Bulbs for Colorado Gardens
At Harlequin’s Gardens, we have been experimenting for years with bulbs in our display gardens. Since our gardens are xeriscapes (by default even where not by design), we have had the pleasure of discovering that a great many delightful bulbs can thrive and naturalize in our conditions and enliven the scene in spring and fall. No surprise, really, since most of these hardy spring and autumn-blooming bulbs originated in parts of the world with conditions much like ours, such as Central Asia. Visitors to our gardens have been wowed by enormous Star of Persia Alliums and brilliant sapphire miniature iris and charmed by perky miniature daffodils and starry species tulips and crocus. They (you) kept asking us “where can I get these?”, so in 2008, we carefully selected our first-ever offering of bulbs for sale at Harlequin’s Gardens.
Since then, we have added many wonderful varieties (Individual descriptions and images, below.) Quantities are limited and often sell out quickly. We recommend that you purchase your bulbs in September and hold them for planting when the soil is cooler (except Saffron Crocus and Crocus speciosus, which should be planted in September). Planting depths are to the bottom of the planting hole where the base of the bulb rests. Planting depth can vary depending on how light or heavy your soil is – plant deeper in light soils, shallower in heavier soils. As a general rule planting depth is 3 times the height of the bulb. Single Early, Triumph, Darwin Hybrid, and Multi-flowering tulips should be planted 8″ deep to perform as perennials and fertilized each year just after bloom. Be sure to allow the leaves and stems to wither naturally before cutting them down.
Here are some inspirations for ways and places to use bulbs that you may not have thought of. One idea is to plant small early-blooming bulbs, such as many of the species tulips, where the ground is exposed in spring but will be covered in summer by spreading herbaceous perennials like Desert Four-O’Clock (Mirabilis multiflora), ‘Orange Carpet’ California Fuschia (Zauschneria garrettii), or Wine Cups (Callirhoe involucrata). Also, meadows and drifts of ornamental grasses are usually dormant until mid to late spring and present a perfect stage for a brilliant display of many types of early spring bulbs. Deciduous groundcovers that emerge in mid-spring, like Plumbago (Ceratostigma plumbaginoides), can partner nicely with Iris reticulata and small species tulips.
We have a wonderful selection of bulbs coming; the problem is they aren’t here yet. And we were just notified yesterday that the broker in Holland failed to notice that our requested delivery date was the first week of September, so our order is packed in a shipping container on the docks in the Netherlands waiting to be loaded onto a slow boat to Michigan. There is simply nothing to be done but wait. We are told that our order will hopefully ship from Michigan in the first week of October.
Have you noticed that your daffodils and narcissus have been struggling and lost their vigor? Here are several possible reasons why and ways to address reviving them.
Allium caeruleum (syn. A. azureum) (Blue Globe Onion)
Crocus Specie ‘SNOW MIXED’
Description coming soon!
All these highly fragrant Dutch Hyacinth varieties are perfect for spring gardens and for forcing indoors in pots or hyacinth glasses. They are long-lived in the garden if fertilized after blooming, and after the first year they will produce more flower spikes that are less densely packed and more natural-looking. Hyacinths are quite easy to grow in a sunny or partly shaded spot.
Description coming soon!
8” tall. Robust and delightfully fragrant, award-winner ‘Minnow’ is a fabulous Miniature Daffodil bearing clusters of four to five creamy – white flowers with buttercup yellow cups. One of the Tazetta group, it is very versatile, blooming in early – mid spring, it is suitable for rock gardens, containers or indoor forcing. Plant in full sun or part shade in fertile, well-drained soil. Can be under-planted with Anemone blanda ‘Blue Shades’ to beautiful effect. Hardy to Zone 5. Deer and rodent-proof
This pairing of miniature (8” tall) and large-cupped (14-18” tall) daffodils are ideally suited to plant together in the landscape, garden, in pots, or within borders. Their bloom-times and colors match perfectly, and take the guess-work out of your planting design.
Description coming soon!
A very striking daffodil and a consistent blue-ribbon winner, Pacific Rim’s flowers have a rich yellow perianth and cup, with the short cup rimmed with a band of scarlet. Blooms and stems are also very sturdy and weather-resistant, as well as deer and rodent-proof.
This elegant Narcissus has broad white overlapping petals and a small white cup. Grows 16–20″ tall and blooms mid to Late Spring. Deer and Rabbit-resistant! Hardy to zone 3.
One of the best heirloom award-winning Cyclamineus daffodils, we have grown this miniature variety in our Xeriscape Rock Garden for many years. The graceful, floriferous early-bloomer has a reflexed, buttercup-yellow perianth surrounding a trumpet-like, darker yellow cup. For naturalizing, rock gardens, border plantings, and forcing. Hardy to Zone 4, 6” – 7” tall, Deer and rodent-proof! Plant 6” deep, 3-6″ apart.
16-18” tall, mid-spring. This color-changing variety will provide an enchanting spectrum of rosy hues throughout its lifetime. Hemisphere’s petals begin pure white and develop pale rose pink flecks and stripes, which spread and deepen as the flower matures, until the tulip finally reaches an intense rose pink. Semi-flared blooms stand on a contrasting grey-green stem with broad lance-shaped leaves. One of the ‘Triumph’-type tulips, excellent for perennializing, bedding, cut-flowers, or forcing. Pairs perfectly with the almost-black ‘Paul Scherer’ (see below). Hardy to Zone 2.
Tulip ‘Spryng Break’