Today’s Garden Ideas

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A great way to brighten up a shady spot in your garden is with Scillas. Their flowers range in shade from blue to pink. They form small bell shaped blooms and sit above strap like leaves. Scillas will rapidly spread to create a carpet of color.

Planting Locations

Scillas come in several varieties. Siberian Squills is hardy in zones

2-8 and has blue blooms. There is also a white form, ‘Alba’ available. Siberian Squills look awesome scattered in the lawn or grouped underneath a shrub. Spanish Bluebells have blue, pink, or white flowers and thrive in zones 3-9. If pink is your favorite color try ‘Dainty Maid’, a mauve-pink bloom. Spanish Bluebells look wonderful in a woodland setting and will quickly spread into a carpet of color. Peruvian Squill, or Cuban Lily grows best in zones 8-10. The blooms are violet-blue and these plants do well in poor, stony soil so plant them on slopes.

Plant Buddies

The soft pastels of Scillas blend well with many other bulbs, shrubs, and trees. Plant royal blue Siberian Squills ‘Spring Beauty’ under a Forsythia and mix with yellow clumps of ‘Jetfire’ Narcissi. If pink is your preference plant Scillas under a Magnolia. Try the pale violet ‘Excelsior’ Spanish Bluebells against the pink of the Magnolia. Or plant ‘Rosabella’ Spanish Bluebells under a pink flowering Crabapple tree for that beautiful pink on pink effect. Complete this picture using blue Forget-Me-Nots.

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Purchasing & Planting

When purchasing Scilla bulbs be sure they are large and plump. They should feel firm and smooth and you want to buy them in the fall as soon as they become available. Do not purchase soft moldy bulbs. Do not buy bulbs that have sprouted new growth.

To plant Scillas in a woodland setting place a stake in the ground for each bulb. Be sure to arrange in a natural-looking manner. Space your bulbs 4-11 inches apart. Thrust your trowel down vertically a full blade’s depth into the soil. Jostle the soil to loosen it. Add 1 tsp of bone meal to each blade slit and insert the Scilla bulb pointed end up about 4 inches down. Mark the area you planted the bulb to prevent trampling it. Water well and mulch with leaves in the fall. In late spring add a layer of compost to the area the bulbs are planted to fertilize the Scillas.

Growing Tips

Scillas prefer partial or full shade so they do very well under trees. They prefer well-drained soil but the soil can be of poor quality. To prevent Scillas from spreading quickly remove the flower before the seeds have a chance to drop. Interplant Scillas among bulbs that mice like to eat, as the onion smell of the Scillas will drive them away.

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Seasonal Care

For seasonal care being with planting in early fall as soon as the bulbs become available. In late spring cut back the Scilla foliage after it dies. Add 1-2 inches of compost over the bulb site. After several years, when Scilla clumps are thick, dig them up and start plantings in other areas.

Scilla bulbs can be attacked by bulb mites. Bulb mites are small yellowish pests with 2 brown spots on their backs. They burrow into the bulbs destroying them. The best way to get rid of bulb mites is to discard the rotted or infected bulbs.

Quick Facts

Scilla can spread up to 8 inches per plant and achieve a height of 15 inches. Scilla grows best in zones 2-10 in partial to full shade and in well-drained soil. Scilla is easy to grow and will self-seed freely and spread rapidly. It is fairly disease and pest resistant. In the spring it will display lovely flowers ranging in color from deep blue to white.