July 11 Column: Summer-Blooming Bulbs

Most gardeners enjoy adding tulips and daffodils to their flower beds, but what about summer-blooming bulbs? These include many breathtaking flowers that bring so much to our gardens. That’s the topic of this week’s garden column, which you can read in today’s edition of The Spokesman-Review: Brighten your landscape with different kinds of bulbs. (or you can read it at the bottom of this post)

While researching for this column, I discovered that my favorite summer-blooming bulbs are lilies. These include Asiatic, Oriental, Martagon and Orienpet. But I also included the beautiful Dutch iris and foxtail lilies. You will learn the hardiness zones for each, along with how tall they’ll grow and when they bloom. You’ll even see provided some suggestions of particularly stunning cultivars for each.

I also mentioned how I’d purchased some ‘Forever Susan’ Asiatic lily bulbs and planted them last year. I know, you’re probably rolling your eyes at the name but how could I not buy them? As you can see by the photo to the upper left, they are amazing! The photo at the top of this post is of an Oriental lily called ‘Salmon Star’.

In this week’s video, I show you when and how to harvest your garlic. I know there are a lot of new gardeners out there who are probably wondering about this very topic. I’m hoping it will be very helpful. Bill and I are crazy about garlic! It’s easy to grow, harvest and dry so you can store it for later use.

Summer-blooming bulbs garden column:

When gardeners think of flower bulbs, they often picture tulips, daffodils and hyacinths. Each of these are planted in the fall and bloom in spring. It can be easy to overlook summer-blooming bulbs but this is their time to shine in the garden.

It’s important to think outside the box when collecting plants for your flower beds. Perennials come back year after year and annual flowers provide season-long bloom. But flowering bulbs provide lovely accents with their colorful or unusual blossoms. Some have intoxicating fragrances as well.

Last fall, I purchased some Asiatic lily bulbs called ‘Forever Susan’. With that name, I thought it’d be fun to add them to my garden. As you can see by the photo, the flowers are amazing so I’m glad I chose them.

Susan’s picks for summer-blooming bulbs

Let’s take a look at some of the more notable offerings that garden centers and online suppliers carry. I have included bulbs that extend the spring color display by blooming from May to June. Most of them prefer full sun. Some nurseries ship these bulbs in the fall while others deliver them in early spring.

Asiatic lilies (Lilium auratum) _ Even though they don’t have a fragrance, these lilies are knockouts in the garden. They are hardy in zones 4 to 8, grow 3 to 4 feet tall and bloom in June and July. In addition to Forever Susan, look for Tiger Babies, Morpho Pink, Patricia’s Pride, Apricot Fudge and Easy Dance.

Dutch iris (Iris x hollandica) _ These stunning flowers look fantastic in groups. They are hardy in zones 5 to 8, bloom in May to June and grow about 2 feet tall. Take a look at Discovery and Eye of the Tiger.

Foxtail lilies (Eremurus) _ Also known as desert candle, these lilies feature giant flower stalks that remind me of fireworks shooting up into the sky. They are hardy in zones 5 to 8, grow 3 to 6 feet tall, attract pollinators and bloom in May or June. So far, I’m growing peachy-pink Romance but would like to add Cleopatra, Orange Marmalade and White Beauty.

Martagon lilies (Lilium martagon) _ I fell in love with these beauties while watching the English gardening program called Gardener’s World but was certain they wouldn’t be hardy enough to grow in the Inland Northwest. Boy was I wrong. They are hardy down to zone 3, reach 3 to 4 feet in height and bloom in May and June. I’m growing Arabian Knight but also have my eye on Claude Shride and Sunny Morning.

Orienpet lilies (oriental x trumpet) _ These unusually-named lilies are a cross between an Oriental lily and a trumpet lily. They have the fabulous fragrance that Oriental lilies are known for and get their taller stature from trumpet lilies. Orienpets are hardy in zones 4 to 8 and bloom in July and August. Conca d’Or, Pretty Woman and High Tea grow 4 to 5 feet tall. Montego Bay and Purple Prince can reach up to 6 feet in height.

Oriental lilies (Lilium orientalis) _ If you’re looking for eye-catching blossoms with exotic fragrances, these bulbs are for you. They are hardy in zones 5 to 8, grow 3 to 4 feet tall and bloom in July and August. I recommend Casa Blanca, Stargazer, Editha, Salmon Star and Garden Party.

No matter which summer bulbs you add to your garden, they are certain to make you beam with pride when it’s their turn to bloom.