Critter-Free Bulbs
Don't let the squirrels feast on your flowers.
As fall arrives and the garden starts to die back, the list
of garden chores seems to grow. Cover the bushes, fertilize the lawn and one of the most
tedious tasks, plant the spring bulbs. There we are, up to our elbows, digging and planting,
and planting some more.But when the job is done, we can sit back and dream of
beautiful spring blooms like tulips and crocus.
But keep in mind, those dreams can quickly be shattered if
the bunnies or squirrels get to them first. It's every gardener's nightmare, watching a
cunning critter dine on a bed of bulbs that we spent hours planting. What's a gardener to
do? You could plant your bulbs in plastic cages, sprinkle them with cayenne
pepper, wrap them in steel wool, and the list goes on. But really does it have to be this hard? Absolutely not, if
you know which bulbs to plant.
Hyacinth (Muscari)
Some of the popular bulbs that the animals will stay from
include allium, daffodils and hyacinth. Animals don't like these simply because they don't
taste good. And these will provide you with color from early spring right into summer.
The daffodils are one of the first bulbs to bloom in the spring. And if you don't want
yellow, there are other colors to enjoy--like the creamy white 'Mount
Hood' and the peachy 'Cum Laude' Or how about the orange and white
'Barret Browning'. Check out any bulb catalog and you'll see that daffodils have diversified.
Daffodils
If you want fragrance, hyacinths are perfume in a blossom.
Early spring, these beauties offer bright large flower spikes with a sweet scent second
to none. For later blooms, alliums produce fabulous globe-shaped clusters that vary in
height. They grow best in Zones 4-7. And there are a lot of other special bulbs that you may not
be aware of. Take for example fritillaria. A big bulb with a terrible stink; it smells
like a dead skunk, but the blooms are beautiful.
Allium
Some other special bulbs that are critter-resistant include
Spanish bluebells, camassia and muscari (also known as grape hyacinth). In early spring,
the muscari produces small vibrant cone-shaped blooms that are very long lasting. The
Spanish bluebells offer delicate, dangling bells in softer pastel shades. And if you
want tall purple plumes asa backdrop in the garden, be sure to add camassia to your
bulb collection. And the best part about these bulbs is that they all thrive
in the woodlands, the places where the bunnies and squirrels live, so they're perfect. As
far as planting goes, wait till overnight lows are between 40-50 degrees for at least
two weeks. That's the perfect time to dig in.
Plant bulbs with the pointed side up.
I like to plant my bulbs around hosta. After the bulbs start
dying back, the hosta emerges and will cover up the decaying foliage. For dramatic
contrast, plant small bulbs like muscari in front, and large bulbs like daffodils in
back. Start by digging a hole for the muscari. Since these are
small bulbs, the depth should be about four to six inches. Next, toss in a hand full of
bulbs, making sure the points are looking up at you. Add a light layer soil, sprinkle on some
bulb food, and finally, cover up the hole with soil.
Next, plant the daffodils in back,
and since these are larger bulbs, you'll want to dig a hole that's 8-10 inches deep. Once you
get bulbs planted, water them in. Don't mulch until you get a heavy frost, at that point
you can add a thick layer of mulch. And the nice thing about daffodils and muscari is that they
will naturalize over time.
That means they will spread out over time, so the area you
plant will be covered with
flowers in the spring. And that's how you plant a feast for
the eyes and not the squirrels.