I think is interesting is to note how much abuse many spring bulbs can take. Some observations and thoughts and a few images from the database to illustrate, but no current images:
A while back we had a few cold nights with temperatures down to -15℃/ 5℉. No protecting snow cower. We still have frozen ground but the foliage is completely thawed since a few days. Time to assess the damage before we freezes again.
As expected the snowdrops are unharmed and with nice fat buds. I have never experienced freeze damage on snowdrops.
I noted that
Anemone coronaria sustained lighter damage, but I still have hopes for a good spring bloom.
Ipheon uniflorum is also damaged as it likes to start to grow early in the autumn. Ipheon is a nice bulb, but as it seems dependent of a mild winter for best development I may let it go. When viewed from a distance the common
Scilla looks almost identical and is much more floriferous in my climate. They are also basically available in the same colors, but I think the
Scilla are less susceptible to fade in strong sun. It's also earlier, tolerates more shade and naturalizes better for me. Does anyone grow both? If so, which do you prefer?
Allium 'Summer Drummer' is interesting in that it's up around 4-5 inches already, but looked unharmed. I've read dutch recommendation to plant this one early for best development, so I did. Now the question is, will it be able to survive the winter? I've also read recommendations from the Latvian bulb grower Jāņa Dukaļska that 'Summer Drummer' should be planted late as to avoid early growth, as it can be damaged by frost. I'm somewhere in between the mild Dutch climate and the Latvian, so will be interesting to note what works best here. It should really be a very tall growing Allium, but I believe
@jmorth mentioned in another thread that it was shorter growing for him? Is it possible that winter cold disrupts its growth as it is inclined to start growing very early?
Finally I want to celebrate the tulip. Of course they are very tolerant of freezes when in bud, but I've had early potted tulips in full bloom coming straight from my unheated greenhouse, yet managing night temperatures down to -7℃/19.4℉ outdoors unprotected. The stems where completely bent and I though for sure I lost them, yet they survived. They where allowed to thaw in the shade as direct sun after frost can be potentially harmful. I don't remember which cultivar this was, but I'm fairly certain it was a
kaufmanniana.
