Crocus are some of the first bulbs to bloom in the spring, and their flowers may even show up before the snow has completely melted off the lawn. In addition to crocus, other small flowering bulbs can add a show of color to an early spring garden. Chionodoxa, or Glory-of-the-Snow, can add a subtle hue to the garden with its delicate, pastel-colored flowers. Like grape hyacinths (Muscari) and scilla, Glory-of-the-Snow will multiply on their own, so your springtime show can become more spectacular from year to year.
Planting small flower bulbs in a large area requires lots of bulbs to make a colorful impact. Avoid planting them in straight rows or scattering them too far apart. Planting them 6 inches apart in all directions will create a flower show with more impact. Plant each bulb about 3 to 4 inches deep, with the growing tip facing up, just after a rainfall or after you’ve watered the lawn, so that the soil will be easier to cut into. By using a sharp trowel, you’ll be able to easily create a small opening in the grass.
Another way to achieve a naturalized look is to plant small bulbs under deciduous shrubs. Scilla bulbs can be planted in large masses to create a bright blue drift under a shrub border early in the spring, before the shrubs begin leafing out. Scilla bulbs should be spaced 4 inches apart from one another. From year to year, they will spread and fill the planting area with tiny blue flowers in early spring.
In addition to scilla, other early risers include striped squill, or ‘Puschkinia.’ The blooms are blue-white, with a delicate blue stripe running down the length of each flower petal. The striped squill will also multiply and fill an area with a mass of color from year to year.
For open borders, try massing miniature ‘Tom Thumb’ daffodils with blue scilla. This eye-appealing combination creates a spectacular springtime show of color.
After the flowers fade on spring-flowering bulbs, don’t remove the foliage too soon. If you’ve planted bulbs in your lawn, mow the lawn at a height of 3 to 3 1/2 inches so you don’t take off too much of the bulb foliage. Leave the foliage attached until it turns yellow and brown. The foliage is essential in helping the bulbs build up their food reserves so they can produce next year’s floral display.
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