BellaOnline Forums Home and Garden Gardening What is your favorite bulb?

Tell us what your favorite bulb is and why. Lots of us like to try bulbs that other people are happy with; this will help all of us decide what we would like to plant next year. Please tell us what planting zone you are in.

My favorite are the grape hyacinths...I planted some last year and am hoping to see them this spring. I also like daffodills and have lots of them planted in my yard and they do well here. I am in zone 6

I like purple liatris and scilla because they are deer resistant

1. In my yard, Zone 5-6, the mice love the grape hyacinths and if they don't get eaten, the squirrels will move them, so I find them coming up in places I never planted them. This year, I am going to force a pot of grape hyacinths and red tulips. I am beginning to think that I will only be able to enjoy a lot of these bulbs if they are forced and inside.

2. I have had purple liatris, but it hasn't come back for me; have you had yours long? I haven't tried scilla, again, because of the mice and squirrels, but I might try them using a screen over them under the soil, since they are deer resistant.

Barbara, I read that if you sprinkled bone meal after you planted bulbs (and you have to reapply after rain, but not too much or you will get all foilage and no bloom) that this will deter the squirrels.

You're right, but it will attract dogs and raccoons and they will dig up the garden, too. I know the dogs don't eat the bulbs but I am not sure of the raccoons. No matter, if I don't notice it right away, the bulbs will sit on top of the ground and deteriorate. I have lots of wildlife where I live, so having a garden is a real struggle. I have managed to keep crocuses for a number of years, but they are never in the same spot :-> I guess my squirrels don't like the taste of them, but they sure like to move them.

Unfortunately our squirrels are busy planting all our pecans! They haven't even started to fall off the trees yet so there is nothing much we can do but watch.

At least if they are planting them, you might get some more trees :->

We got tons of new little pecan trees this summer, but none where we wanted them LOL

Here's a tip that we find works for squirrels, racoons, armadillos, etc. Plant your bulbs and then put chicken wire over the bulbs, then dirt on top of the chicken wire. The bulbs will grow through the chicken wire, but the critters will not be able to dig them out. Really frustrates them!