Minor Bulbs For Major Winter And Spring Blooms

By Andrew Messinger

If you’re a believer in the saying that great things come in small packages, then this should be the year that you explore the world of minor bulbs.

They are not called “minor” because they’re not of legal age, nor are they called “minor” because of their infrequent use. Rather, this group of spring flowering bulbs is thusly named because of their size relative to their giant cousins, such as the daffodils, hyacinths and tulips.

Within this group of bulbs are some real gems that need little if any care and rarely need replacement. And with their wide range of flower colors and types, they fit into all sorts of gardens and naturalized settings.

Now is the time to plan for these bulbs because in a month they’ll need to be planted.

As a rule, the minors are best planted in clumps and drifts where they can be highlighted as an informal mass. I’ve seen them pop up as a pleasant early spring surprise in the middle of a lawn that hasn’t emerged from its winter sleep, in perennial beds, in rockeries, used as ground covers, around the base of a tree or wherever a sudden splash of color is needed on a late winter or early spring day.

Good soil is an absolute must as these bulbs won’t last for long in a fast draining, sandy soil. The addition of compost is almost mandated, except in areas that have been cultivated for many years.

Another great thing about the minors is that they are very easy to plant. In fact, the large bulb planters are virtually useless since six to a dozen bulbs would fit in the large hole the planters make. We’ve used the pointed end of a rake that almost looks like a dibble, but any stick or large garden dibble about an inch in diameter, with a pointed end, will do very well. The bulbs are rarely planted more than four inches deep and the stick can easily be pushed that deep into the soil.

When it’s time to plant, check the boxes at the garden centers or the catalogs where you buy the bulbs, as this will tell you not only the planting depth but the color pictures will also give the blooming time and flower size.

Galanthus (snowdrop) is generally the first to pop up through the snow or from below the winter leaf cover. Most are single flowered but there is a double form and a giant form (elwessii) that has not only larger flowers but larger foliage as well. Snowdrops should be planted where they’ll be noticed—along paths, the drip-line of pine trees or near doors and gates. Once planted, they self-seed and naturalize. They are best suited in part shade.

Right after the galanthus comes a bulbous species in the iris family, iris reticulata. In shades of dark and light blue or purple it looks like its larger cousins and is both fragrant and very hardy. Blooming at the same time is iris danfordiae, which has tiny golden flowers that are followed by the foliage. Both species need full sun and should be planted on 2-inch centers.

As the crocus (also a minor bulb) begin to fade, the chionodoxa (glory of the snow) is the first of a trio of blue flowering bulbs that appear from March through April. The best known species is luciliae, which is pale blue with a white center resembling a six-pointed star. Six to 18 of these tiny flowers per spike form a striking patch of blue. But the species is also available in white and pink. Used mostly in rockeries, they need full sun and should be planted in groups of a dozen or more.

Puschkinia libanotica (striped squill) is also a pale blue and is often confused with chionodoxa. It has a denser flower head and a dark blue stripe on the petals.

Scilla siberica rounds out the blue trio in April. It has a strong color and hardiness and it naturalizes well in either sun or shade with no particular soil preferences. For an earlier bloom, use the species bifolia or the two-leafed squill, which has a rich blue flower, or tubergeniana with a soft blue bloom.

Tritelia (spring star flower) is a confusing little plant with pale blue blooms in April. The six-petaled blooms rise singly above grass-like foliage and form wide, spreading clumps. These flowers open at sunrise, and bloom conspicuously on bright days but close when the sun is not out.

Ornithogalum umbellatum (star of Bethlehem) is a neglected little flower that yields up 12 to 20 star-shaped white flowers on stalks rising above attractive mounds of grassy foliage, which starts to emerge in late February. This bulb multiplies rapidly and some ungrateful souls say it can be weedy. On the other side, it thrives in our poor soils and I think they’re great.

Muscari (grape hyacinths) are one of my favorites ever since we did a mass planting many years ago. Every spring, this drift in the lawn erupts into a fragrant blue flag of 4-inch pyramids that can last four to six weeks. The muscari, also available in white, will thrive in sun or shade in nearly any soil except pure sand. Some varieties send up their foliage in the fall (much to the surprise and mystery of their owners), but this is normal and the foliage will often remain through the winter.

Near the end of the list of little bulbs is scilla campanulata, sometimes called “Hispanica,” or “wood hyacinth.” Appearing in May, this bulb prefers the shade and works out well in woodland settings. The dainty bell flowers come in pink, blue or white, hanging in loose clusters on upright stalks.

One last word of advice: the minors often disappear from the garden center bins quickly, so when they show up grab a couple of dozen and keep them cool and dry until planting time.

Keep growing, and many years of happy returns.