Saturday, October 07, 2006

Odd Bulbs

Okay, I'll admit it. I watch the Sci-Fi Channel. I read News of the Weird. And, I think Jon Stewart does a better job of covering today's top stories than Katie Couric ever could.

My tastes may not match yours but, if you've got $77 dollars* and an open mind, I can turn your garden into a head-turning, jaw-dropping, talk of the town, spring blooming extravaganza.

There's a big, wide world of bulbs out there.
And, I ain't talkin' tulips.

Allium schubertii: (Above) 16-inch tall, spider-like blooms, put on a stunning fireworks show.

Camassia: (Above) Weeks and weeks of brilliant blue stars on 36-inch stems.

Arum Italicum: (Above) Bright orange, seedy things.
(I know nothing about this flower but I ordered it anyway.)

Gladiator Allium: (Above) My all-time favorite!
Sturdy, 4-5 feet tall stems support stunning 6-inch purple flower globes!

Monsella Tulip: (Above) Fragrant, feathery flowers, posing as peonies.

Grecian Windflowers: (Above) Tough as nails itty bitty (2 inch) daisies create a spring carpet of cheery color.

Glory of the Snow: (Above) Brilliant Lily-like blooms peek out through melting snowdrifts. Multiple flowers, naturalizes beautifully.

Replete Daffodils - masquerading as magnificent tulips.

* This is my spring bulb order. Total with shipping was $77.00, for 81 bulbs. Unusual flowers is a great reason to experiment with bulbs. Ranking a close second is how darn cheap they are, in comparison to purchasing the pre-grown perennials.

* All fall planted/spring blooming bulbs, zones 5-9 (or colder,) deer and rodent resistant. Most full sun.

* If you're an odd ball, experiment with odd bulbs. But DON'T buy them from Dutch Gardens. They take 3-4 weeks to mail your bulbs because they outsource leftovers, or lower quality bulbs, from a variety of off-price dealers.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Arum Italicum

They grow like crazy and stibk when you cut them back. They just take over. They have little bulbs that multiply like crazy.

Anonymous said...

These are some very cool looking bulbs. I will have to look into getting some. Thanks for sharing!