Plant specialty bulbs for early spring color

Spring flowering bulbs are a great way to add color and variety to your garden. In addition to tulips and daffodils, specialty bulbs bring bursts of color from late winter through early spring. Sometimes called minor bulbs, specialty bulbs will often emerge through the late winter snow, reminding us that spring is on the way. In addition to filling our spring gardens with color, they offer early forage opportunities for pollinators. Specialty bulbs include Crocus, Muscari and  Scilla siberica, among others. 

While not as well-known as crocus and muscari, Scillia siberica are among the earliest spring bloomers, offering soft white and blue flowers. A very hardy bulb, Scillia siberica will return season after season. 

Blooming closely behind Scillia siberica in early spring are Snow Crocus. The Blue Pearl crocus is a longstanding favorite of gardeners. Blue Pearl can be used as a groundcover, in rock gardens and along borders. 

To extend spring bloom time, combine Blue Pearl with large-flowering crocus such as Purpurea Grandiflora, Yellow Mammoth, Jeanne D’Arc, Pickwick and Remembrance. 

Muscari, known as grape hyacinths, are hardy spring bloomers that produce white, blue or purple flowers that look like bunches of grapes, hence the common name. 

Specialty bulbs will do best when planted in a sunny spot and well-amended soil. Dig in a couple of inches of compost, or peat moss, then add some Dutch bulb food and plant each bulb flat side down, about two inches deep.

 For greater color impact, plant ten to 15 bulbs per square foot. Water the bulb bed every four to five weeks during the winter. Bulbs planted in October will produce large blooms the first year, helping bridge the gap between winter and traditional spring-blooming bulbs such as daffodils and tulips.