Plant Some Animal Resistant Bulbs this Fall

Melinda’s Garden Moments is heard Mon.-Fri. at 7:45 and 10:45 a.m. and 4:45 p.m. on 97.9 WHAV.

Melinda’s Garden Moments is heard Mon.-Fri. at 7:45 and 10:45 a.m. and 4:45 p.m. on 97.9 WHAV.

Don’t let flower hungry wildlife stop you from planting spring flowering bulbs.  Plant a few animal resistant bulbs in your garden this fall for added color and beauty next spring.

Start off the season with a few minor bulbs. Winter aconite and snowdrops are some of the first bulbs to appear in spring.  Mix grape hyacinths with daffodils to double your flower power and pop in some Siberian squills for a bit of blue in the spring garden.

Try little Tommies, botanically known as Crocus tomassinanus. Garden catalogues claim and I have found them to be resistant to squirrels.

Daffodils are well known for surviving hungry animals and now there are lots of new varieties to choose from.

And don’t forget to try some alliums you may know as ornamental onions. There are small and large flowered varieties and those that bloom in spring, summer or fall.

A bit more information:  Consider Camassia with blue flower spikes that resemble hyacinth, but tolerate partial shade.  Snowflakes (Leucojum) Autumn crocus (Clochicum), Fritillaria and of course hyacinths are a few other animal-resistant bulbs.  Southern gardeners need to select low chill varieties or use precooled bulbs if their winters are too warm for forcing spring flowering bulbs into bloom.

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