How do you use grape hyacinths (muscari)?

11 years ago

I have planted grape hyacinths in various locations around my rather small yard, a decision I have now come to regret. I quite like the flowers but the plant itself is problematic. First of all, it spreads quite aggressively over time and pops up where it's not wanted. The foliage appears in the fall and stays over winter which makes the fall cleanup more difficult. It also seems to harbor weeds -- mine are intermingled with wild onion and impossible to separate.

Is this a plant that works best in a more "natural" and less "controlled" landscape? If so, I have other locations where I could give it a try.

Any suggestions?

Featured Answer

karin_mt

10 years ago

I inadvertently discovered a nice thing to do with the bulbs that appear where you don't want them. When the bulb is blooming, I pop the whole thing out of the ground (easy to do when they are growing in a gravel path, for example). I group a few bulbs in a clear bud vase and add water. It's a very cute display that gives the bulbs some appreciation before they head to the compost pile.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (6)

katob Z6ish, NE Pa
11 years ago
I hate the messy spring foliage and trim it back to an inch or so before bloom. The rabbits tipped me off to this, the year they first ate off all the leaves I was annoyed, but when the blooms came up all nice and neat I thanked them. Now I do it every year and the muscari don't seem to mind.
Otherwise they look weedy and unless they're growing in a lawn it's not a look I'm crazy about.
sunandshadow
11 years ago
I use mine as a groundcover under shrubs, such as rosebushes. It has not spread at all, because it can't compete with the evil mix of sedum and periwinkle which was there when I got the house. I don't really weed except when I'm redoing a whole bed, and the muscari are actually one of the most weed-free areas of the garden - they seem to be able to hold their own against the hawkweeds and dandelions, which I find impressive. I'd think a border of stones or a railroad tie would keep them in quite effectively because they are so short.
Related Discussions
Do bunnies and squirrels eat giant and blue grape hyacinth?
Q
Comments (4)
I've seen the occasional rabbit, and we have some very large, hungry red squirrels as permanent residents (bold too - I've had my toast stolen off my deck table when I just turned around to monitor the water table play). Neither bother my grape hyacinth (bulb or foliage) as far as I know, or my daffodils. I have deer that travel through my back yard - but they never come close to the house for a nibble.
...See More
blue grape hyacinths - what to do ?
Q
Comments (3)
My idea was to redo the whole flower bed because it is rather a chaotic mess of a little of this & a little of that here & there, and blue grape hyacinths everywhere, If you are really wanting to start on the bed, and get them out of there (which I can understand perfectly) I think it would be fine to dig them and let them dry a few days (in the shade but where they will get some good air movement) with the foliage attached. Once the foliage has withered, then store them in a cool dry place...like a basement. Any that you happen to miss, you can then dig out in the fall hopefully without disturbing your other newly planted goodies. There will probably be thousands of GH bulbs of various sizes. I'd just plant the biggest ones. They 'may' sulk next season by being dug at this time of the year, but should survive just fine and reward your efforts in years to come.... imho. Sue
...See More
grape muscari
Q
Comments (15)
Hemnancy, I love planting bulbs in new garden areas as you are doing this year. It's such fun. Your garden selections sound just lovely. I also envy you your Japanese maples, they don't like my wet & are only borderline hardy for me. To make your bulb plantings look more natural you might try "planting" upside down nursery pots in the areas of the bed where you think you want to plant perennials or annuals next year and then planting the bulbs around the pots. (You can also just stake out areas where you want plants). Just don't make complete circles around the pots or staked areas, but sort of waves. Trickle a few extras in between here and there & voila you have a drift. A year or two of naturalizing and it will be perfect. This method also makes it much easier next spring when you go to add plants in your new bed. No chopping up or digging into your bulbs. Thanks also for your kind suggestions on the grass removal. Through the years I have used a number methods to get rid of grass. Paper and mulches work well but can be a little slow in my cool climate & wettish clay yard, sometimes takes more than a full season to get rid of the grass completely. I have never tried using plastic. It might be faster for me. I've never had a mole problem. You might try doing a search on the perennials forum on moles. I believe there have been some recent threads on this issue. I not sure exactly what moles do to gardens (except of course the very annoying raised up mounds they make). I know they eat insects, but I think they also eat the worms we need for good garden soil. You sure wouldn't want them digging into all your nice new bulbs. My little row of aronia bushes faces southeast and is underplanted with daylilies. I deliberately picked aronias because I knew they wouldn't shade out DLs. The DLs are surrounded by many kinds of minor bulbs all in blue that bloom in succession for about 6 weeks starting in early spring. Then the DLs take over and hide the foliage. Later the aronias take over providing large black berries and great fall color.
...See More
What to do with sprouting grape hyacinth bulbs...
Q
Comments (12)
absolutely not ... your 6 .. will be 18 .. next year... etc .. if you planted them in a nice 8 inch pattern.. in 5 to 10 years.. you will have a 2 foot wide circle ... and thats it ... in three years.. you could dig them up.. harvest 25 mature bulbs.. and plant them in other places ... they have one of the most unique aromas in flower.. when you can get enough to really smell them ... i would not worry about these ... i am not aware of any BULB.. that can move around the yard.. as you suggest ... except with human intervention ... check out my river pix, below ... the neighbor dug up her 2 foot bunch.. and asked if i wanted them ... and i got creative ... planting 10 bulbs in each spot .... rabbits and the growth of the conifers kinda ruined it .. but it is still there ... and not many bulbs thrive in pure sand ... they make me very happy.. i think it is a childhood memory thing ... ken
...See More
rigelcaj
11 years ago
I use them to mark where I've planted other bulbs, thanks to the fall foliage. The leaves have never bothered me - I have low standards. What drives me crazy is digging up an existing bulb while trying to plant a new one. Mine don't seem to spread too crazily, probably because I'd like them to.
david883
11 years ago
I love these but I have the same problem birchhill. Partially my own fault... There is a circle of dirt, enclosed with rocks where a tree used to be (I assume) in my back yard. The previous owner had filled the circle with grape hyacinths. They were nice to see in the spring but my stampede of three dogs... the muscari would soon meet their match. So I dug them up and put them in the front yard (like an idiot, edging the front hedge and bed... so their grassy looking leaves looked like the lawn grass creeping up into the flower beds... not my brightest idea). Then it hit me... they're going to take over. So now I'll have to dig them up later in the summer/fall and find somewhere else for them. Somewhere they can take over without me regretting it and somewhere that they dont look like grass popping up where it shouldn't be. Oye
dm_kelly
10 years ago
I spent yesterday digging up an entire flower bed they took over. I have two Costco spinach boxes filled with the little things and have no clue what to do with them. My inclination is to take them out to the back field and spread them. What lives lives and what doesn't doesn't.

How do you use grape hyacinths (muscari)?

karin_mt

Comments (6)

katob Z6ish, NE Pa

sunandshadow

Related Discussions

rigelcaj

david883

dm_kelly

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US