I've been thinking about this very thing the last couple of weeks, over the years I've stopped planting some of the standards like Daffs and Tulips I hate waiting for the foliage die down from most of these. Up here we are bothered by the Narcissus fly, this little $@%%!& has done a lot of damage to the daffs around here, and then there's the problem of fire blight on the tulips. Nevertheless I saw 'Queensland' the most beautiful fringed pink double tulips in a catalog yesterday soooo and I really like the miniature daffs like 'Pipit' 'Quail' "Rip Van Winkle' 'Minnow' and such, I'm wavering.

The one bulb I know for sure I'll be getting more of is Crocus, now that I've got an area under the dogwood tree for these and snowdrops that gets covered with landscape cloth and shavings when they're finished. This will be the second year I have done this and it's really working well. Last December I lifted the cloth and shavings, top dressed with a bit of sea soil and this spring I had a beautiful show of these minor bulbs, no weeds :o).

I have anemone blanda in a Hosta bed but they are skimpy, not enough sun, to see these in a drifts is really pretty. Grape Hyacinths are another story I love them all, I grow most in clay pots and scatter them around the garden when in bloom.

For myself I like sizable clumps for punches of color rather then spacing things out. To get the most show for your money go with varieties that have been around for a long time, they aren't quite as pricy.

On the whole I pretty much have been sticking to the minor bulbs for that much needed bit of color to start off my gardening season up here on Vancouver Island in British Columbia.

Annette

when i first started flower gardening i planted a bunch of bulbs; tulips, lilies, grape hyacinth, crocus and two others that i can't remember the names. most were spring bulbs and they all came up a once (in one spot) and then looked like crap.

now that i've renovated the beds, i'm looking forward to getting new bulbs and putting small clumps of them in between the perennials, just to fill in the gaps.

looking forward to getting daffodils and pink lilies this year.

I'm not going to buy any bulbs for fall planting this year. I have some crocus leftover from last year, which never got planted. They seem to be in good shape. Brenda (gottagarden) is going to send some iris bulbs from thinning her garden, and a friend in Illinois is going to send some bearded iris bulbs from her garden. Otherwise, I'll only be buying paperwhites or amaryllis for some indoor holiday flowers around Christmas.

If I get paperwhites, I'll force them by refrigerating them for a couple of weeks. I plant them in water and marbles. They usually bloom six weeks after planting.

Lorna

So few bulbs here this Spring. Centre bed had a few apricot tulips under the hostas; I will add more. Also, I'll add some grape hyacinths and snow drops around the perimeter. Elsewhere, lots of daffs, mostly Carltons, as they are fragrant; tulips, can't decide on colour, maybe multi...Croci(?) in the lawn and in the new bed under the Spruce tree. Winter is long here, and I need lots of colour come Spring!!!

Nancy.

Cameron, High Country Gardens is having a fall sale. They have three collections of fifty bulbs, labelled "DEER WON'T EAT". One of the collections has alliums.

Lorna

Here is a link that might be useful: garden collections at HCG

I just made up my mind today to purchase tulips and crocus from ColorBlends. I'm getting 200 of the Gudoshnik, 100 of the Pillow Talk and 100 Crocreation crocus to spread through my woods like in the catalog for those of you who have it. I haven't decided on daffodils yet, I'm looking at some from New Hollands Wholesale catalog. I want to naturalize a lot of them out through the woods with the crocus. Have any of you ordered from them before? I also love the gipsy hyacinth mixture they have.
We just passed the three year mark of living on our mountain and instead of planting a few here and there, I want to make a splash this coming spring. I want everyone who comes to visit to remember what the mountain looked like in the springtime :)
Now, I just have to figure out what I'm going to plant for the summer to hide all of that dying foliage, LOL

Carrie

Interesting post.

What bulbs are included on your list for Fall planting?

- Alliums for sure. Beyond that, I'm not sure. Maybe some winter iris.

What particular divisions of daffodils and/or tulips grow best in your garden?

- I no longer grow tulips because of the deer, but daffs have long been one of my favorites. They are so easy and give alot of bang for the buck. All the trumpets do well. I love the Jonquillas for their fragrance and fine grass-like foliage that senesces without being a mess. They often bloom the same time as the blue Ipheion. I haven't had much success with Triandrus and Cyclamineus. I have one Poeticus cultivar that blooms wonderfully in some years; others it doesn't. I think they are sensitive to extensive dry periods like we had last year. The Doubles are interesting. Some people like them; others think they look like they've been chewed on by a cat. My biggest problem with them is that they are sensitive to bud blast caused by late Spring freezes, so I've replaced most. My favorite daffs are: Lent lily (N. pseudonarcissus...often blooms the same time as Veronica 'Georgia Blue'), 'Serola', 'Avalanche', 'Suzy', 'Sun Disc', 'Tricollet', and 'Ice Follies'.

Do you try lesser-known bulbs like ranunculus, anemone blanda, ipheion?

- Yep. I love Iris reticulata 'Harmony', Scilla 'Spring Beauty', Galanthus, and Ipheion. The latter three have naturalized quite well. I used to grow anemone coronaria, but they do not persist past one or two years. I have a very very small patch of Cyclamen coum that was planted around 10 years ago. It's a really slow grower.

How do you get the most show for the money?

- Plant in large numbers (30-50 or more), although I will admit to ordering small orders of certain bulbs just to see how they would perform. If they do well, I order more.

Oops, forgot to state that I grow in NC zone 7a/b.

Dutch irises are my favorites! They bloom for a long time and make fabulous cut flowers.

Deer don't eat mine, bunnies don't eat mine, no bugs eat mine. The foliage is thin and can resemble a wild onion. I plant my irises behind something like nepeta that will cover the foliage.

I have daffs and Spanish bluebells scattered here and there among my perennials. I'm in the processing of planting perennial heliotrope or Homestead Verbena to cover over the bare spots, too.

Oh Annette - not to sound bitter, but - does your growing season end 24DEC and begin 26DEC.

Geez, hard to take....

Nancy you must be thinking of Libby, I'm about 80 or so miles north of her.
Last year winter started in September and finally gave up about the middle of June this year. I almost lost my Wisteria again to a late freeze, the bloom what there was of it was pretty pitiful. As a rule we have very mild winters but most years we have a two week freeze in February just as the sap is starting to rise in a lot of things, does a lot of damage.
Come October the gardening season ends for me, in most cases what hasn't got done has to wait till spring.

Annette

I already have a variety of daffodils, tulips, grape hyacinth, crocus, a few alliums, and a few years ago, planted arum, which I didn't realize was supposed to be in the shade. The foliage is interesting, arrow shaped, then dies back and a weird shaped flower comes up, then berries show up, then turn red. I really should move them and maybe get a few more. A neighbor has a bunch of them in her yard, and they look pretty cool. Reading this made me remember I want to find the big blue alliums.

I had originally thought I'd plant a bunch of bulbs in my new bed, but have reconsidered due to not wanting to deal with the foliage as it turns brown. I think I'll start a new thread asking what blooms the earliest for people other than bulbs. I want to find some early blooming plants, but sometimes they die back when it gets hot, too.

Sue

My growing season never ends, Midnights; sometimes a brief freeze sets it back, but not for long. In payment, we endure summers that will frizz your hair and tan your toes.

That's a tall order, Sue: blossoming plants that bloom as early as bulbs do and last through hot weather. Maybe in your climate, but seldom in mine. I mostly plant successions of plants.

Nicotiana blooms in my garden shortly after the bulbs bloom, and cut back when blooms decline, will continue to bloom through the summer. It's perennial here; is it an annual in your zone?

Iceland poppies bloom here with spring bulbs, as do violas. In fact, I've decided that Papaver nudicaule is a better choice than tulips in this climate. They do not last in the heat at all, being native to sub-polar regions,, but they're a gorgeous early show, fall planted.

Some flowering trees and shrubs bloom early, like decidious magnolias, flowering quince and Taiwan cherries. We tend to forget woody plants. They add a lot to the garden.

Here is a link that might be useful: January in the Year Around Garden

I wasn't going to order anything, but Bluestone had some half price specials so I relented. I ordered 2 mixes of supposedly 60-days of blooming narcissi, one red fritillaria that I have never had before for the HB bed, a few fragrant small narcissi for the patio area, some crocus, a white lily asiatic, and a couple of perennials.

I will put most around the new foundation bed.

I only ordered a small amount of a yellow tuplis to go with Jack Frost Brunnera. They are in a raised bed so the moles can't get them. I don't do tulips anymore because they don't even last through winter to bloom. We have moles you wouldn't believe!

I garden in southwest Missouri in Zone 6.

I do have Star of Bethlehem naturalized in the lawn, two different patches of muscari and a small yellow flowered bulb showed up last year? Also have a small grouping of crocus.

I have a running list of "wants" for bulbs that's about as long as my arm. In fact, I started marking catalogs while THIS years' bulbs were blooming; "more purple here", "need punchy red/pink/orange there", "double the number of dutch iris over here..." I consider tulips annuals to be tossed around with wild abandon to provide bright color when I absolutely crave it the most - early spring. I don't worry about waiting until the foilage dies down since they aren't coming back anyway; I put them where I want them. They just make me happy.

At the top of the list:
at least 50 assorted jonquils/daffodils to plant around the trunk of a pecan tree outside the bedroom window; includes big guys like Ice Follies and minis like Rip Van Winkle and Hoop Petticoat. I've been adding varieties at the rate of 3 or 4 a year, usually 5 to 8 bulbs each. I'm shooting for a mix of flowers/sizes/forms that willbe long lasting, eye catching splash of yellow/white.
Some of these will be new, most are replacements, but at least 50 each of:
Princess Irene
Purple Prince
General DeWit
Heart's Delight
Spring Green (might go for 100 of these)
Artist and Golden Artist
Antionette
Happy Family
Rococo
West Point
Apricot Impression

In their own bed, I'm planning at least
100 Gudoshnik
100 White Triumphanator

Since we don't do a "lawn", I'm also fond of the lesser bulbs like muscari/chionodoxa/crocus/ipheion/snowdrop/star of betheleham sprinkled around heavily. My dream yard has no grass showing in the spring; only blue and white flowers. :^)

I haven't planted any bulbs at the new house yet, except a few grape hyacinths I moved from the old one. There were a few tulips, but I definitely am craving more spring bulbs. Oh, yeah, there are also a small grouping of snowdrops. I probably will go relatively small, tho, with some daffodils and I want to try some alliums.

At the old house, we had grape hyacinths in front of daffodils that made a grand show, plus a few tulips, crocus, and dwarf iris.

Next spring I'm going to plant more of the absolutely adorable Oxalis Iron Cross bulbs. I love this little plant.

Libby

Here is a link that might be useful:

Libby, that oxalis is pretty! I have some plain red in a pot with some green that I've overwintered in the house the last few years. I wonder if I should put them in a different pot come spring.

Sue

I don't have a list, I just impulse buy. haha

I buy my bulbs at Costco because they are bulk bags and cheap. They have always been healthy and put on a nice show, unless the mice get them. So far I bought:

60 Tulipa 'Daydream'
50 Crocus Chrysanthus 'Romance'
50 Crocus Chrysanthus 'Ruby Giant'

Sierra

Sierra, I think you're going to like Daydream, it opens yellow and then starts turning a lovely Apricot. I've had a few of these for years in a half barrel where the have multiplied. This one seems to be resistant to fire blight. We'll be heading to Costco in the next few days so I'll be looking for crocus.

Annette

has anyone planted fall-blooming crocus? If so, how is that working for you? I'm concerned the squirrels will just find them.

I have a few spring-blooming crocus tucked away right beside our walkway, but after 3 years, I still need a magnifying glass to see them! I planted a few tulips my first year here, but haven't planted more.

My Spanish hyacinthoides (sp?...too lazy to look it up right now) have multiplied like rabbits. The clumps are so thick that they need to be dug up and divided this spring.
They are a lovely blue, but some had a pink look this past spring. Don't know why.

Cameron are you talking the true fall crocus like speciosus or sativus (saffron), or autumn crocus which are Colchicums?
I grow Colchicums, 'Waterlily' the double and some single flowering varieties. I don't know why 'Waterlily' is so expensive as they multiply so quickly. I've found these really easy.
On the other hand I've tried the fall crocus but they wouldn't bloom for me, must of been doing something wrong. Colchicums a different story, real easy and good bloomers.

I also have lots of the spanish bluebells in blue, a mauve-pink and white, they do multiply and spread quickly but I love that splash of color they give me when spring rolls around.
Just bought a few seeds for the true English Bluebell (non-scripta) these I believe are becoming endangered in their natural habitant, for years I thought these two were the same thing.

One never stops learning in this wonderful world of gardening.

Annette

Oooohhh thanks for the info Annette. I didn't realize they did this. I have some orange lion tulips that do this. I really like them. Its like having two different kinds of tulips when they do this.

I have now added a bag of:

Chionodoxa 100 mixed.

Sierra

I decided to order some different bulbs this year, including 4 kinds of Nomocharis. I also got some fritillaries, like raddeana, plus a couple types of Imperialis. In addition to some species tulips and a couple varieties of daffodils, I got the species crocus collections and the fancier crocus, they're so charming I couldn't pass them up. These aren't bulbs, but I got some Eremerus to try again. I'm determined I'll figure out what they need some day! I also got a few types of Alliums. I got some hyacinths and dutch iris, too. I'm sure I'm forgetting something. I'd love to get more bulbs, but the budget barely allows for what I got this year!

--Ron

I have 4 beautiful Allium bulbs to set out. I will mark where I set them with plant tags and impatiently wait for next Spring!

I feel so blessed in receiving these beautiful gifts from a friend, especially after received the White Flower Farms Fall 2008 Catalog (My Wish Book) in the mail today and seeing how much they would cost! Sheesh! I would never be able to buy them.

~ sweetannie4u

I bought a bunch of white daff bulbs today in a local nursery, alliums, and white iris.
When I was a "young gardener" few years back, I bought tons of tulip bulbs, and the first year's show was fabulous, however the next year was surprisingly disappointing (we are in a zone 8).
So, I have desided to load up on "perennial" bulbs for our zone - a better investment. Every year I add on daffs, crocus, iris. Spring show gets more delightful year after year. It is such a joy to get up (jump out of bed is a better description :-)), and check out what opened up today.
I take lots of pics during growing season to plan for next year. Because there always "holes", and the foliage needs to be camouflafed by the next generation plants.
Well designed garden is an art! And only a gardener would understand the amount of thought and work put into it and truly appreciate it.
~Natalie

I feel the same way about tulips here (along with a deer interesting in those). For the price and planting effort, I'd rather use something else. However, there are some gorgeous tulips with amazing color combinations.

I started pulling some poor performing plants this week to make room for bulbs and annual seeds.

I placed my order several days ago.

Salmon and Apricot Parrot tulips for cutting
Dutch Iris for cutting
A few alliums for cutting along with 100 grape hyacinths. I want to see if the alliums work in flower arrangements.

For the woodland area around our house, I ordered 100 Spanish Scillas and 100 Daffs. I ordered another 100 Daffs (Trumpet mixture) for a daylily bed along the garage wall (read somewhere that they were good companions). I also ordered some Leucojum aestivum Gravetye Giant. I had these at my other home and they came up every year, thicker and better than the year before. They look like giant lily of the valleys and are great for floral arrangements. I also ordered from B&D Lilies, the collection for those that live in hot summer areas. After ordering, I was sorry I had not visited Brent and Becky's Bulbs, as their lily bulbs were very reasonably priced.

For tulips for cutting, I will pick up a sack of pink ones from Costco. I am hoping some return from last year as I used all of them for flower arrangements. From my Colorblends catalog, I understand the Dutch growers cut the flowers after they are in bloom for 10 days to ensure the bulb grows to a size that can be sold. So, maybe they will return as I cut them all quite early.

Depending upon the quantities, I ordered from either Van Engelen or John Scheepers.

Teresa B.

I've been busy ordering all kinds of plants for this fall planting season, but here are the bulbs I've ordered. It will be my first season trying the tall FRITILLARIAs.

25 ALLIUM COWANII
10 ALLIUM PULCHELLUM
5 CALLA AETHIOPICA
10 ERYTHRONIUM PAGODA
5 FRITILLARIA IMPERIALIS LUTEA
5 FRITILLARIA PERSICA
25 IRIS ROSARIO
10 Muscari MACROCARPUM GOLDEN FRAGRANCE
5 LILY BLACK BEAUTY/SPECIES
5 LILY SPECIOSUM ALBUM /SPECIES

And then I ordered, from another company, a collection of 8 yellow and white lilies, mostly Asiatics!

I love muscari and when I saw there is a yellow variety now, well, I had to have some! I'm basically out of control and loving every minute of it. Some of this ordering is as a result of finishing reading a book named "Dirt" by Dianne Benson. She carries on so much about bulbs in general and the tall FRITILLARIAs that I had to try them too. The smaller fritillarias that I already have (checkered lily) are so sweet and unusual.

Libby - does the Iron Cross overwinter for you??

I had it but only for one season. Oh so frightened to shope for bulbs - this will be pricey!!

Nancy.

I have added a couple more bags of bulbs.

Muscari ÂAzureum 60 bulbs
Tulipia species 30 'Pearsian Pearl' and 30 'Lilac Wonder'.
and
5 Hyacinths pink.

Sierra

Believe it or not Pink Daffodils. Local grocery store has candy cane tulips too............getting strange hankering for the old bulbs.

I love this post! Bulbs are my absolute weakness. They're just so easy. Stuff them in the ground in the fall, then just when you're DONE with winter, you get a great surprise.

I usually over do it and when I order bulbs and go for quantity. I like to plant tulips in groups of 10-12 minium, same with daffodils. This year I was inspired by gottagarden's iris & allium pictures so I've already ordered & planted more iris and am just waiting on the allium purple sensation to arrive.

I've definitely seen a decline in the tulips coming back over the years, so I'm going with more daffodils. I love Thalia daffodils for their scent & like the bright white multi-flowers. I also have lots of grape hyacinth which are a lovely compliment. This year I'm trying Iris reticulata 'harmony' - I spied some in a neighbors yard this spring and drooled.

Here's what I've ordered so far...
50 Allium purple sensation
50 Iris reticulata 'harmony'
50 Thalia daffodil
50 Tulip Negrita
5 Hyacinth Amethyst
10 Dutch Iris Casa blanca
Tall bearded Iris:
Blue Anew
Blue Ballet
Blue Skirt Waltz
Born to Exceed
Cross Current
Daredevil
Darkside
Midnight Express
Pallida Argentea variegata
Swingtown
Tuxedo
I have high hopes for spring!!!
-Andrea

I can't wait to see photos of everyone's spring bulbs in bloom next year! It's going to be very colorful!

I planted alliums one year and they did'nt come back, now
I want more and can't find them any where near me, and I
don't order. I have a St.Joesph lily that comes up in
spring and looks wonderful, it is very cold hardy and
looks nearly like an amryrillis (sp) lasts a long time.
Very rare bulb. Will prob plant more day lilies. I have
lots of daffs and plan to plant more, I think they are
showy and beautifull in spring. Happy gardening, caroline

OOps forgot about the surprise lilies, I will be
planting lots of them. I love them but never had
them before. They live up to their name, "surprise"
Happy gardening , caroline (OK)

Corgitrbl - your pink daffs may not be pink.....they are like hydrangeas, the colour depends on the acidity/lack thereof in your soil. Learned this lesson many years ago, when I smuggled(yes, yes) some from Kew Gardens. Had not seen them here at that point, so was very VERY excited. Also, smuggled some blue - true BLUE they said, tulips from the Netherlands. The daffs were a short-lived but lovely ruffled, double yellow; the tulips - a run of the mill purple. Getting jaded!!!

Nancy. Who bought to cheap sacs of tulips today - one of Triumphs, and one of parrots - all multi-coloured!!! Oh yes, and 911, God love them all, has put paid to my tulip/daff/cheese smuggling career.

I luv pink daffodils. Whenever I find Pink Charm, I buy more. Salome, too.

Here is a link that might be useful:

Bearded iris
'Ladyfriend'
'Cherry Blossom Song'
'American classic'
'Hellow Darkness'

Tulipa ÂClaudiaÂ
Tulipa fringed mixed
Tulipa Rembrant ÂPicassoÂ
Allium ÂMount Everest'

The last 3 on the list, I hope to plant today. See I told you all, I would have to go back to get those Allium bulbs. When I got to the check out, these other bulbs had jumped into my hands and convinced me to take them home too. Hmmmmm how does that always happen?

Sierra

When I finally got to a SamsClub with a display of bulbs, I went home with a package of 25 each, Ice Follies and Tahiti daffodils. Never planted Tahiti before.
Ice Follies is an old favorite.

Nell

Finally placed my order at Brent & Becky's bulbs. Ironically, I managed to keep with what I mentioned earlier, after flirting with a bunch of other ideas!

Specifically:

10 Narcissus Marieke
5 Allium Firmament
20 drumstick allium

Now I'm trying to decide on peonies...my current thought is Festima Maxima and Bowl of Beauty.

I picked up a combo bag with 50 drumstick allium bulbs and 15 Queen of Night tulips in it for $9.97 at Lowes. A bag of White Emperor (15ea.) and Princess Irene (8ea.) tulips, for $6.97 a bag. They don't have a real good selection this fall I don't think. Not like in years past. Their bargain bags of 80 mixed daffodils for $15.97 is decent but,I always get quite a few dried up bulbs in them unless I check over the bag real good.

I've added:

A bag of Scilla bulbs.

Sierra

I picked up 'King Alfred' daffodils -- we know they're not really King Alfred, just the TYPE; some orange tulips -- yes, I know, I wasn't supposed to buy tulips. I'll put these in pots and give them chill in the fridge soon.

The lady who marks your receipt as you go out the door at Walmart said, "You bought THREE packages of those hyacinths?"
"Yes'm, I'm afraid so. I'll sort them into purple bulbs and light colored bulbs and plant them separately."

And this is only September.

Nell

My bulb hunt has begun. At Lowes I picked up a bag of 20 mixed hyacinths and 3 bags of pink princess daffs. At McClure and Zimmerman I ordered 12 Freesia Single White, 24 Muscari Bottryoides Superstar, and 12 Zantedeschia A. "Childsiana". At Brent and Becky's I ordered 10 Galanthus - nivalis, 10 Muscari - "Valerie Finnis", 10 Narcissus - Little Princess, 10 Narcissus - Pappy George, and 10 Hyacinthus - Peter Stuyvesant. I love bulbs! Nikki

Do you sort your mixed hyacinths, Nikki?

It isn't just the bulbs, it's the thrill of the chase. Shall I wait for bulb sales? Shall I buy this bag of bulbs because they're here in this store? Should I look for another pink or buy this one? Will Park's have a great sale like they did in 2004, or nothing, like last year?
What if I planted NO bulbs?

Nell

foxesearth - so funny and so true! I usually put off buying the big bags of daffodil bulbs for naturalizing until October. By then, they either can be 1)marked down considerably 2) half of the bag will have dried up bulbs 3) store has pulled them from the shelves

Right now Lowes has 80ct.bags of mixed daffs for $15.97 (?).
Couldn't resist checking out WalMart's bulb selections this year - lots of bulbs but not much variety. They had bags of 12ct.Day Dream tulips for $4. Nice looking bulbs, too. I bought one bag, should go back and get a couple more at that price.

If I order from bulb catalogs, something takes over; and I end up with a $200 order in no time. Sometimes I fill out an order form, maybe even stamp the envelope but never mail it!

Hi Nell, I usually just plant the "mixed" bulbs together away from the named ones so I can remember what I want to order more of with the specifics. I hope to plant lots of frangrant bulbs around the pool this year. I love Spring and the new surprises each day brings. Nikki