Bulbs Gone Wild!

Minor bulbs for a major show in your spring garden.

Written and photographed by Carole Ottesen

Fifteen years ago, smitten by a bulb catalog photo of a big yellow buttercup flower, I ordered 12 winter aconites (Eranthis hyemalis) for only $2.99! They arrived in a tiny, padded envelope. Inside was an even smaller one containing what looked like 12 misshapen brown peas. A rip off, I thought.

That fall, I tossed the little tubers into a shallow trench and quickly forgot them‹until the following March when cheerful yellow flowers appeared. In the years that followed, the initial dozen multiplied to hundreds and, later, thousands.

Inspired, I tried 25 hazelnut-sized corms of tommy crocuses (Crocus tomasinianus). Earlier and smaller than giant crocus, the tommies got started ten years ago. More prolific than aconites, they now blanket the garden with several thousand pale lavender flowers.

So, five years ago, I tried 12 glory-of-the-snow (Chionodoxa lucilliae) bulbs that now number in the hundreds. Two years ago, it was the miniature daffodil, ‘Tete a Tete.’

Shamelessly fecund, little bulbs compensate for their lack of stature by spreading horizontally into flower carpets that become more spectacular every year. It seems the smaller and cheaper they are, the faster they multiply. Given a few years, what you can hold in the palm of one hand will carpet your garden with bloom. Here are a few to try.

Winter Aconite Eranthis hyemalis

Three-inch-tall winter aconite blooms best in at least partial sun. The sunnier their position, the quicker they will spread into attractive colonies. Depending upon the weather, the golden buttercup flowers open as early as February, “carpeting the forest floor,” says Washington gardener Penny Woolley. They often bloom through a cover of snow. Yes, their after-bloom foliage sticks around for a month or more. Disguise it by planting winter aconites among crocuses, ferns, or hostas.

Site: Winter aconites thrive in rich soil under deciduous trees where they receive early spring sunshine and good drainage.

TLC: Soak the tubers overnight prior to planting three inches deep and four to six inches apart. Allow after-bloom foliage to remain on the plant until it withers. Divide, if absolutely necessary, into clumps right after bloom.

Tommy Crocuses Crocus tomasinianus

March-blooming tommies are much smaller, only about three inches tall, and bloom earlier than their giant crocus cousins. After a year or two in the garden, their clusters of lavender flowers are far more graceful. Tommy bulbs multiply and seed anywhere. Anyone who has seen escapees from the Brooklyn Botanic Garden coming up through cracks in the sidewalk along Flatbush Avenue can attest to their survival skills. ‘Ruby Giant’ has dark purple flowers and ‘Whitewell Purple,’ lavender ones.

Site: Tommies do well under deciduous trees, but are not fussy as long as there is good drainage.

TLC: They don’t need it. Don’t feed them. Cut off the foliage of those you don’t want. Nothing eats them.

Glory-of-the-Snow Chionodoxa luciliae

At six inches tall, true gentian blue glory of the snow is the perfect bulb to plant in low-growing ground cover. There, the necessary after-bloom foliage growth is not noticeable. Compared to tommies, it is a moderate spreader, which is to say, expect a good return and expect it fast. The pretty bright-eyed flowers open when tommies are in full bloom as early as March and sometimes April.

Site: Plant glory-of-the-snow in October in sun to part shade about three inches deep.

TLC: At planting, add a bit of bone meal. After bloom, allow the foliage to stay on the bulb until it withers.

‘Tete a Tete’ Daffodil Narcissus ‘Tete a Tete’

Next to its stately daffodil relatives, ‘Tete a Tete’ is definitely vertically challenged. It reaches only six inches in height; however, its effect is both substantial and early. Each bulb sends up two or three bright golden flowers on sturdy stems as early as February says Brookeville, Md. gardener Anne Brooks. The pretty flowers are classic daffodil cups with gently reflexed petals. Great for cutting, ‘Tete a Tete’ reproduces nicely, but not as vigorously as some other small bulbs.

Site: Plant ‘Tete a Tete’ in full sun to part shade. Under deciduous trees that get early spring sunshine is ideal.

TLC: Mix some bone meal into already rich soil that is well-drained to encourage ‘Tete a Tete’s’ moderate, but intrepid spread.