Intro to Heirlooms, Fall sampler    

Sampler

Our most popular sampler! It’s an easy, money-saving introduction to the joys of antique bulbs. We’ll send you at least $35 worth of diverse, time-tested, fall-planted bulbs for just $30. They’ll all be labeled, great for your hardiness zone, and may include daffodils, lilies, hyacinths, tulips, crocus, and other treasures. It’s fun, it’s easy, and it’s a deal! Diverse Fall care.

Southern Belles sampler    

Sampler

Tough enough to laugh at high heat, poor soils, and even hurricanes, these beauties have graced gardens throughout the South (and warm West) for generations. We’ll send you 1 red spider lily, 1 oxblood lily, 3 ‘Excelsior’ Spanish bluebells, 3 ‘Gravetye Giant’ snowflakes, and 5 Southern grape hyacinths. For zones 7a-8b(9bWC) only.

For more of each variety, order additional samplers. Diverse Fall care.

Woodland Sprites sampler    

Sampler

These wild little charmers will multiply happily in light shade and soil that’s not too dry in zones 5b-7b(8bWC). You’ll get 5 Grecian windflowers, 5 winter aconites, 5 snake’s-head fritillaries, 5 silver bells, and 5 Siberian squill.

For 10, 15, or more of each, order additional samplers. Diverse Fall care.

Allium senescens subsp. montanum,
German garlic     1800

Bees and butterflies love these lavender pompons blooming over tufts of neat green foliage. Although few alliums were popular until recently, German garlic is listed in E.S. Rand’s 1866 Bulbs and in 1900 Liberty Hyde Bailey called it one of just six “in general cultivation.” Drought-tolerant, 16-20 inches, zones 4a-7b(9bWC), from our Ann Arbor micro-farm. Chart and care.

Allium sphaerocephalum,
purple-headed garlick     1766

In America’s first bulb catalog in 1820, William Prince listed just one allium: “purple-headed garlick.” Often called “drumsticks” today, this easy, deer-resistant perennial has 1-inch, egg-shaped flowerheads that start green, turn rose, and end up wine-red. Cool! 30-36”, zones 4a-7b(9bWC), from Holland. Chart and care.

Anemone blanda ‘Blue Shades’,
blue Grecian windflower     1854

Cheap, easy to grow, and “one of the loveliest of flowers,” as Louise Beebe Wilder wrote in 1936, this woodland gem naturalizes happily in bright shade. Typically blue-flowered in the wild, it first appeared in American catalogs in the 1890s and grew in popularity with the rise of shade gardening in the 20th century. Light shade, 4-6”, zones 5a-8a(9bWC), from Holland. Chart and care.

Arisaema triphyllum,
jack-in-the-pulpit     1664

Aka Indian turnip, this shade-loving favorite was offered in America’s first bulb catalog by William Prince of New York in 1820. It flourishes in moist woodlands from Maine to Minnesota and south to the Gulf, with entertaining green-and-brown striped flowers in spring and (when well-established) bright red berries in fall. 12-30”, zones 4a-8b(9bWC), dormant corms, nursery-grown for us in Tennessee. Chart, care, and learn more.

Chionodoxa sardensis,
Turkish glory-of-the-snow     1883

In early spring the woodland slopes of Wave Hill high above the Hudson are aglow with vast drifts of this sapphire-blue wildflower. Much more deeply-colored and a bit shorter than common glory-of-the-snow, it blooms at crocus time, naturalizes eagerly, and was awarded an RHS AGM as a plant so good it belongs in every garden. 4-6”, zones 4a-7b(9bWC), from Holland. Chart and care.

Cyclamen hederifolium,
sowbread cyclamen     1597

We’re proud to deliver big bulbs, 3-4 inches across, of this early fall-blooming cyclamen that bulb-guru John Bryan calls “the first choice for most gardens.” Known as sowbread back in Shakespeare’s time, today it’s more often called ivy-leaved cyclamen because of its angular, silver-patterned leaves which, oddly enough, appear after the flowers. Give it light shade and humus-rich soil that’s dryish in summer. Aka C. neapolitanum, 4-6”, zones 6a-7b(9bWC), from Holland. Chart and care.

Dicentra cucullaria,
Dutchman’s breeches     1731

Scott’s first-grade teacher Mrs. Trickett introduced him to these curious little woodland wildflowers that have been grown in gardens since colonial days. Decades later he planted a few in a shady spot in his garden where they’ve multiplied happily. Over finely-cut, soft green leaves, their flowers dangle like old-fashioned Dutch pantaloons, charming all who see them. Formerly Dielytra and Corydalis, 7-10”, zones 3a-7b(8bWC), nursery-grown for us in Tennessee. Chart and care.

Eranthis hyemalis,
winter aconite     1578

If these extra-early cups of sunshine have failed you, try ours! Blooming even earlier than snowdrops, they multiply eagerly in light shade (their seeds are spread by ants) and are so animal-proof that the Elizabethans called them Little Yellow Woolfes-bain. 3-5”, zones 5a-7b(8bWC), from Holland. Chart, care, and learn more.

Freesia alba,
antique freesia     1878

Rarest

One of our greatest treasures, this is the original, blissfully fragrant, wild white freesia that naturalizes happily in Mediterranean climates with mild, dry summers. It’s also “entirely at home in the South, returning faithfully,” says Scott Ogden in Garden Bulbs for the South, so expert gardeners may want to try it there, too. Smaller than modern forms, 6-12”, zones 8a-8a(10bWC), grown for us in California. Chart and care.

Fritillaria meleagris,
snake’s-head fritillary     1572

One of our perennial bestsellers, this odd little bulb has nodding flowers of maroon and dusky rose (or occasionally white), and each is checkered! Grown since colonial days, it prefers light shade and cool, moist sites. We forgot to plant some until February one year and they still bloomed! Aka guinea-hen flower, 10-12”, zones 4a-7b(8bWC), from Holland. Chart and care.

Galanthus elwesii,
Elwes or giant snowdrop     1875

If you like traditional snowdrops (and who doesn’t?), you’ll love G. elwesii. Don’t let the “giant” in its name put you off. It simply looks like an especially robust, well-grown G. nivalis and blooms even earlier. Animal-proof, 6-8”, more heat-tolerant than G. nivalis, zones 5a-8a(9aWC), from Holland. Chart and care.

Galanthus,
Magnet snowdrop     1889

Rarest & It’s Back!

One of the most popular snowdrops for over a century, this strong-growing beauty holds its flowers on unusually long pedicels which, in the words of the great E.A. Bowles, “causes them to swing to and fro in a slight breeze,” making it especially graceful and “easily recognized even from a distance.” It’s been a couple years since we last offered this treasure, so get it while you can! 5-7”, zones 3a-7a(8aWC), from Holland. Chart, care, and learn more.

Galanthus,
S. Arnott snowdrop     1922

Voted best of all by experts at an RHS conference in 2004, ‘S. Arnott’ was sent by Scotsman Sam Arnott to collector Henry Elwes sometime before 1922. It’s a “tall, handsome, well-proportioned chap with attractively rounded blooms,” writes Naomi Slade in The Plant Lovers Guide to Snowdrops. It’s “very easy to grow” and “increases reliably,” and its “sweet strong scent” makes it “a great cut flower.” Aka ‘Sam Arnott’, 8-10”, zones 4b-7b(9bWC), from Holland. Chart and care.

Gladiolus byzantinus,
Byzantine gladiolus     1629

Rarest

Expensive but worth it, this is NOT the puny, cheap impostor you’ll get virtually everywhere else, but the authentic, deep magenta heirloom that’s winter hardy to zone 6 and multiplies happily year after year. A wild, perennial glad, it blooms with graceful, orchid-like flowers in earliest summer as it has since colonial days. Bill Welch of Texas A&M calls it “a delightful plant often found in old cottage gardens,” Christopher Lloyd planted it lavishly at Great Dixter, and our customers rave about it! Aka G. communis var. byzantinus ‘Cruentus’, 24-36”, zones 6a-9b(11bWC), from California. Learn more. Chart and care.

Hyacinthoides hispanica ‘Excelsior’,
blue Spanish bluebell     1601

Rugged and fool-proof, this easy classic thrives virtually everywhere. “The stately Spanish bluebell is found in all old Southern gardens,” Elizabeth Lawrence wrote, and it’s hardy north to zone 5, too (or even 3, some say!). ‘Excelsior’ dates back to 1906 and is the most vigorous and floriferous form. Aka wood hyacinth, squill, late spring blooming, 15-18”, zones 5a-8b(10bWC), from Holland. Chart and care.

Hyacinthoides non-scripta,
English bluebell     1200

True stock of this legendary wildflower is all but impossible to get today (it crosses too freely with Spanish bluebells in the Dutch bulb fields), but ours come from a small nursery in Wales where it’s native and still 100% pure. With slender, arching, honey-scented blooms, it’s easy to see why it’s been so well-loved for so long – though please note that unless you live in a mild, moist climate, Spanish bluebells (above) are much easier to grow. 12-15”, zones 6a-7b(9bWC), from cool, green Wales. Chart, care, and learn more.

Hyacinthoides hispanica,
white Spanish bluebell     1601

As easy to grow as the much more common blue forms, the white Spanish bluebell has been lighting up shady gardens for hundreds of years. In 1927 landscape architect Stephen Child recommended it for stylish white perennial borders, noting that it was “very attractive” in the Dutch garden at San Francisco’s Panama-Pacific International Exposition. Aka wood hyacinth, squill, late-spring blooming, 15-18”, zones 5a-8b(10bWC), from Holland. Chart and care.

Iris holandica,
Sapphire Beauty iris     1953

This striking form of Iris holandica (Dutch iris) lights up the garden in late May and June with rich purplish-blue blossoms highlighted by sunny yellow on the elegant falls. Reliably increases over time, but unlike bearded iris doesn’t need to be divided, forming lovely low-maintenance clusters. What could be better? 18-24”, zones 5b-9b(10bWC), from Holland. Chart.

Iris histriodes,
Katharine Hodgkins iris     1955

With larger flowers and more vigorous than many other reticulated iris, ‘Katharine Hodgkin’ is a well-loved hybrid that blooms with the early crocus, has light blue and yellow blossoms overlaid with dark blue spots and stripes, and is sweetly fragrant! For best effect, plant in clusters so these 4-6” beauties catch the eye their first year; they’ll multiply in future years and can be transplanted after their leaves die back. Zones 5b-9b(10bWC), from Holland. Chart and learn more.

Leucojum aestivum,
Gravetye Giant snowflake     1596

Animal-proof! Above leaves that look like a daffodil’s, clusters of white bells tipped with green dots dangle gracefully. Standing 18-24 inches tall, ‘Gravetye Giant’ is the hardiest, most floriferous snowflake, introduced in 1924 from Gravetye Manor (say GRAVE-tie), the home of William Robinson, “father of the English perennial border.” And even pocket gophers leave them alone! Aka snowdrops or dewdrops (especially in the South), zones 5a-9b, from Holland. Chart and care.

Lycoris radiata var. radiata,
red spider lily     1821

This is the original Southern heirloom – a triploid, which gives it extra vigor – not the smaller, earlier-blooming Japanese diploid that most sources offer today. Legend has it that it was introduced into New Bern, NC, by a US Navy captain in the 1850s and spread across the country from there. With clusters of exotic, coral-red flowers, it lights up the late summer garden like fireworks, even in light shade. 18-24”, zones 7a-10b, from Arizona. Chart and care.

Lycoris squamigera,
surprise lily, magic lily     1889

In late summer, bare stalks rocket up out of nowhere, opening into shimmering, lavender-pink, amaryllis-like flowers. Surprise! Also known as naked ladies and resurrection lily, this Asian wildflower is “nearly ideal for the middle and upper South,” Scott Ogden writes in Garden Bulbs for the South. It blooms here in chilly zone-6 Ann Arbor, too, if you can give it a sunny site that stays relatively dry in summer – and patience as it re-establishes itself. 36”, zones 5b-8a(8bWC), from North Carolina. Learn more. Chart and care.

Muscari neglectum,
Southern grape hyacinth     1629

Dark, midnight-blue starch hyacinths or blue bottles have made themselves at home and multiplied without care in sunny gardens and shady lawns throughout the South for generations – and they do equally well up North! (If you’re looking for the original grape hyacinth, we’re sad to say it has recently gone “commercially extinct.”) From Holland, 6-10”, zones 5a-8b(9bWC). Chart and care.

Ornithogalum nutans,
silver bells     1629

We love these subtle, Quakerish bells of silver and sage that have been grown since colonial days. They thrive in light shade, bloom in late spring, and are much too rarely seen today. They’re cheap, too – so why not take a small leap and try a few? 8-12”, zones 5b-8b, from Holland. Chart and care.

Rhodophiala bifida,
oxblood lily     1807

Also called hurricane and schoolhouse lilies, these brilliant heirlooms look like short, slender, blood-red amaryllises. Extra tough, they thrive in clay or sand and often mark abandoned homesites. They were introduced from the Andes in 1807, brought to Texas by German settlers about 1865, and were offered by the Lily Nursery of Jacksonville, Florida, by 1881. Ours is the true ‘Hill Country Red’ heirloom, formerly Amaryllis advena, Habranthus hesperius, and Hippeastrum advenum, 12-18”, zones 7a-10b, from California. Chart and care.

Scilla siberica,
Siberian squill     1796

Vast pools of this true blue wildflower spangle many old neighborhoods in very early spring, spreading without care in light shade, under shrubs and into lawns. Grown in America by 1830, its heyday was the early 1900s when one writer recommended planting “hundreds and thousands in every garden.” We’d be happy to help you with that! 4-6”, zones 3a-7b(9bWC), from Holland. Chart and care.

Sternbergia lutea,
sternbergia     1596

“Perhaps the best of fall-flowering bulbs,” writes John Bryan in his encyclopedic Bulbs. Often called fall daffodils, sternbergia look more like big, lemon-yellow crocus. They do best in sunny sites that are dryish in summer and not too harsh in winter. (Learn more.) Though grown since colonial days and “once plentiful” according to Elizabeth Lawrence, by 1942 they were “so neglected they disappeared from all but a few” old gardens. Isn’t it time for a renaissance? 6-9”, zones 6a-9b(10bWC), from Holland. Chart and care.

Trillium grandiflorum,
trillium     1799

This simple but stunning wildflower that Allan Armitage calls “the epitome of woodland natives” is also a great garden plant. As far back as 1805 Philadelphia nurseryman Bernard McMahon recommended bringing it in from the woods to “grace and embellish the flower-garden,” and in 1870 William Robinson featured a full-page image of it in his ground-breaking The Wild Garden. Best in light shade and moist, humus-rich soil, 12-16”, zones 4a-7b(8bWC), dormant rhizomes, nursery-grown for us in Tennessee. Chart and care.