The THRILLS of squills
Let little-known scillas bring colour and some understated glamour to your plot next spring
DAFFODILS, tulips and alliums are generally considered the poster children for springflowering bulbs. However, there’s another type, which doesn’t have such a high-profile, that will bring colour, cheer and understated glamour to gardens. I’m referring to scillas – a group of sensational bulbous perennials that deserve to be more widely grown.
Sometimes referred to by their common name of squills, these largely pint-sized beauties (there are a few that are more statuesque) produce a cluster of linear leaves and short spikes of dangling bell or star-shaped flowers in shades of white, pink, purple and blue.
The blooms of most will light up the garden between February and June, depending on variety.
Like other spring-flowering bulbs, scillas are available now from garden centres, nurseries and DIY stores, although online specialists will stock a wider range.
The bulbs are ideal for growing under trees, naturalising in grass or setting at the front of displays, and are best planted at some point before November, after which they start to deteriorate.
Scillas are native to Europe, southwest Asia, the Middle East and southern Africa, where they can be found growing in a range of locations, from rocky ground to woodland. Of the 90 or so wild species, two are indigenous to Britain – Scilla verna and S.autumnalis. The first is a fairly common coastal wildflower, while the other is restricted to sites in southern England.
ONE of my favourites was originally thought to have come from Peru, and in the 18th Century was erroneously given the botanical name Scilla peruviana. In fact, it’s native to the Mediterranean, and the blunder over its name is believed by some historians to have arisen from samples of the plant arriving in northern Europe on a ship named Peru.
The plant itself is an architectural wonder. In late spring and early summer, a basal rosette of long, glossy, lance-shaped leaves act as the perfect backdrop for stout, 10 in stalks topped with 4 in-wide rounded flower heads that are made up of around 100 star-shaped, lavenderblue blooms. It’s hardy down to minus 5C and close to evergreen in mild parts of the country.
Breeding work on S.peruviana and other wild species has delivered scores of named varieties.
Most are diminutive, featuring flower stems that range in height from 3in to 10in. A few are loftier, such as S. madeirensis with its 19in stems capped by cone-shaped, purple flower heads, and S.hyacinthoides, whose violet-blue flowers are displayed on 4 ft stalks.
As much as I like scillas, avoid hyacinth squill, often sold as Scilla hispanica or Hyacinthoides hispanica. Also known as Spanish bluebell, it spreads rapidly and will elbow more mild-mannered plants out of the way. In the countryside, it outcompetes our native bluebell.
Over the years I’ve received many emails from readers asking how to control this thug. Unfortunately, there is no quick fix. Dig them up when in full leaf and sift the soil to capture any small bulbs. Then, when new leaves reappear the following year, repeat the process.
Don’t scrimp when it comes to buying scilla bulbs. For maximum impact, arrange in clusters or swathes of ten or more in beds and borders, planting bulbs 4in deep (there should be an obvious pointy end that needs to be facing upwards) and about 3in apart. They like fertile, well-drained soil and will flourish in either full sun or partial shade – avoid damp ground or full shade at all costs.
Ignore the above advice when it comes to growing Scilla peruviana and any of its varieties. It flowers best in a warm, sunny spot, and in its natural environment plants grow close to the surface or even with the neck of the bulb above the ground. Imitate this quirk by planting bulbs so tips are just visible. Arrange in groups of three or five, leaving a gap of 8in between each.
Several types (Scilla siberica, S.luciliae
and S.bifolia among others) are perfect for adding a splash of colour to lawns. Rather than arranging them, aim to create a natural-looking display by scattering bulbs by hand and planting wherever they land. If they are happy with conditions, plants will self-seed freely to form impressive colonies.