Rodent-resistant bulbs

Flower & Garden Magazine, Sept-Oct, 1997 by Patricia A. Taylor

If you share my garden philosophy that plants should be easy to care for, I'm sure you'll agree that the concept of growing bulbs in wire mesh cages is out of the question. Yet that is what most experts advise as the only solution to combat bulb-nibbling rodents such as mice and gophers. Some even say you need to have cages or nets above ground to protect flowers from hungry squirrels and deer.

You won't find such contraptions in my garden. And, as a result, you won't find very many tulips, which rank as a gourmet treat to a wide range of critters. What you will see is a selection of bulbs that are distasteful (and, in some cases, poisonous) to most animals. What's more, they are unpalatable to insects, resist diseases and survive weather extremes. Perhaps most importantly, they are beautiful.

If you want your beds and borders filled with bulbs that are visual treats rather than rodent fodder, consider one or more of the following bulbs, which I have grouped according to their bloom season. They will be avoided not only by animals below ground level but also by those that like to nibble blossoms.

LATE WINTER TO EARLY SPRING

I garden in Princeton, New Jersey -- an area of the country where winter snow cover is sporadic. By late January, I am always out in my back yard looking for the first signs of emerging growth. Sometimes, in mild winters, I will get to see my first snowdrop before the month ends. That's always such a thrilling sight -- a confirmation that cold, gray winter days are on the wane and that the marvelous colors of spring are soon to come. In other years, I have to wait until late February to see the first blooms. When this happens, the next three bulbs on my list often flower simultaneously.

Snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis) bear dainty white flowers on stems ranging from 2 to 4 inches. Once the flowers appear, the bulbs can be dug and placed in indoor pots for charming table arrangements. Just replant them outdoors when the bloom finishes. (Hardy in U.S.D.A. Zones 3 to 9)

Bulb irises (Iris reticulata), miniature versions of bearded irises, grow only 3 to 6 inches tall and produce blossoms in intense, rich blues and deep purples. They are especially striking when peeping through a light dusting of gleaming white snow. While these do not make good cut flowers, they are lovely by a house entrance where you can appreciate their diminutive charms as you come and go on bleak winter days. (Zones 4 to 9)

Siberian squill (Scilla siberica) has the most intense blue flowers of all. It is lovely when planted en masse on hillsides or under deciduous trees or shrubs. Though they also are quite short -- reaching only 3 to 6 inches -- they do make nice cut flowers in appropriately diminutive arrangements. In some years, animals may nibble at the buds, but not enough to totally eliminate the profuse blue blossoms. (Zones 2 to 9)

SPRING FLOWERS

Daffodils (Narcissus) star at this time of year. Because they are poisonous, just about every animal in sight avoids them. Select early, midseason and late varieties to enjoy several weeks of the classic golden blooms. (Zones 3 to 8)

Daffodils aren't the only rodent-resistant bulb of spring. The four following bulbs add variation in height, color and form in a mixed border. All are dormant by summer and are perfect in sparse garden areas that are later filled with summer perennials.

Golden leek (Allium moly) announces its arrival with the appearance of blue-green, lancelike foliage; each shoot resembles a slim hosta leaf. Come May, however, 12- to 18-inch stems pop up and are crowned with bright yellow flowers. Given sun or light shade and bare surrounding ground, golden leeks can self-seed rapidly. (Zones 3 to 8)

`Pagoda' trout lily (Erythronium `Pagoda') is a pale yellow hybrid bred from two native West Coast woodland bulbs. It's a lovely, exceptionally easy-to-care-for addition to my East Coast bright shade gardens. Its foliage is handsomely marbled and its yellow flowers dangle enchantingly from 18-inch stems in late April. (Zones 4 to 8)

Silver bells (Ornithogalum nutans `Silver Bells') provide a striking attraction for gardeners with deep shade. Each 14-inch stem bears up to 12 pretty, white flowers striped with green in mid- to late May. Alas, slugs do like this bulb; place it, therefore, in the dry shade settings that these slimy creatures avoid. (Zones 5 to 9)

`Martha Roderick' fritillaria (Fritillaria biflora `Martha Roderick') is a dainty plant with brown-and-yellow flowers. It requires good drainage and sunny to partly shaded settings. Barely reaching 12 inches in height, it should be placed either in a container or in front of the border so that its mid-May charms can be seen and appreciated. (Zones 3 to 8)

SUMMER STALWARTS

Flowering onions are beautiful, reliable bulbs for summer borders. The come in many heights, colors and forms. They are also handsome in cut flower arrangements, both fresh and dried. Not only rodents, but also deer, tend to stay away from these flowers. The following selection of ornamental onions offers at least one plant for every fight condition.