Tag Archives: bulbs

What is Scilla?

What is Scilla?

We have probably all marveled at the beautiful fields of blue that pop up around this time of year.  Customers ask me all the time in wonderment, “What is that?!”

Scilla is a member of the lily family.  Most varieties bloom in spring whereas a few are fall bloomers.  It is coveted for it naturalizing tendencies.  So year after year they will slowly multiply to form that lovely blanket of blue.  I always warn that they aren’t for the faint of heart.  These are a true gardeners plant.  As seen below, if they love their home they can take over.

 

A mass of ScillaThey like full sun locations with well drained soil.  Plant them en masse for the best show.  you can even pair them with a Tete e Tete daffodil, which is a lovely dwarf variety in a creamy yellow.  Once they are done blooming, they are similar to other bulbs and do best if you let the leaves wilt.  Other plants like ferns and hosta can be used to help mask the withering leaves as they come up as the scilla is nearing the end of its season.

See how tiny the Scilla bulbs are?Once the Scilla have put on their show they disappear completely, back into dormancy for their next display the following year.  If you have never noticed this unique plant, take the time to look around…you won’t forget it once you see it.

Some of my favorite Bulbs for next Spring

I am a bulb junkie.  I think it may come from my mother’s love affair with tulips, hence her nickname for me actually being tulip.  I tend to stick to daffodils in my perennial beds and tulips in stand alone annual beds (something mom doesn’t agree with), however some of these beauties might have me changing my mind about planting them throughout my garden!

There really isn’t anything that complements the blooms of Crabapples, Serviceberries and Red Buds that herald Spring in with a flash of color like tulips.  But beware…if you have deer or bunnies, stick with Daffodils!

 

(Clockwise starting with the upper left: Best Pink, Hi Hat, Heart (for those Indiana Hoosier fans), Pink Cloud, Strike me Pink)

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For one of the most astonishing bulb displays that I personally have had the pleasure of visiting, check out Keukenhof Gardens in Holland.  It is a wonder to behold.