Hi, everybody--
I have been going through my pics from last spring looking for companion plants for my daffodils (mostly April and some May bloom in zone 6a)...
But the only perennial I can ID blooming with my daffs is creeping phlox...I do have a few muscari coming up with the daffs, though. And a magnolia blooming that is very pretty. And a red bud.
Other than those, does anyone have any other suggestions?...
Thanks. t.
Pretty perennials to plant with spring bulbs???
Lungwort blooms at same time as daffodils too.
Lungwart--what an ugly name for such a pretty flower! I found a listing for it under Forget-me-nots from Swallowtail and it comes in three or four varieties at least.
Myosotis sylvatica:
http://www.swallowtailgardenseeds.com/perennials/forgetmenotper.html
I suppose I could start these with wintersowing...(I'm not good at seed starting at all!).
Thanks, prairiegirl--any other ideas?!!
Flowering almond is a sweet, little blooming shrub that's always pretty with my daffs and muscari. Bulb plants arising through groundcovers is pretty to (like vinca, lamium, ajuga, or lysimachia). The Lexington cemetary (which has a park-like area of wonderful plantings) has a very effective combination of white daffs with Virginia bluebells (I'm copying that one myself). And primula (vulgaris types I think) are among my favorites. I only have red with yellow eyes and magenta with yellow eyes now, but have seen that Garden Crossings offers a couple of new double varieties in blue and pink.
GeminiSage - I like the picture you painted with the flowering almond, muscari and daffs.
tabasco - Besides those mentioned, these bloom at the same time as daffodils for me:
Arabis caucasica - Rock Cress
Aubrieta - Purple Rock Cress
Erica 'Aurea' - Heather
Heleborus niger - Christmas Rose
Trillium grandiflorum - Trillium
Vinca minor - Periwinkle
and at the tail end:
Iberis sempervirens - Candytuft
Iris pumila - Dwarf Iris
tobasco - it looks above like you found lungwort under Forget-me-nots? It's acutally pulmonaria, and for me they bloom with my daffs. There are jillions of types and they're pretty easy to grow - just like shade and will take dry soil once they're established.
I interplanted some daffoldils with small daylillies (mostly stella d'oro) so that the daylilies cover the dying folliage and I ave color in the same spot twice. My creeping phlox blooms at the same time as the daffodils.
tabasco - I meant pulmonaria, like Mrs. Moon but forget-me-not would work too. How about brunnera? I plant plants, not seeds, too impatient I guess. LOL.
Sstateham, I planted some Daffodils with Stella D'Oro Day lilys too. For the same reasons. Works well.
Muscari 'Grape Hyacinth' multiply quickly, especially if you let them go to seed, make a nice show with yellow daffs. tulips, etc.
When ever I plant new Hardy Hibiscus I put in Tulips the next fall to give me 2 seasons of bloom in the same spot.
Andy P
Ah, I see, pulmonaria...
http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&lr=&c2coff=1&q=pulmonaria&btnG=Search&sa=N&tab=wi
so, PG, which one of these pics do you think is the most appropriate for daff bloom coincidence? Any?...
It seems like a good idea...
Candy tuft, rock cress, trillium...I forgot about trillium...and I wonder if I can grow trillium from seed--will look that up. Thanks, Sanannie.
I found English Bluebells in stock at Touch of Nature, so I will try those, too, gem. And I will find a pic of flowering almond. I am not familiar with that.
Thanks for all the good tips. I will look up more this evening!.
It sounds like our bulb garden here will gain some interest next spring! Thanks everybody!
I have heard that any pulmonaria will do, personally use grape hyacinths and daffodils (classic) but really want to try 'Roy Davidson' and 'Mrs. Moon' (If only for the name! LOL). Have heard that some of them bud in pink and open blue, sounds neat. Doesn't the one in your pics with the black calyx and dark blue flowers look great? I have one called Cevenninsis or Pulmonaria longifolia, with long skinny leaves, in my shade garden. And the brunnera, with large heart-shaped leaves, these both are supposed to bloom in early spring with blue forget-me-not type flowers that would probably look great with daffs. I have really enjoyed the foliage all summer, so that is a nice bonus. I personally have ignored the spring garden for the autumn, opposite of everyone else, as usual, LOL.
Arabis (wall rockcress)
Weezingreens - now that is a very pretty combination!!
Yes, I like the way the arabis fills in around the stems of the jonquils and tulips. Arabis is usually white, but, as with this one, it comes in pink, as well. It deadheaded, it will bloom again for me in the early fall.
va. Bluebells..phlox divaricata..corydalis lutea..hosta lancifolia comes up early..dicentras..euphorbias...epimediums...bloodroot...
I have had beautiful plantings of Violas with the daffodils! I just dig the hole and put the daff in first, a little toward the back of the hole, and them put the viola or pansy in toward the front...You can use the purple pansy with the yellow daffs, or the white and purple pansy with paperwhites...or white daffs...looks great! They really make a beautiful combination...I would think that snap dragons would look pretty with them as well...
All lovely recommendations...I am going to research and see which ones will coincide with my daff bloom here...and what I can grow from seed.
The (Zone 6) Longwood Gardens of Philadelphia lists their "What's in Bloom" for April here http://www.longwoodgardens.org/Bloom/04April.htm
if anyone's interested.
Tthey divide their plants by week and then 'indoor' and 'outdoor'...
There are a few listed that we haven't discussed--spring heath, netted iris (?), Korean rhododendron, anemonella (?) that might be interesting. I don't know much about them.
Oh, so many great ideas here! I had forgotten about bleeding hearts- they are just awsome with tulips, hyacintoides-any that bloom from mid April on.
I think the hot summers and humidity here keep heaths and heathers from being an option :( .
I really want to try Brunera and Myosotis, only I want 100's of them and end up not being able to decide or narrow it down and don't order any! I think too big, have to remember baby steps!
tabasco, Trillium grandiflorum is wonderful with spring bulbs in shady or semishady areas. The blooms are very long lasting and age to rosy-lavender. If that's the species you're thinking of trying, don't bother with seed; I have tons! I'll include some with your primula to try.
Neal.
Myosotis will reseed to hundreds
Cool! Off to the seed trading forum! Surely someone has saved some.
gemini_sage, I have fresh seeds from two kinds of myosotis. There is woodland forget-me-not (myosotis sylvestris) and water forget-me-not (myosotis scorpioides). The water type need consistant moisture. Send me an email, if interested. I also have the pink arabis seeds.
Will do Weezingreens! Thanks!
I love to have lamium planted under my daffs. They also look nice near Japanese maples. Here's a picture:
Katie, awesome garden! I love how the maple *pops the yellow in the daffodils and tulips.
I really like lamium too, as it tolerates dry shade. Groundcovers are under-used IMHO.
Katie, nicely done! I agree with Prairiegirl, the color combo and textural contrast is striking. And I love groundcovers with spring bulbs popping through, and lamium has been one of my favorites. I especially like the way no holes are left in the landscape when the bulb plants are dormant.
Hey PG! What ya been up to?
Neal.
Katie--what an elegant bulb garden--so lovely and romantic--
your pic is evoking much reverie for my little spring bulb garden (as I'm looking out the window at the snow coming down!), too. (Or reverie of how I 'wish' my garden would be, that is!) lol
Can you show us more pictures of your garden? t.
Hey t! Happy New Year!
Thanks PG-- Happy New Year to you, too!
I have been on vacation and visiting my sick mum for the past month so it's good to be back and on line.... (although one of my resolutions for 2006 is to spend less time fiddling on DG and looking up plants and more time organizing my messy house! Not as fun though!)
Ha Ha. Verry funny.
OK, everybody, I am getting together my "wintersowing" plan and I am wondering if any one knows if any of the plants mentioned above can be grown from seed (by someone who has NO talent) or if I would be better off ordering from Bluestone....
I am thinking especially of the 'rock cress', myosotis, lamium, lungwort...
I have ajugas, daylilies, woodland phlox, pulmonaria already in my garden (I think) so will just have to rearrange them to show off the daffs better. (I LOVE violas but they don't like me so I have given up on them.)
Thanks again for all of your advice. t.
Another one to try is vinca, it's evergreen and also takes dry shade, the variegated kind stands out in shade real well, has pretty purple flowers in spring.
I really like the Vinca (Periwinkle), I have a large, dry, shady area near the fence planted with it. It fills in quickly and requires only Spring weeding. No need to rake in the Fall, they like the cover for Winter and come up right through it.
Sarah walks all over it, to say the least.
It's the first perennial to bloom.
Very low maintenance.
Here is a pic from last week, with a little snow.
Not the variegated kind.
I've planted some under a couple trees in the front yard with Crocus and Tulips.
Andy P
I know the myosotis is a good one for winter sowing, but I don't know about the rest. What Lamium varieties are you considering?
Tabasco - it's my first time wintersowing as well. But Iberis sempervirens (Candytuft) and Arabis (Rock Cress) I've started seeds indoors before and they are easy, warm germinators so I'm quite sure they are good candidates for winter sowing. Once the sun warms up those containers, they'll germinate like gangbusters.
I've never tried Myosotis (Forget Me Not), but since they are so prolific at reseeding in the garden, I would think they would also be a good candidate for winter sowing. In my opinion the lamium and lungwort, you would be better to buy a cultivar of your choice, because sowing seed would give you questionable results. Although the lungwort called Pulmonaria longifolia var. cevennensis comes true from seed when it reseeds in my garden and it has lovely long, thin, mottled leaves.
Sandy
Thankyou for the good observations. I will get busy with the winter sowing---it sounds like I might get some results...
One thing about the vinca vine, though, I like it too, but I was advised it is terribly invasive around here and not to let it get into my garden at all...I wonder if that is really true...
I know there are two different kinds (at least), and I was told the variegated was not as invasive...
I think Pulmonaria longifolia var. cevennensis is the one I like, too, so I will get going on that.
Will keep you posted. t.
I don't think Vinca minor is invasive, it doesn't spread that much or self-sow.
PG--I forgot to add this link about Vinca Minor's invasiveness...
http://explorebiodiversity.com/problem_plants/species/Vinca.htm
Maybe it is invasive just in certain geographical areas...I dunno--I always thought it was a rather attractive plant until I found out about it's 'Political Incorrectness' last summer....good for growing under trees where nothing else will grow, I thought...
thanks for the info tabasco, I've also found out recently that Japanese barberries are considered invasive also, due to their tendency to seed into natural habitats of native plants, crowding out the natives. This highlights importance of responsible choices we are all faced with making.
Tabasco, that is it. It spreads fast and makes a dense mat. It works where I put it but I would never put it in a flower bed. That area was a weed infested, dry, shady spot that would erode with all the weeding I had to do to keep it presentable.
Andy P
OK. I understand. Or not.
I have some vinca back by our lot line into the woods--dry shade and hard to grow things there (where I planted narcissi poeticus)-- and I wonder if I should yank it out or forget about it until it is out of control(?). Doesn't seem invasive there, but maybe it's spreading its seed all over the woods. Must check it out.
I am not a very astute environmentalist, I guess...
I had a large patch of vinca with daffodils growing out of it and it was gorgeous in the spring. But, after 5 or 6 years, I ended up ripping it all out. I didn't rip it out because it was invasive, because in that particular spot I *wanted* a solid mat of vinca, but my beef was that weeds would still come up through it and it was SO hard to weed in that thick mat of creeping mish-mash of stems. There was no way you could get a trowel through it and I didn't want to weed with a shovel ! But in an out-of-the-way spot where either no weed seeds would blow in ;-) or far enough away that you couldn't tell if there were weeds in it.....it would rock!
Sandy