Mountain Gardener: Time to start thinking about bulbs

My resident squirrels are busy burying acorns for the winter. On the go from first light in the morning until dusk, they scurry up the oak trees to collect this prized food source and then deposit the acorns in the ground and in the pots on my deck, where they will surely forget where most of them are.
Their antics are frustrating, because I want to start planting bulbs sooner than Thanksgiving this year. I usually have to wait until later in the season, when the squirrels have finished loading up their pantry, to get them in the ground. Daffodils and narcissus are safe, but what would spring be without all the other gorgeous bulbs to welcome in the season?
This year, I’m going to try some different varieties of bulbs. And to foil the squirrels, I’m going to plant them really deep in areas that have excellent drainage.
Squirrels rarely dig far under the surface, so they aren’t likely to reach the bulbs. If you have less than stellar drainage, though, your bulbs will rot if you plant them deeply, so use chicken wire cages or gopher baskets when you plant them.
Next year, when they start to emerge from the soil, if the squirrels start eating the tops of the stems, spray the buds daily with hot-pepper spray. All mammals except humans hate hot peppers. I’ve also heard that paprika and eggshells deter them.
I love those huge, showy tulips, as well as the new colors of daffodil and narcissus coming out each year. But I want to add to the show next spring.
Maybe I’ll plant spring starflower, a variety of Ipheion. Their starry white flowers bloom over a long period in spring and they naturalize easily. Spring snowflake (Leucojum vernum) will also naturalize in the garden. The flowers are small and bell-shaped, white with a green or yellow spot, and have a slight fragrance. And I want to include some species of tulips. They will re-bloom year after year, just like they do in the wild in Europe, North Africa and Asia.
Another bulb I’ve wanted to grow for a long time is Ixia viridiflora. These need to be completely dry in summer, so planting in pots will be perfect for this most striking and unusual bulb. Few plants can beat it for sheer brilliance of flower. Each flower is a brilliant turquoise green with a purple-black eye in the middle. The dark eye is caused by the deep blue sap of the cells of the upper epidermis. The green color is due to light being refracted from the cell wall and granules embedded in the pale blue cell sap. A truly amazing flower.
I think tucking several huge allium bulbs among clumps of summer-flowering perennials will make quite a statement next year, and the deer generally avoid them, as they are in the garlic family. The flowers form in clusters and are best known in the round pompom form, but they can be star- or cup-shaped or nodding pendant-shaped. They look great with foxglove, Monardas and hardy geraniums. The flower heads can be left on the plant to dry, as they look attractive in the garden and can be cut for arrangements.
A bulb native to our area that I’m also interested in trying is Triteleia, called triplet lily. There are several species of this Brodiaea bulb found here in grasslands and serpentine soils. They are undemanding plants and make good cut flowers, lasting seven to 10 days in water.
Other interesting bulbs that I want to try include Hyacinthoides, Hermodactylus tuberosus and Bellevalia. All of them are beautiful. Don’t let October and November go by without planting a few bulbs to enjoy next spring.
Jan Nelson, a landscape designer and California certified nursery professional at Plant Works in Ben Lomond, will answer questions about gardening in the Santa Cruz Mountains. E-mail her at

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