BEST DEFENSE: A BETTER-TASTING BULB
One of the best defenses against bulb-eating animals is mixing the bitter with the sweet: harsh-tasting alliums and daffodils, for example, intermingled with beds of predator-magnet tulips.
Here is a more extensive list of proven pest-resistant bulbs, courtesy of the Netherlands Flower Bulb Information Center. All rank high on beauty and low on pest appeal, the center said.
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Allium, or ornamental onion. Blooms early spring to late summer. Hardy in USDA Zones 4 to 8.•
Chionodoxa or glory of the snow. Blooms late winter, early spring. Zones 4 to 8.•
Crocus. Blooms late winter, early spring. Zones 4 to 8.•
Eranthis or winter aconite, a member of the buttercup family. Blooms late winter, early spring. Zones 4 to 7.•
Fritillaria or mission bells. Blooms mid to late spring, depending upon variety. Zones 4 to 8.•
Galanthus or snowdrop. Blooms late winter, early spring. Zones 4 to 8.•
Hyacinthoides or bluebell. Blooms late spring. Zones 4 to 10.•
Hyacinthus or hyacinth. Blooms mid-spring. Zones 4 to 8.•
Muscari or grape hyacinth. Blooms mid to late spring, depending upon variety. Zones 4 to 9.•
Narcissus, more commonly known as daffodil. Blooms early to late spring, depending upon variety. Zones 4 to 11.•
Oxalis or wood sorel. Blooms mid-spring to fall, depending upon variety. Hardy in zones 7 to 10.
