Tired of tulips and daffodils? I offer no less beautiful bulbous flowers. Everyone would be planted!

Fiery fireworks, fellow flower growers!

Bulb alternatives to tulip and daffodil are on the agenda today. They are, without a shadow of a doubt, very beautiful flowers, deservedly loved by the gardener's heart. But sometimes the soul requires something new. Let's take a look at the plants that deserve a place in your garden no less than the usual tulips and daffodils.

Pushkinia: pygmy hyacinth

Perhaps, it is difficult to imagine something nicer than spring Pushkinia. "Disheveled" petals of delicate colors are collected in small flowers-stars. The modest height of leaves and stems (from 15 to 20 cm), rapid growth of bulbs and abundant self-seeding promise the imminent appearance of lush flower pillows. Behind which, at the peak of flowering, no land is visible.

• Blooms in April-May.
• Planting children - in the fall.
• Grows well without care. Pushkinia's only wish for high decorativeness and rapid reproduction is to prevent the soil from drying out too much while the leaves hold. Shelter for the winter, of course, is not needed.

Important advice to comrades: All bulbous plants in the post-flowering period will benefit from complete mineral fertilizing, preferably with a focus on phosphorus and potassium. But the universal "Nitroammofoska" will do. One procedure - decorativeness and growth rates increase!

The first thing that comes to mind when the name "Pushkinia" is dedication to the great poet. Far from it! The name was given in honor of the discoverer of a modest but attractive plant - chemist and mineralogist Musin-Pushkin.

Galanthus: a classic of the spring genre

Snowdrops are associated with the fabulous magic of the arrival of spring warmth after a cold and dark winter. Their bloom is always a joy. I don't understand why flower growers rarely plant them in their gardens. Maybe it's time to correct the mistake and look in the direction of planting Galanthus in a flower bed?

• Super-early bloom: sometimes as early as March (exact time depends on the region).
• Planting bulbs: in autumn.
• Galanthus grows beautifully on its own. For snowdrops to show themselves in all their glory, plant them in open areas. Avoid low areas where melt water accumulates.

Many interesting legends have been created about the snowdrop. According to one of them, Galanthus is the very first flower on earth that the Creator created to comfort the frozen Eve.

Ixia: long and abundant flowering - this is for her

We have already talked about "delicate" colors. Let's add colors to the flower bed. In the skill of spring painting in the garden, few can compete with multi-colored ixia.

• A pleasant bonus of Ixia, which it will give to its owner, is long flowering for 3-4 weeks. It occurs in late spring and early summer.
• In most of Russia, the cute Ixia bulbs are planted in late April or early May. In the southern regions, early planting or planting before winter is possible.
• Ixia is a thermophilic flower. Dig up its bulbs at the end of July and store until next planting.

All hybrid Ixia is bred on the basis of species plants. They come from the African Cape region, and therefore are distinguished by their love of warmth. But, comrade, believe me: the fuss with the onions is worth it!

Ifeion: stars in the spring flower bed

Another bulbous flower that growers undeservedly bypass is a plant with a strange but melodious name "Ifeion". These are noble flower-stars, similar to a monochromatic silk cloth. Perhaps they cannot compete in pomp with fringed tulips. Ipheion stars have their own attractive beauty.

• Like ixia, ifeion pleases the eye for a long time: over several spring weeks.
• Plant the bulbs in April to see the cute ifeion flowers in your flower bed.
• A hassle-free plant. Very happy with mineral fertilizing. Without shelter, it tolerates frosts down to -10 ° C, and in other cases it must be covered with spruce branches and agrofibre.

The bright variety "Jesse" looks especially decorative.

Grouse: likes to be noticed

Do you like scope? Take a bright and large imperial hazel grouse without a shadow of a doubt. The height of the plant is an impressive 80 cm, and the top is crowned with a carousel-crown of orange bell-flowers.

• Imperial beauty pleases the eye in late April and early May. Drooping bells last 2-3 weeks on average.
• The bulbs are planted in the fall.

Comrade! When planting the imperial hazel grouse, it is worth considering its dimensions. The distance between him and other inhabitants of the flower bed must be at least 30 cm. So there is enough space for everyone.