My "must-have" for this year is Crocus thomassinus to naturalize in our front yard.

mazerolm, it was just this past Fall (2015) that I planted Crocus for the first time (not even sure of the variety) and I was so impressed with that hit of color so early in spring.

Can you tell me what is special about thomassinus ?

And what do you do if anything to keep them safe from marauding squirrels and such?

I ordered months ago (May in fact), and have mainly species crocus and species tulips coming.

I'd LOVE The DARK Purple Hyacinth That Mum and I Saw......

Rouge, squirrels devour my newly planted crocuses, but they leave tommies and fall crocuses alone. Don't know why...

Ordering more pseudonarcissus. I had 5 last year and will probably buy at least 10 more.

I just placed my order for:

Darwin Tulip Pink Impression (trying a Darwin)
Species Tulip, Tulipa clusiana var. chrysantha Tubergen's Gem (to add to the ones I have)
Hyacinth Blue Pearl (some to force over winter)
Muscari latifolium
Asiatic Lily Orange Electric

I'll take my chances that in the stores I can find some more Chionodoxa (Glory of the Snow) to add to what I have in the lawn, and some more large Crocus.

Ordering more pseudonarcissus

Interesting maylingsmom. Is it significantly different than the highly bred daffodil? I am just wondering about its appeal to you.

The common name is Lent liy. I live in zone 8b where we often have very little winter or let me put it this way - we may have only 2 or 3 freezes with not many more frosts than that. Our winter was pretty much over by the end of February this year. So that daffodil really does much better. It has naturalized all over the south so I know that it does well. As for hybrids, I have wasted money on many of them. Even those that are supposed to bloom late winter/early spring often only last 1 - 2 years before they disappear.

I have the same issue, maylingsmom, to an even greater degree. I might get frost 3-4 times a year, and the lowest low temp is about 29F. , and that's rare. So many bulbs can't make it without a winter chill. I do chill bulbs every fall, to plant between Christmas and New Years. They are strictly annuals this way though.

This year I am going to try planting "Spanish Alliums". (Ampeloprasum) I had never seen or heard of them until now. They are listed as good for zones 7-10 so I'm pretty excited. It will be wonderful to have these big allium flowers without prechilling and have them come back bigger and better each year. Lisa

I'm interested in getting the special Canada 150 tulip bulbs! Though communication about how it is being distributed (through Home Hardware) is leaving a lot to be desired.

LaLennoxa, a similar special is sold on Costco's web site:

http://www.costco.ca/O-Canada-Spring-Garden-(Fall-Planting%252c-Spring-Blooming-Bulbs).product.100307653.html

My mother just bought the Canada 150 tulips from home hardware yesterday. They are sold in boxes of 25, 100, and 500. My mother bought our stores last box of 100, but the store had not yet received their shipment of 25 packs, they were supposed to arrive this week where I live (S. Ontario)

I have the following bulbs coming:

20 Flaming purissima emperor tulips

10 white emperor tulips

16 Irene parrot tulips

30 Queen of the blues dutch crocus

20 blue pearl snow crocus

20 cream beauty snow crocus

40 double snowdrops

20 rip van winkle daffoldils

30 tete a tete daffodils

18 poeticus recurvis daffodils

20 saxatilis botanical tulips

20 little beauty botanical tulips

12 aida hyacinths

2 bearded iris (harvest of memories and autumn circus)

I hope they all fit.

@ K C - Yes, the HH stores near me have been receiving erratic shipments, and the two stores I called weren't sure what is going on. I'm looking for the box of 100, but it keeps showing as 'out of stock at the warehouse' online. I've been assured by TPTB at HH that they have yet to stock the warehouse so I should be able to get them soon.

@ mazerolm - thanks for that link. The Costco package has a lot of bulbs I don't want - I just want the tulips. Those tulips ('Happy Generation') aren't the official Canada 150 ones (I think??), but I had noticed them before online. Actually, since they look so similar, it would be interesting to find out exactly what the differences between the two are.

Also planting Lent lilies - pseudonarcissus Lobularis and Obvallaris - 2000 (but very small bulbs - can use a crocus planter). I have been planting bulbs in my little wood for the past 4 years and try to do a few thousand every year (I buy wholesale) - mainly narcissus but also camassia, leucojum, a couple of thousand small blue bulbs (l;ast year) and galanthus. This year, I am also planting 500 snakehead frits and 500 gladioli byzanticus. A well known galanthophile (Heyrick Greatorex) lived in the next village so there were thousands of bulbs which had naturalised over the last 50 years - mostly doubles) already in the wood. I have expanded from a minuscule home garden (tulips in pots) to my allotments and lately, 5.5 acres of poplar wood. In fairness, I live in the bulb-growing capital of the UK - East Anglia so bulbs are cheap, local and truly excellent.

After ignoring the allotment since buying the woods, I am reviving it in some shame, with an order of 700 tulips - 200 species and the rest for picking. The list is long but includes a couple of doubles for the first time (Showcase, Belle Epoche and another deep purple one). The tulips love the rubbish sunny soil in the allotment and return reliably.

I looked at the Costco links and almost fainted at the costs! I spend around $300 on bulbs and expect at least 4000 bulbs- narcissus, for example, cost around $32 for 500 (wholesale) while tulips for picking (smaller bulbs) can be had for$10 per 100 (Gedneys, GeeTee) and bigger bulbs (Peter Nyssen) are around $16-18 for 50

Campanula UK Z8 - how big is your allotment?

My dream is to plant the 500 tommies from Van Engelen in my "helllstrip". It is long and wide and I hear that the passing cars and people will help deter the bunnies which are a big problem in the Spring for me. The large crocus I planted in my yard are disappearing and one factor is the relentless chomping that happens before I can find the foliage and spray. I don't know if I will pull the trigger.

Allotments are still measured in archaic terms - rods, poles, perches...or 5.5yardsx5.5 yards. I have 2 allotments, (20 poles) so mine is 11yds wide and 55 yards long...or 1/8th acre. I also have 5.5 acres of poplar wood.

PosieRosie - go for it - my eldest has just planted a 'river of blue' - 2000 small blue bulbs (scillas, chionodoxa) for a customer's garden, winding down a sloping lawn to the river Cam (after our success of planting these in our wood)..

For planting crocus, I use a turfing iron...but a flat spade would do - lift a hinged slab of turf (make a shallow cut on 3 sides) and plant a dozen bulbs at a time, then stomp the turf back down on top of the bulbs.

Campanula, you're right, I should totally go for it! I use the stick a in a shovel, lever open a hole, drop something in and then jump up and down to firm the hole closed technique. I have not hinged it - will definitely try that one!

Campanula, I would love to see your wooded area when all these bulbs are blooming! Feel free to post pics! :)

here you go - a couple from last April

Apols for dire photo's though - not a skill I possess.

Thank you Campanula, it looks wonderful!!

Oh my, so nice!