The bulbs from my fall plantings are about finished for the year, so it’s time to review their performance. I first heard of the fantastic Allium schubertii (above) from a P. Allen Smith YouTube video. What this picture doesn’t capture is that the flower is a full foot wide. I ordered three, but only one bloomed. Still, I’m willing to order a few more this fall. Another good surprise for huge size was the daffodil British Gamble.

The camera distorts the view, but that’s a full-sized Dutch Master behind, upper right. British Gamble has whitish petals with a peach cup. 

I’ve mentioned these red poppy anemones, meant to be hardy in zone 7 or 8—but which survived the bomb cyclone of December 2022. (That’s a sorbaria in front; the anemones have ferny leaves.) They started blooming in April, and a few are still blooming in June. The hugel border along my path must be creating a microclimate that’s a couple of zones warmer than 6b. All the dahlias I planted in this area have also come back. 

I like all types of alliums, and wherever a gardener has deer issues, alliums are a great staple among bulbs. These Mount Everest alliums are the globe type, white and extra-tall. And surprisingly, they have a pretty scent, floral, not oniony. 

This is Brodiaea laxa coccinea. The flowers are about an inch and a half long, a lot like firecracker cuphea, but larger and a truer red. When you build up a good stretch of these, they’re wonderful, and also a bulb that blooms in June.

Dutch iris at one time were the “free gift” you’d get when you ordered classic bulbs: tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, etc. Often, they wouldn’t come up (probably dried out in storage), and the idea of ordering Dutch iris for themselves became unappealing to a lot of gardeners. Modern Dutch iris come in more colors than blue and yellow, beautiful combos similar to what Siberian iris breeders have created. I don’t remember the name of this one, but you can see how nice it is mingling with the grasses.

To recap, recommendations: 

Alliums schubertii, Mount Everest, and also Allium neapolitanum, a small bell-flowered type, that made a great display along my driveway border, blooming a little later than the hyacinths and daffodils I planted with it.

Daffodil British Gamble

Poppy Anemone. If you live in zones 7 or 8, or if you can create a microclimate, these are almost better than tulips for that pop of red. But they also come in blue and white.

Brodiaea laxa coccinea. Also, of “interesting” bulbs, I was really impressed this year by blue camassia, and plan to put in a lot more of them for next spring.