Foy Spicer, Horticulturist, Taltree Arboretum & Gardens, Valparaiso, Indiana.

Jennifer Brennan, Horticulture Information Specialist, Chalet, Wilmette.

“The starry little indigo flowers of Siberian squill (Scilla siberica) are some of my favorites. There was a house in my home town that had squill naturalized in the lawn. In mid-March the grass was sprinkled with blue blooms. Squill prefers well-drained soil and partial shade. I should note that squill will not take high foot traffic. Here at Taltree we have them planted in the Welcome Garden and they bloom with the ‘Tete-a-Tete’ daffodils. The yellow and purple creates an eye-catching combination.”

“This past year I fell in love with the multiflowering tulips, both Greigii tulips and specialty types. Three Greigii tulips are ‘Quebec’ (two-toned peach and cream), ‘Toronto’ (cherry red) and ‘Orange Toronto’ (orange red). Two specialty types are Tulipa
praestans ‘Fusilier’ (true red), and T.p. ‘Unicum’ (red flowers with white-edged leaves). Each stem has three to five flowers on it in early to mid-spring. They are short, so they do not blow over in the wind.”

Shirley Dommer Walczak, Gardens Director, Boerner Botanical Gardens, Hales Corners, WI.

“I like species tulips, including Kaufmanniana, Greigii and Tulipa praestans ‘Fusilier’. They’re dainty, but they’re hardy, hardy bulbs that come back year after year. Use them in the front of the border mixed with pansies to extend the show. Or add some Darwins, which are also good perennializers that bloom a little later.
If we get a nice, cool spring, the species tulips can bloom a good two weeks here.”