By Alex Tisthammer
Bulb season at the Nursery feels like walking into a candy store. You’ll find me drifting down the aisle, starry-eyed and marveling at the rows of boxes with vibrant pictures of impossibly ruffled petals of pastel and jewel colors. I’m dreaming up endless combinations and filling paper bags with all our colorful choices. Not only are bulbs fun to pick out, but they’re one of the easiest and most rewarding groups of plants to add to a garden. Once planted they practically take care of themselves and return year after year. Classics like tulips, daffodils, and crocus are wonderful staples, but once you discover how many other wonderful and unique bulbs there are, it’s hard to imagine wanting to plant a plain ol’ yellow daffodil ever again!
One group of bulbs that I have recently fallen in love with are the fritillaria species, also called Fritillaries. There are many different types of fritillaria (about 130-140 different species), but only some are available to consumers. Snake’s head Fritillary, Fritillaria meleagris, is by far my favorite. This heirloom species dates back to 1575 and is native to the western Himalayas and Asia Minor. The nodding flowers have beautifully unique checkered patterns on the petals that are either ivory or maroon. They look beautiful planted en masse and look right at home in any woodland type garden. They are also deer and rabbit resistant, a must for many of us. When buying and planting fritillaria make sure to get the bulbs in the ground as soon as possible, as the bulbs don’t like being out of soil for too long, and to find a spot with light shade or dappled sun, where they will be happiest.
Another fun and unique bulb is Lycoris squamigera. This is one of the few lycoris varieties that are hardy in Colorado. They are in the Amaryllis family and sometimes referred to as the Surprise Lily, due to its strappy foliage dying back in hot summer heat, followed by naked flower spikes suddenly appearing in late summer with beautiful, sparkly pink blossoms. This type of bulb benefits from mulching during the winter to keep them more insulated.
‘Globemaster’ Allium is a very popular variety and is definitely the most asked about ornamental onion, but there are many less well known varieties that are just as cool, if not cooler! Allium siculum, aka Sicilian Honey Garlic, was new to Fort Collins Nursery last year, and after planting and seeing it bloom this spring I can say it is a must have. The flowers on this type of allium are much bigger and the bell-shaped flowers droop down. They are nectar- and pollen-rich, ideal for bees and butterflies. The cream and maroon flower color isn’t as showy as the purple varieties, but the unique architectural shape it adds to the garden makes it a showstopper in its own way. Another unusual ornamental onion is Allium azureum, which we have planted in the nursery’s rock garden and get quite a few questions about them when they are in bloom. The true blue flowers make up globe-shaped clusters on top of tall stalks that appear in early summer. This variety has much less of a footprint than other alliums with its slender stems and grassy foliage, making it perfect for rock gardens. It will naturalize, aka multiply, over time.
Another great naturalizer for rock gardens are species tulips, which are originally from the Mediterranean, Asia Minor and the Caucasus. Species tulips like Tulipa batalinii, Tulipa turkestanica and Tulipa humilis are less well known but some of the most beautiful and hardy. Because they are smaller and naturalize better than most tulips, these little rarities are perfect for rockeries or filling in mature perennial beds. Tulipa batalinii “Bright Gem” is a great choice with its butterscotch yellow blossoms and blue-gray leaves. It eventually creates large colonies wherever it is planted, putting on a beautiful display when in full bloom.
All of these unusual fall bulbs and many more arrive at the nursery around the middle of September, so now is the perfect time to start planning where to plant any (or all) of these fantastic options. Before we know it we’ll be able to start perusing the eye candy and filling bags and baskets to our heart’s content!
Originally published on August 29th, 2024.