Bulbs will be Available for Pickup in time for Fall Planting
Area gardeners looking to bring colorful blooms to their gardens next year will want to check out the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley (MSV) Online Spring Bulb Sale.
Beginning August 1 and running through August 15, a selection of bulbs frequently planted in the Museum’s seven acres of gardens will be available for purchase here. Bulbs will arrive in time for fall planting and will be available for pick up at the MSV from November 1 through November 6.
“This is a great opportunity to purchase plants that are tried and true performers in the MSV landscape,” says Perry Mathewes, MSV director of gardens and deputy director, museum operations. Mathewes notes that the online sale features plants that are visitor and staff favorites as well as some unusual varieties that may be hard to find at neighborhood garden centers, such as the guinea hen flower, Spanish bluebells, and red crown imperial.
The 2022 online sale features 11 varieties of bulbs, all of which may be found in the MSV gardens and range from early, mid-, and late-spring flowering bulbs. Varieties available include netted iris (Kathie’s Spring Garden, Picnic Area), guinea hen flower (Water Garden, Asian Garden), red crown imperial (Knot Garden, Parterre Garden), the Carlton daffodil (Kathie’s Spring Garden), Spanish bluebells (Kathie’s Spring Garden), purple sensation allium (Perennial Garden), tulips (Parterre Garden), hyacinth (Kathie’s Spring Garden), windflower (Picnic Area), and crocus (throughout the landscape).
Bulbs may only be purchased online via credit card (no on-site cash transactions) and bulbs must be picked up at the MSV (shipping not available). A catalogue detailing the spring-flowering bulbs is available to download here and shoppers are invited to email questions to gardener@theMSV.org.
Proceeds from the Spring Bulb Sale benefit the maintenance of the MSV gardens. MSV Members receive a 10% discount on bulb sale purchases. Those interested in joining the MSV may do so here.
A regional cultural center, the MSV is located at 901 Amherst Street in Winchester, Virginia. The MSV includes a galleries building that presents permanent and rotating exhibitions, the Glen Burnie House, seven acres of formal gardens, and The Trails at the MSV, a free-admission art park open daily from 7 a.m. to dusk. The galleries are open year-round and the house and gardens are open April through December. Additional details are available here or by calling 540-662-1473, ext. 235.
Crocus - Tommies (crocus tommasinianus). Small purple flowers announce that spring is on the way in the most cheerful manner. These diminutive flowers are great for naturalizing in a lawn or a sunny woodland area. Naturalizes by offsets and self-seeding and will often form nice drifts of flowers when it is in a happy spot. Likes well-drained soil. Blooms earlier than the Dutch crocuses.
Hyacinth - Blue/White mix (Hyacinthus). This is a blend of blue and white hyacinths. In early Spring 8-10" tall fragrant blooms will perfume the air. Great for planting along a walk where the smell will greet each passerby. Bulbs can perennialize but the blooms will be looser as the years go by.
Netted Iris (Iris reticulata 'Harmony'). This very-early blooming, diminutive blue iris is the perfect harbinger for spring. Great for planting in mass or small clusters dotted throughout the garden. Deer resistant.
Windflower - Blue Shades (Anemone blanda). This is an assortment of blue shaded small daisy-like flowers which bloom in early Spring. Typically growing 4-8" tall, they can form a nice little carpet of color. Soak tubers before planting and place 3-5" apart and, despite its name, protect them from winter winds. Will go dormant in the summer. Can be used in a container.
Guinea Hen Flower (Fritillaria meleagris). Also called the Checkered Lily, these delicate bell-shaped flowers perch atop 15" tall stems checkered in dark colors of reddish-brown and purple. Deer do not browse on the mid-spring bloomers. Left alone, they will gradually naturalize in the shady garden.
Red Crown Imperial (Fritillaria imperialis 'Rubra Maxima'). A cluster of orange-red flowers peek out under a tuft of leaves. The flowers stand tall on a 3-4' high stem and make a statement at the back of the spring border. The slightly malodorous plant discourages deer and other rodents.
Daffodil - Carlton (Narcissus 'Carlton'). This is an early blooming two-tone, yellow-flowered daffodil. The large blooms perch atop 14" stems. It multiplies easily so is an investment for not only next spring, but for many springs to come. Deer and rodent resistant.
Tulip - Maureen (Tulipa 'Maureen'). This single late is an ivory white tulip. Tall (25") and featuring a goblet shaped flower, this is a classic tulip for any garden. It is one of the last tulips to bloom, generally late April in Winchester and is stunning with other spring flowers.
Tulip - Menton (Tulipa 'Menton'). This single late tulip is a rich pink with a touch of salmon on the edges. It is a tall tulip, standing 23-25" high. Blooming late in the tulip season, we generally see it flower in Winchester in late April - just in time for the Apple Blossom Festival.
Allium - Purple Sensation (Allium 'Purple Sensation'). This perennial features a 4" globe of purple flowers blooming on stalks over 2 feet tall. This late blooming bulb makes a great cut or dried flower. Looks good in clusters or as a mass planting. Deer resistant.
Spanish Bluebells (Hyacinthoides hispanica 'Excelsior'). These late blooming spikes of lavender-blue flowers are great for naturalizing under shade trees. Blooming in later spring; naturalizes and will spread. Foliage will go dormant in the summer so it does well with late flowering summer perennials.