Spring bulbs for shade gardens?...

While I was google-ing around looking for appropriate bulbs to plant under my Dogwood tree, I found this interesting Broadleigh article about good bulb choices for shady gardens.

http://www.broadleighbulbs.co.uk/months/shady_characters.htm

I thought there were lots of good ideas here for all kinds of shade areas...in case anyone forgot to plant their bulbs for next spring!

Although I haven't yet determined what would be a good choice to coincide with the white Dogwood bloom either!

I was thinking some kind of white miniature daff and some little blue bulbs...mmm...any ideas? (has to be critter resistant so that limits the choices)

tabasco - That was an interesting article. I love the white Hyacinthoides hispanica with the blue grape hyacinths. I've never tried the Hyacinthoides...you had me off looking for a source for it.....all I can find is the mixed, not the white-only. I'll keep looking though. Thanks for the link.

sanannie,Tabasco. I bought white only and pink only at easy to grow bulbs. planted them in my azalea bed. I hope they come up. They might already be sold out of the pink as I went back to get some more and they weren't listed.

supposed to be vigorous, hope so.

I've had great luck with chionodoxa in the shade - gorgeous color, spreads fairly quickly, and the varmits haven't bothered it. We get a lot of deer, squirrels, chipmunks, rabbits, etc (you name it - got got it, even wild tukeys). Scilla has also done great under the trees. I have a bunch of daffs in mostly shade, and they do ok, although they bloom a little later than the same variety that I planted in a bit more sun.

I have a few spanish bluebells--tried all three --white, blue and pink--- planted in the back yard from last year (VanEngelen) and most of them came up...although not as striking as I had hoped.

I am tempted by the chionodoxa since you have had good luck even with critters, sstateham...

Impulsive stop at the garden center today yielded six more bags of bulbs--including some white narcissus 'thalia' that I thought might work under the white dogwood and bloom at the same time--underplanted with with pulmonaria?? Color echo, you know. LOL

My usual online bulb sources seem to be pretty much sold out...big year for bulbs, I hope...I'm looking forward to spring bloom season.

tabasco - that'll be a wonderful colour echo!

Thalia is a perfect choice, one of my favorite daffs. Graceful, like butterflies, and fragrant. The shade of deciduous trees is fine for most spring bulbs, because by the time the trees are leafing out, the bulbs are winding down, especially the early ones.

And don't be dissapointed yet with the Hyacinthoides. The show only gets better each year, I expect you'll have more than double the blooms the 2nd spring.

And you just can't beat little chionodoxa and scilla siberica. Tiny, cheap, and put on such a show that just gets better every year. At my mother's house they've spread into the lawn, much the way people naturalize crocus in the lawn. Lovely! And they're in deep shade with lots of tree roots. Hyacinthoides have naturalized in that area as well.

Well, gem--with your waxing poetic about 'the little blue bulbs' it makes me want to go out and buy a thousand! My few hundred are just not going to do it! LOL

Thanks everyone for comments on your tiny bulb experience...I can put your obeservations to good use!

Some scilla sources:

http://www.vanengelen.com/catview.cgi?_fn=Product&_category=Scilla

And the chionodoxa are still listed at VanEngelen too :

http://www.vanengelen.com/catview.cgi?_fn=Category&_category=Best

And the English Bluebells along with other LBB (Little Blue Bulbs) look like they are in stock at Touch of Nature.

http://www.touchofnature.com/fallcatalog/scilla_campanulata.htm

for anyone who is still trying to make up combinations and their credit card isn't maxxed out!...

I am hoping the LBB various I planted last year will really fill out next spring!

Maybe I'll have some to share (finally!). t.







This message was edited Oct 27, 2005 6:53 PM

Try Pinetree for both, also.... they're at www.superseeds.com

They have a nice selection, and the quality and prices are good. Usually in bags of 25 or more. I think the chionodoxa I ordered was something like $5 for 25.