Spring is the season to think summer-flowering bulbs—everything from exotically fragrant lilies to ever-blooming shade-loving begonias. There is such a wide variety of sizes, shapes and color from which to choose—and some are even deer and vole resistant!
Dahlias
(Photo courtesy of NetPS Plant Finder)
First on the pest-resistant list are Dahlias. They have something to please almost everyone, from 12” tall varieties just perfect for containers to 5 foot tall varieties with flowers as big as dinner plates. They come in a wide range of colors from white to burgundy-black with every shade of red, yellow and pink in between and, once they begin blooming will continue to provide color into the fall.
Gladiolus & Calla Lillies
(Photo courtesy of NetPS Plant Finder)
Next, look for gladiolus. Glads are bright, sun-loving, and colorful—and excellent long-lasting cut flowers. Other good pest-resistant flowers for cutting are freesias, dramatic and elegant calla lilies, fragrant tuberoses, and exotic Peruvian daffodils.
Begonias
(Photo courtesy of NetPS Plant Finder)
For shade (and still deer-resistant), there are begonias, which will provide blooms well into the fall. Caladiums, with their brightly colored leaves, will live happily right alongside those begonias, while Elephant Ears will provide sheer drama in the background with their giant leaves and 6 foot height.
But don’t stop there. Be sure to check out crinum, with fragrant pink end-of-summer blooms, Acidanthera, with fragrant July flowers, Lily of the Nile, Galtonia, and Iris. Enjoy your flowers—while watching the deer munch on something else besides your garden!
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