In case you’ve been in a coma the past few weeks, fall is here! And fall is bulb time. Pretty much everything that grows from a bulb is more spectacular than anything you could find growing in a six pack at Home Depot. But what if you really want to out do your self this year?
Try some planting some of these more unusual bulbs now for something fresh and fun this spring:
- Globemaster Allium – Gigantic (10 inches across), purple flower heads on stalks that are three feet tall. These would look very modern planted/potted in a long row.
- French Shallots – Shallots are the ideal plant to grow at home. They’re expensive to buy in the store and easy to grow yourself. They taste like a cross between an onion and garlic, but have a more subtle flavor than both.
- Snake’s Head Fritillary – A delicate, tiny, bell-shaped flower. The flowers aren’t a solid color. Instead they have a checkered, or snake skin appearance.
- Oxblood Lily – Deep, intense red flowers that look like small lily blossoms. Each stem has several flowers.
- Byzantine Gladiolus – An heirloom that is much more casual looking than the gladiolus you can buy at the florist. Sends up 18 inch flower stalks with instense magenta flowers. Doesn’t need staking.
