Deer- & rabbit-resistant bulbs
By: Garden Gate staff
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Don’t let deer and rabbits ruin your garden!
It’s so frustrating when deer and rabbits nibble new plants to the ground. Here are three bulbs they won’t bother. Plant now and enjoy them next spring!
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Crown imperial (Fritillaria imperialis)
Critters hate this bulb’s “skunky” odor. When you plant it this fall, add an inch of coarse sand under the bulb. And to prevent water from collecting in the top of the bulb, plant it on its side.
Type Bulb
Blooms Red, orange or yellow in spring
Light Full sun
Soil Moist, well-drained
Size 24 to 40 in. tall, 10 to 12 in. wide
Hardiness
Cold: USDA zones 5 to 8
Heat: AHS zones 8 to 1
Source www.johnscheepers.com
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Snowflake (Leucojum spp.)
These pretty white bells must taste bad. Deer and rabbits usually pass them by. The foliage of spring snowflake (Leucojum vernum) and summer snowflake (Leucojum aestivum) takes a while to go dormant, so plant the bulbs among grasslike sedges to disguise the leaves as they ripen.
Type Bulb
Blooms White bells in early spring
Light Full sun to part shade
Soil Moist, humus-rich
Size 6 to 20 in. tall, 9 to 12 in. wide
Hardiness
Cold: USDA zones 4 to 8
Heat: AHS zones 8 to 1
Source www.mzbulb.com
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Allium (Allium spp. and hybrids)
Once the tulips have all been gobbled up by the deer and rabbits, the large-flowered alliums will still be getting ready to put on their show. ‘Gladiator’, in the photo, is a classic, with blooms that can last three weeks or more.
Type Bulb
Blooms Purple globes in late spring
Light Full sun
Soil Well-drained
Size 20 to 60 in. tall, 12 to 15 in. wide
Hardiness
Cold: USDA zones 4 to 9
Heat: AHS zones 9 to 1
Source www.brentandbeckysbulbs.com
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