls (lower petals) are highlighted by a small yellow speckled band in the centre, while the three standards (upright petals) are solid blue. There are also three long style crests that extend over the lower petals. If you lift the flap of the style crest, you can see the yellow band extending all the way to the base of the petal, making an entry way for pollinators. These blooms look fantastic from a distance, or when studied up close.

Iris reticulata Cantab blue dwarf iris by mockorange

The dwarf iris blooms last a few weeks, and then the plants fade back for the season, to reappear next spring, unless they produce lots of little bulbs that don’t flower. I have mine planted at the base of a mockorange shrub. It works well, because the bulb iris are blooming now, while the shrub is mostly bare and the leaf buds are just breaking. The pretty iris blooms bring the bare area at the bottom to life. When the iris have faded, the shrub will have leafed out and taken over the space.

Iris reticulata 'Cantab' blue dwarf iris

There are shade perennials in front that are just starting to appear,  so they don’t block the iris flowers now, but they will grow to block the view of the fading iris foliage, after they are done blooming. In front are some Brunnera macrophylla (Siberian bugloss), Athyrium (ferns), Pulmonaria (lungwort), and Asarum (wild ginger). All are still shorter than the iris.

Iris reticulata 'Cantab' (dwarf iris) blue petals

These bulbs are layered around shrubs, with perennials in front, to pack as much flowering time into the space as possible. I’ve grown them next to peonies before, which also do a good job of covering the old iris foliage after flowering.

Iris reticulata 'Cantab' (dwarf iris) pretty group

I grew Iris reticulata ‘Cantab’ and ‘Harmony’ at my last garden, but after a few years or so, the bulbs fade out, and don’t produce as good of a show. I planted these bulbs last Fall, and I’m going to see if I can get them to establish for longer this time, but I might have to replant.  Although their bloom time each spring is short, the wonderful flowers are worth it. With later rising perennials planted in front of them, there doesn’t have to be a bare space when their season is over.

Iris reticulata 'Cantab' and Crocus 'Yellow Mammoth'

There is a group of forty dwarf iris here. I’m going to expand the group next Autumn with another forty or fifty bulbs to one side, behind some Pulmonaria (lungwort) and over to an Aruncus (goat’sbeard). Both perennials are still very small in April, so there is space for some more pretty blue bulbs behind them. The crocus ‘Yellow Mammoth’ are flowering at the same time in the next garden bed over. I’m going to include some of those golden bulbs with the extension. I made a composite photo of the Iris and crocus colour combination. After waiting all winter, I love the explosion of colour when the bulbs start to bloom.

Iris reticulata Cantab dwarf iris blue and yellow

Chionodoxa 'Alba' (white glory of the snow) in light

Here are three tiny spring bulbs that add enchanting white blooms to the  garden.  Chionodoxa ‘Alba’ (white glory of the snow), Galanthus elwesii (Snowdrops), and Puschkinia scilloides (striped squills) are hardy, and will bloom through late frost and snow. Only the crocus manage to flower before them in my garden. These bulbs can take some shade too, so they work well under the trees.

Galanthus elwesii (snowdrop) inner markings

The Galanthus elwesii are these first of these white spring bulbs to bloom in my garden. The miniature blooms are so enticing, that I always have to bend over to see the perfect little petals. The outer white petals flare out to either side, exposing the little green markings on the inside ones. The snowdrop above has two crossing light sabers on those inner petals. These dainty bulbs need to be viewed up close to be appreciated, since they only  grow about 16 cm (6  in ) tall.

These Galanthus elwesii are the first snowdrops to thrive in my garden. Previous plantings of other types have not done well. I have planted more G. elwesii for the last two Autumns, but they are not filling in yet. They don’t all seem to come up, leaving the grouping a little sparse. I hope they spread a little more next year, but I am happy to see any Galanthus blooming at all. I’ve greatly admired pictures of large swathes of snowdrops planted through woodlands. However, I might need another 9970 to get up to official swathe size. :)

Galanthus elwesii (nowdrop) over Helleborus foliage

Snowdrops shrug off a late spring snowfall, continuing to bloom without stopping. This patch is in between some Helleborus and some Aruncus (dwarf goat’sbeard). The white snowdrops look great next to the evergreen leaves of Helleborus, even though the bloom times don’t overlap in my garden.

Galanthus elwesii (snowdrop) over Aruncus foliage

I love the Galanthus elwesii flower in the above photo, blooming over the soft, new Aruncus foliage. I have different varieties of snowdrops, with distinctly different green markings on the inner petals, but they are not named varieties.

Chionodoxa 'Alba' (white glory of the snow)

Chionodoxa ‘Alba’ is the all white version of glory of the snow, which is usually seen in its more common lavender and blue colours. I grow a blue type too, Chionodoxa luciliae. Unlike snowdrops, these  simple flowers face upwards, making it easy to see the blooms. Because of their size, they look best in larger groupings, or near an entrance way, where they can be admired up close. I like the white version in the shadowy areas, because the light colours show up well. Even though they are small, I can see the white patch as I view them through my windows.

Chionodoxa 'Alba' (white glory of the snow) with buds

The Chionodoxa flowers are very simple, with six elongated petals. They are about 14 cm (5.5  in) tall when they flower. The leaves are very long and narrow, like all of these bulbs, and disappear reasonably quickly after the flowers have faded. The surrounding perennials quickly hide the decaying foliage as they grow, and their flowers will replace these ones.

Puschkina scilloides 'Libanotica' (striped squills) petals closeup

The Puschkinia (striped squills) are available in both a white form and a white with blue stripes form.  Puschkinia scilloides ‘Libanotica’ are not pure white, but have a light blue stripe down the middle of each petal. They have an overall white appearance from a distance, but a pale blue look up close. The Puschkinia scilloides ‘Alba’ are the white version of the blue striped squills. However even on those, you can see the faintest blue stripe down the middle of each petal, when you view them up close.

Puschkina scilloides 'Libanotica' (striped squills) buds

Here are the adorable buds of Puschkinia scilloides ‘Libanotica’. I find the tight buds as attractive as the open, frilly flowers. The striped squills are a more robust looking bulb than the other two, with more petals packed in clusters. These stand about 20 cm (8  in) tall. They are the showiest of the small bulb flowers, with the most number of petals packed into the space. The Puschkinia bulbs bloom at the same time as the Chionodoxa.

These charming white  spring bulbs are fun to admire up close, when so few other plants are blooming, or even sprouting. You can savour their lovely white blooms, before the overwhelming rush of summer flowers. Do you have any favourite early spring blooms?

Crocus vernus through lilac

The Crocus vernus (Dutch crocus) bring the garden to life in early spring, with their bright colours. They started flowering about two weeks after the smaller Crocus chrysanthus. The Dutch bulbs might not be the first crocus to open, but they make up for it with their large, showy blooms.

Crocus vernus 'Pickwick' purple striped

Crocus vernus ‘Pickwick’ have a light background with purple stripes, which look great in a spring garden. For the plant size, the flowers are very large. These are one of my favourite of the Dutch crocus, since they are very showy. The flowers are about as wide across as the stems are tall.

Crocus vernus 'Striped Beauty' purple striped

Crocus vernus ‘Striped Beauty’ are the same as  ‘Pickwick’, with identical purple stripes, and both bloom at the same time. The picture above shows the typical silver stripe down the middle of the crocus leaves. The foliage looks distinctive when it first comes up, but is hardly noticeable when the large blooms open fully.

Crocus vernus 'Silver Cord' white flowers

Crocus vernus ‘Silver Cord’ are white, with a dark purple base. I have some next to the dark purple Remembrance, which match the base colour. They are very pretty when they open, and shine in the sun. I love all the purple colour in this bed, but the white Silver Cord give a nice visual break in between.

Crocus vernus 'Remembrance' purple Dutch crocus

Crocus vernus ‘Remembrance’ is another of my favourites. The blooms are very large for such a small plant, and the purple colour is intense.

Crocus vernus 'Remembrance' buds just opening

The buds of Remembrance open in a beautiful vase shape.

Crocus vernus 'Pickwick' and 'Remembrance'

Here are the purple Remembrance behind the purple striped Pickwick. They coordinate so perfectly together, that I’m going to plant a bed next to this one with these two, and the golden coloured Yellow Mammoth next Fall.

Crocus Yellow Mammoth gold Dutch crocus

If I was naming Crocus ‘Yellow Mammoth’, I would have called it golden sunshine. It is  a yellowish orange colour when the  buds first appear, and then a bright sunny yellow when the petals open wide. You can see how they really shine in the light. The flowers of Yellow Mammoth hold their petals much flatter, and wider open.

Crocus vernus yellow purple white under lilac

My crocus are planted under a lilac tree, which is just starting to show some green buds now. You can see a section of it in the picture above. They form a bed about 2 metres (6 ft) by 3 metres (9 ft), all around the lilac. In between the crocus groups are  the hardy geraniums, Rozanne and Johnson’s Blue, which will soon be growing. The Johnson’s Blue foliage is just starting to emerge.

Crocus vernus purple yellow and white

I love the spring combination of purple, white, and yellow crocus in the above photo. At the top right edge, you can just see the start of the Crocus chrysanthus section behind. These Crocus vernus are taller, about 12 cm (5  in) compared to the 8 cm (3 in) in height of those  early snow crocus. The flowers are much larger, too, about 5 to 6 cm (2 in) across.

Crocus bed with Crocus vernus

The yellow and purple combination in this picture is what I want to continue across the path for next spring. The garden bed next to this one looks bare as it waits for the perennials to emerge, with no bulbs and no evergreen leaves. As I look at it now, I can’t believe I didn’t cover it in crocus corms last Autumn.

Crocus 'Yellow Mammoth'

Here is a carpet of Yellow Mammoth crocus.

Do you have any favourite crocus?

Crocus garden bed

The Crocus chrysanthus (snow crocus) are fully open now, and making a wonderful display. These petite bulbs show their petals best in the sun, appearing translucent when the light shines through them. They are my current favourites, mostly because they were the first flowers to bloom this spring, and early is crucial when you’ve waited all winter for gardening to begin.

Crocus chrysanthus 'Cream Beauty' with other crocus

Here is a shot showing part of the different groupings in the crocus bed, with Crocus chrysanthus ‘Cream Beauty’ in the front. The Cream Beauty are a soft yellow colour, with a more delicate appearance. The trees around have not started to develop leaves yet, so it’s relatively sunny for most of the day here, allowing the spring crocus to show their best.

Crocus chrysanthus 'Blue Pearl' with lavender tinged petals

The Crocus chrysanthus ‘Blue Pearl’ are mostly white, with  light bluish lavender on the outermost petals. That blue colour shows up best when they are in the bud stage, when the petals are folded, or when surrounded by snow.

Crocus chrysanthus 'Gipsy Girl' (snow crocus) yellow petals

Crocus chrysanthus ‘Gipsy Girl’ is very flashy, with distinctive maroon stripes contrasting against the yellow on the outside of the buds. I’ve never been attracted to striped flowers before, but I love these in the garden. I’m ready for bold blooms, after not seeing flowers for so long. They are the first flowers blooming in the early spring garden, and they dazzle with their ornate colour scheme.

Crocus chrysanthus 'Snow Bunting' (snow crocus) glistening

These little bulbs are Crocus chrysanthus ‘Snow Bunting’, with pure white petals. When the sun is bright, these flowers practically glisten while reflecting the light. The dark golden anthers and stigma in the centre are very noticeable.  It’s a very perky looking plant for having such simple petals.

Crocus chrysanthus ''Fuscotinctus' (snow crocus) with bee

The photo above is another yellow crocus with maroon stripes, called Crocus chrysanthus ‘Fuscotinctus’. The stripes are a little smaller than on Gipsy Girl,  if you are looking for a more subtle colour combination. You can see in the centre of the picture that a bee has been lucky to find an early flower.

One of the best things about these crocus in a northern garden, is that they don’t mind the cold, or a late snowfall. After they started blooming, the temperatures went down to – 11º C  (12º F) and the flowers were coated in fresh snow, but they just folded their petals, and opened again when the sun shone. This is a perfect strategy for such an early spring bulb. There is more information about these hardy Crocus chrysanthus in this previous post.

Now, more of the large Dutch crocus flowers are unfurling, and I’m sure when those showy blooms open fully, they will become my new favourites. :)

I liked so many of the snow crocus photos, that I decided to put them in a gallery. You can click on any of the gallery pictures to see a full size enlargement.

Crocus chrysanthus Gipsy Girl with Blue Pearl behind

Crocus chrysanthus (snow crocus) are a welcome sight in the early spring garden. Living up to their name, they rise up at the edge of the melting snow, bringing lively spring colours when they are most appreciated. Their little flowers would get lost in the summer garden, but they make a big splash in the early spring, when the leftover fall leaves are still on the ground, and most perennials are just dried stems. These bulbs have been very hardy in zone 3, even through the coldest winter.

Crocus chrysanthus Gipsy Girl (snow crocus) striped buds

Crocus chrysanthus ‘Gipsy Girl’ is a sunny yellow, with maroon stripes underneath, for a little flair. The buds are beautiful, with the stripes showing up well. These showy blooms were the first in my garden this year, so if you are looking for a plant to extend your garden season, these are a great choice.

Crocus chrysanthus 'Gipsy Girl' (snow crocus) open

When the Gipsy Girl flowers open their petals, they form sunny yellow cups. A group of these are very eye-catching in the garden, despite only rising a few cm (inches) above the ground.

Crocus chrysanthus Fuscotinctus (snow crocus) striped buds

Crocus chrysanthus ‘Fuscotinctus’ is another yellow snow crocus with brownish purple stripes. The stripes are more slender and not quite as pronounced as Gipsy Girl.
Because the stripes are on the outside of the petals, they are most visible in the bud stage, or when closed up in the evening.

Crocus chrysanthus Fuscotinctus (snow crocus) blooms

When they open, the inside of the ‘Fuscotinctus’ flower has sunny yellow petals, and a darker ring in the middle. These petite plants make a bright grouping.

Crocus chrysanthus Cream Beauty (snow crocus) buds

The flowers of Crocus chrysanthus ‘Cream Beauty’ are a softer, light yellow butter colour. You couldn’t get a more cheery colour for spring.

Crocus chrysanthus 'Cream Beauty' (snow crocus) yellow petals

Here, the ‘Cream Beauty’ flowers are just flaring out their buds.

Crocus chrysanthus 'Cream Beauty' (snow crocus) petals

The ‘Cream Beauty’ flowers were the third ones to open their petals. All of the snow crocus colours coordinate beautifully together, and are overlapping their bloom time.

Crocus chrysanthus 'Cream Beauty' (snow crocus) opening

I love the these dainty Cream Beauty flowers, as well as the slender green leaves, with the typical silver crocus stripe down the middle of each leaf.

Crocus chrysanthus 'Cream Beauty' (snow crocus) open

The above photo of Cream Beauty flowers show the extra sunny colour of the inside petals, and the paler colour of the outside of the petals.

Crocus chrysanthus 'Cream Beauty' (snow crocus) April

These Cream Beauty flowers look like they were carved by a chef from butter. The outer petals flare slightly, and the inner ones are ready to open.

Crocus chrysanthus 'Blue Pearl' (snow crocus) blue bud

The Crocus chrysanthus ‘Blue Pearl’ buds are a pale lavender blue, like the one in the centre of the picture above. The flowers are very pale, and appear white on top in the bright light. These were the second flowers to open up, right after the Gipsy Girl crocus.

Crocus chrysanthus 'Blue Pearl' (snow crocus) sunlit

I love how the sun shines right through the petals of these flowers, showing the shadows of the anthers and stigma within. It gives then an ethereal appearance.

Crocus chrysanthus 'Blue Pearl' (snow crocus) groups

This photo show the pretty flower clusters, with the petals halfway open, and still pointing up.

Crocus chrysanthus 'Blue Pearl' (snow crocus) flowers

Here is another view of a Blue Pearl group, with diminutive flowers facing up to the sun.

Crocus chrysanthus Snow Bunting (snow crocus) opening

Crocus chrysanthus ‘Snow Bunting’ is a pure white colour. These buds are just starting to open. Nine of these were included free with an order I placed, and I planted them on their own. However, they need more bulb companions, since they are so small. Still, they are pretty and spring like.

Crocus chrysanthus 'Snow Bunting' (snow crocus) open

Here is the Snow Bunting group, with the elfin petals opening for the sun.

The small bulbs look great in large groups, since they need the massing effect to be visible from a distance. I have from 9 to 60 of each type of snow crocus, and the larger groups really show up best. However, even a few bulbs placed up close, where they can be admired, give an instant spring lift. They are about 8 cm (3 in) tall when in bloom, so it’s a good thing they flower before the taller perennials are up.

Crocus chrysanthus Fuscotinctus (snow crocus) opening

The petals of the crocus flowers fold up at night, and when it is cloudy, and then open up to greet the sun. I have them planted in an area that doesn’t get too shady until the trees leaf out next month, so the bulbs are able to open for most of the day. They are planted under a lilac, and in between hardy Rozanne and Johnson’s Blue geraniums, which haven’t come up yet. Right now in April, the crocus have all the space to themselves. As they die back, the perennial geraniums will grow up to cover the decaying bulb foliage, and the lilac will leaf out above.

The snow crocus get the garden off to a quick start, when most other spring bulbs are just starting to peek up, and most perennials are playing it safe under ground. They shrug off the cool air, melting snow, and old leaves, in a hurry to brighten the newly exposed garden. I really appreciate them in a short season gardening zone, since they lengthen the bloom time, when you just can’t wait any longer for the gardening season to begin. Even if their extra early flowers get covered in snow, they are still worth it, for the brief glimpse of soft petals and spring joy.

You can see these crocus with more open petals in this followup post.

Crocus chrysanthus Blue Pearl in snow

Galanthus Puschkinia Scilla bulbs

I’ve been adding more of the smaller spring bulbs to my garden this fall. These are easy to tuck into a garden bed, in between perennials. When the bulbs die back by summer, the perennials will take their place, extending the flowering time. I’ve expanded some established groups of bulbs, adding more for a splashier spring show. In the photo above, you can see the Galanthus (snowdrops), Puschkinia (striped squills) and Scilla (squills) bulbs from left to right.

I did most of my bulb planting in September, before my zone gets much frost. This gives the bulbs a chance to settle in before the cold temperatures stop the growth. During the past few weeks, the temperatures went above freezing, and I saw some bulbs on sale. I planted some more of my favourites in the garden. It’s a little late in the season to be adding bulbs in zone 3, but the ones I added late last year survived, so I’m optimistic again this year.

Scilla siberica squill flowers May

Many of the little bulbs have smaller foliage that fades away quickly, like these Scilla. After the blooms have gone, the bulb leaves need to photosynthesize, but larger leaves can look messy as they decay. The short, narrower leaves of the littlest bulbs are more easily hidden by surrounding perennials, and also die back quickly. They can store up energy for next year, without looking too unkempt.

small bulb packages

The smaller bulbs look especially charming in spring, when very few plants are blooming. Before the attention grabbing perennials start to flower, you can appreciate the elfin charm of the dainty blooms. The Puschkina scilloides are less than 15 cm (6 in) tall, and at any other time of the year they would be hidden in the garden, but they stand out when there is very little foliage around. They look eye-catching when planted in large groups, but can be appreciated in a small group, if they are planted next to the steps, or in a corner near a path.

Galanthus elwesii snowdrop bulbs

I added some more of the earliest bulb of all, Galanthus elwesii (snowdrops), with the charming white petals. The tiny snowdrop bulbs can be planted fairly close together, and these definitely need a large group, or tight planting to show up well. These are planted at the edge of a larger group of Galanthus.

Galanthus elwesii flower closeup May

Here is a snowdrop flower from last May. As the first blooms in the spring garden, the Galanthus get lots of attention. Those bright outer petals, hide the little green markings, unless you get down for a closeup look. In earliest spring, you can appreciate the subtle details.

Puschkinia libanotica striped squill flower May

The Puschkinia scilloides var libanotica (striped squills) bloom after the Galanthus in my garden. These Puschkinia  are some of the showiest of the petite bulbs. They have large clusters of small blue and white petals. I have some Puschkinia scilloides ‘Alba’ that bloom in all white too. They are nice, but I prefer the lively little blue racing stripes of these bulbs.

Puschkinia libanotica striped squill bulbs

The Puschkinia bulbs can be planted close, a few cm apart, so the flowers almost touch each other, and display well. In the photo above, I’m adding these between Brunnera plants, next to an established patch of striped squills. The group looked great last spring, but I thought it could be larger. I dig a shallow hole, and put about 20 of  the bulbs in it, with their points up. Then dig another hole between the next perennials. They get covered up with soil, watered in, and next a layer of fall leaves over top.

Scilla siberica squill bulbs

The blue Scilla siberica (squills) bloom soon after the striped squills. These look fantastic paired with other white or blue flowers. Even the bulbs themselves have a purplish blue covering when you plant them. The actual flowers have have a true blue colour, as shown in the picture second from the top.

Puschkinia libanotica and snow May

Here is a typical spring picture from a northern garden, little Puschkinia snow cones, from last May. The tiny flowers of the small bulbs usually recover quickly from a spring snow, and continue to look good when the sun shines again. This is probably one of the best reasons for planting these hardy bulbs.

Earlier this fall I wrote about planting some crocus bulbs, pairing the small Muscari (grape hyacinth) bulbs with tulips, and underplanting shrubs with Chionodoxa (glory of the snow) bulbs. When there is very little new green foliage in early spring, it is fun to wander around the garden, looking for the latest bulbs to bloom. I’ll be ready for spring to burst with colour, after the monotones of winter.

Hydrangea and birdbath fall leaves

Hydrangea shrubs have enough room underneath, that you can make a beautiful layered garden by underplanting them with shorter plants. In summer I have some dwarf Campanula (bellflowers) producing purplish blue star shaped flowers in a low carpet under this Hydrangea paniculata. I love the look, and wanted to extend it to spring, so I’ve planted some Chionodoxa forbesii (glory of the snow) bulbs underneath. These early spring bulbs should flower before the bellflowers bloom, with their own version of starry flowers.

Campanula porscharskyana (bellflower) in flower

Above is  a photo of  Campanula poscharskyana (Serbian bellflower) from this summer. They start flowering midway through June, and continue intermittently all summer, and into fall. They look especially pretty under the Hydrangea, even before it flowers,  twinkling up through the branches. They are a gorgeous shade of purplish blue, with five narrow petals and white towards the centre. These bellflowers grows quite low to the ground, so they don’t interfere with the Hydrangea branches, and they fill the bare area underneath with beauty. Then in August and September, when the Hydrangea blooms in white, the little blue flowers of the Campanula look lovely paired with the large panicles. However, there are no flowers underneath the shrub before mid June, just the bellflower foliage.

Chionodoxa luciliae (glory of the snow) flowers spring

I  added some glory of the snow bulbs to bring some early blooms to this area. The blue stars are reminiscent of the Campanula and should have a similar effect. These have six petals, a dark line down each petal, and a white centre. The Chionodoxa luciliae start flowering during May in my zone 3 garden, so the Chionodoxa forbesii should start the colour show early too, before the bellflowers. These two Chionodoxa species seem interchangeable now. The pretty blue bulbs will bring some spring cheer, while the Hydrangea stems are still leafless. Then when the glory of the snow flowers fade, the bellflower groundcover should easily hide the slender bulb foliage as it dies back for the season. Usually the  Chionodoxa foliage disappears quickly.

planting Chionodoxa forbesii (glory of the snow)bulbs

Here is one of the bulb planting holes, in between the Campanula poscharskyana plants. I dug narrow holes among the perennials, to minimize the root damage. Then I planted 5 to 10 bulbs in each hole. Altogether I planted 50 Chionodoxa forbesii, but I could have planted more. These bulbs cover the  ground under the front half of the Hydrangea, and a bit around the sides. I could plant another 50 to really carpet the ground under the PG Hydrangea.

fall leaves under Hydrangea

The fall leaves were already covering the garden bed, as I watered in the newly planted bulbs. This will be some of my last outdoor gardening fun for the year, since the temperatures are so cool now. It is probably a little late to be planting bulbs in zone 3, but the weather warmed above freezing this week, the bulbs were on sale, and the picture of more blue flowers was running through my mind. Soon, a white quilt will be spread over top of the brown and green patchwork one. However, come spring, the flower parade will start as soon as the snow melts, and the early spring bulbs bloom.