After the cold of winter, the bright yellow daffodil cheers all of us.
Daffodils and other early blooming spring flowers must be planted in the fall. You have probably seen some bags of daffodil and tulip bulbs at the big box stores or at your local nursery lately. These and other spring blooming bulbs will be a welcome site next spring if you plant them in the next few weeks.
There are many, many kinds of daffodils available, but you might have to search for them. For the greatest variety you might want to check out mail order companies. Large, single color varieties such as yellow King Alfred and white Mt. Hood have been around for more than a century, but there are many others to choose from as well.
The earliest to appear in my yard is the petite daffodil, Tete-a-Tete, which grows to about 8”, and has two or three flowers per stem. It is very sweet and a most welcome sight! Another of my favorites is Actaea which has white petals and a very shallow yellow cup with a red edge rather than the longer trumpet center we associate with daffodils.
There are varieties that have orange trumpets or cups with white or yellow petals, and some have coral-colored trumpets or cups. Some have multiple flowers per stem and the flower centers may be ruffled — the variety is nearly endless!
One of the best traits of daffodils is that they are not attractive to deer or rabbits – a real plus for many of us in the Ozarks!
Daffodils are also great for naturalizing if you want a large sweep of them in the landscape. Some varieties are better than others for this purpose and a little research will be helpful in making choices. Daffodils are also classified as early, mid or late season bloomers so that you can extend the season.
If you love tulips, there are again many shapes, colors, and flower shapes available, and they make a beautiful showing in the landscape. However, if you have deer or rabbits, you will likely battle them for the flowers! Species tulips are not as showy as their counterpart hybrids, but they are said to be both deer and rabbit resistant.
I planted a few bulbs many years ago and they came back each year for several years and did not seem to be bothered by critters. They are shorter and not as showy as hybrid tulips, but they do come in a variety of colors and are certainly worth a try.
Snowdrops, which have dainty white hanging flowers, may bloom before daffodils and they are loved by bees. They do best in filtered sunlight and can tolerate soil with a bit of moisture. These plants are very durable and will come up through the snow, thus the name.
Snowdrops are only a few inches tall but are real charmers in the garden.
Scilla, or Wood Squill, is also resistant to deer and rodents and is loved by bees. This plant also naturalizes in areas of filtered sunlight. The plants grow to 5 or 6” and come in white, pink, purple and light blue. They usually bloom in March or April.
A low growing groundcover type flower is the Anemone Blanda which grows from a small dark corm rather than a bulb. The flowers look like daisies and the foliage has a fern-like appearance. These small plants frow to about 4” and can be used as a groundcover. Anemones are also deer and rodent resistant.
Camassia is a taller plant also known as Wild Hyacinth, and delicate blue flowering Camassia Angusta is native to Missouri. It is a member of the lily family and has a base of long, strappy foliage with a flowering stalk of light blue flowers in May or June. There are a few plants along the roadside in my neighborhood. There are several plants in the Camassia family that will grow in Missouri with blue, white, or pink flowers; and they are also rodent and deer resistant.
When purchasing bulbs, you should receive information about planting depth. In general, dig a little deeper than the planting depth and loosen the soil, adding some compost or lightly fertilizing before placing the bulbs. I have friends who simply couldn’t dig as deep as recommended for daffodil bulbs because of the rocky soil.
Even though the bulbs were shallower, they performed well. Deeper planting will slow the bulbs multiplying and they will not have to be dug and divided as often. Planting the bulbs in clusters will give the most eye-catching effect. Avoid planting them in a straight line.
I hope you will want to try some new bulbs in your garden. If you search online for flowering bulb sales, you will get a list of retailers. The company that I am most familiar with is Van Engelen Inc., but there are several to choose from.
Check out their websites to determine which one gives you the best choices for your plans.
This article was submitted buy the Barry County Master Gardeners, who are trained volunteers with gardening backgrounds ranging from hobbyist to professional, from beginner to experienced, from young adult to senior citizen. Master Gardeners are trained by University of Missouri Extension to provide research-based gardening information and volunteer in their community. If you are interested in becoming a Master Gardener please call or email the Barry County MU Extension office.
