And even though seeing flowers bloom in the winter is immensely gratifying, many of the small bulbs have special qualities that make them even more appealing additions to your early spring garden. Here are four small bulbs that you'll definitely want to add.
Snowdrops should have a place in your garden because they're the earliest of all to bloom. There are 75 species and cultivars of snowdrops, according to bulb.com, but only two are in common cultivation. Galanthus nivallis, the common snowdrop, has dainty white flowers up to 1 inch across nod at the tips of arching green stems up to 6 inches (15 cm) tall. James E. Shields has a spectacular photo of Galanthus elwesii, the Giant Snowdrop, which is larger than the common snowdrop, and may bloom even earlier in some gardens. Galanthus n. 'Flore Pleno' has double flowers, but may be hard to find. A drift of snowdrops under trees or a grouping of shrubs is especially pleasing - and easy to achieve, as snowdrops reseed freely and spread well. Plant them in full sun through light shade in cool, moist soil.
Iris reticulata is prized not only for its deep rich colour but for its sweet scent. These flowers look exactly like their common name, Dwarf Iris. My personal favourite is the 'Harmony' cultivar, which has medium purple-blue standards, marked with gold on the falls, but 'Cantab', which has pale blue standards with orange-marked falls, and 'Natascha', which has white standards with yellow-striped falls, are also appealing. No matter which cultivar you choose, it will bloom early, in February through March. This
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