Muscari are one of my favorite spring flowers. They are not as big and showy as tulips or daffodils, but they do have many endearing qualities:
- heavenly blue flowers
- ideal companions for every other type of bulb
- reliably perennial
- good -- like grape juice
- fade away quickly after they bloom
- rarely bothered by deer or rodents
- grow well in containers
- are good for forcing
Muscari Armeniacum
What to Love About Muscari
My favorite thing about muscari is the way the flowers are formed. Each one is so intricate and perfectly assembled. They remind me of the ornate brooches that I used to play with in my grandmother's jewelry box. For example, look at the amazing powder-blue flowers below. They're 'Valerie Finnis'.
Muscari Valerie Finnis
There are already many different varieties of muscari in my garden. But every fall I plant additional bulbs in pots, so I can admire their flowers up close. Last year was the first time I grew the amazing tri-color variety named 'Ocean Magic'.
Muscari Ocean Magic
Muscari are inexpensive bulbs, so feel free to plant them by the handful. Twenty-five bulbs bulbs costs less than $10, so you can try some fun creative projects.
Muscari White Magic
I like muscari all by themselves, but they are also the perfect bulbs to add to a pot of tulips or daffodils. Here they're mixed with daffodil 'Tete a Tete'.
Most of the 25 pots of bulbs that I planted this fall, included at least a handful of muscari. The pretty blue flowers and grassy foliage always seems to look just right.
What sorts of fall bulbs are you growing in containers? To learn more about growing muscari, read All About Muscari. To lear about growing fall-planted bulbs in containers, read: How to Grow Spring Bulbs in Containers.
