With bulb catalogs appearing in our mailboxes and high temperatures precluding gardening for much of the day many of us are no doubt dreaming of the spectacular flowers that we will be growing next year.

These bulbs will grow in the more moderate climates of the Owens Valley, and also in higher elevations such as Mammoth where they live quite happily under the winter snow and will burst into flower as soon as light reaches them. They are unlikely to do well in hot desert areas even with irrigation. Plant them as soon as you can since they should not dry out, and they begin to put out new roots in early fall.

As with all bulbs it is important to remove dead flowers before seeds begin to grow, but leave the foliage on the plant until it has completely died down, because after flowering the leaves provide food for the bulb to enable it to flower the following year.  

Bulbs look best if planted among other plants, rather than poking up in patches of bare soil. If bulbs are planted among other perennials it is possible to disguise the dying foliage by carefully planning how you plant. I have a large hardy geranium which is generally floppy and emerges after crocuses have finished flowering and so covers that foliage and gives them some extra shade in the hottest part of the year.

Unfortunately some species of bulbs are very attractive to gophers and ground squirrels so if you live in an area that is also home to these animals it pays to plant the bulbs in wire cages.

About Specific Bulbs

Narcissus: Daffodils are hardy and live for years making increasingly large clumps, and are generally left alone by deer and gophers. They come in an enormous range of heights, shapes and colors including pink and white as well as the better known yellows. Pink trumpeted daffodils do tend to lose their pink coloration in hot sun. Some are strongly perfumed with several smaller flowers on a stem, while others have only one flower with a large trumpet. Different varieties bloom at differing times from February to early May.

It pays to put some thought into what you choose, and where you plant them. They do need amended soil in our sandy areas, and shade from the hottest sun with adequate water during the growing season beginning after planting in late summer or fall and including some months after flowering which is when they are building up their bulbs for the following year. I have found blooms on late flowering varieties often get dried up by a spell of hot weather and their flowers tend not to last as long as those that bloom earlier. If you live in a windy area the taller, large trumped daffodils may not hold up as well as some of the shorter- stemmed varieties such as Jetfire or Tete-a-Tete. Often bargain bags of mixed varieties are available but the downside to these is that they do not bloom at the same time so the early ones look sparse while the later ones are blooming amidst the dying foliage of those that have already bloomed!  Best results are obtained if they are planted as soon as they are available and in warmer climates they seem to do better if they are planted a little deeper than usual – about 8” for the larger ones and a little less for the smaller bulbs.

Muscari: Grape hyacinths are hardy, reliable and their blooms provide early nectar and are beloved by domestic bees. Most varieties grow about 6”-8” tall so are good for edging. There are several different types and although M.armeniacum is the most commonly grown cobalt blue color M. botryoides album is white, M. 'Valerie Finnis' is a beautiful light blue, and there is even a pink version M. 'Pink Sunrise'. Dappled shade is best with regular water during the growing season until after the foliage has died down. These will also grow in Mammoth. Plant about 5” deep.

 

Crocus: Species or Botanical crocus have numerous smaller flowers in colors ranging from pure white, yellow, orange and purple. Planted in masses they can add a tremendous splash of color to the early garden, and on warm days bees love working their flowers which open in the sun although as with other spring bulbs they appreciate dappled shade during the growing season.

The other main type of crocus are the Dutch or Large Flowering types which can reach up to 5” but generally have fewer flowers per corm. They come in similar colors to those of the Species types. They grow in USDA Zones 4-8 but won't naturalize where winters are warm. Plant species crocuses about 4” deep and the larger ones an inch deeper.