The Marigold Potager – A Zone 3 Prairie Garden

I love colour in the spring. The blooms from bulbs popping up as soon as the days start getting a little bit longer, sunnier, warmer.

However. I have a family of deer that come through the yards in the early mornings. I also have a bunny living underneath my front stairs. Not a cute little ‘As, isn’t that adorable’ kind of bunny, but an actual hare type bunny. She/he is big!

So, no pretty tulips out front for me! Here are 5 of my favourite deer and bunny resistant spring flowering bulbs. I would say bunny and deer proof… but nothing is ever certain when it comes to nature….

These are all super hardy, will thrive even in our zone 3 gardens, but I planted them in my zone 7, as well. I love these in the garden wherever I go!

1. Crocus

Hardy, pretty, early. These guys will even bloom through the snow. They steadily spread to make a bigger display year after year.

Plant them in the lawn, plant them as border plants along your front pathway. They work everywhere and are such a lovely sight in early spring.

These early spring charmers open wide on sunny days and close tightly when the skies cloud over, adding a dynamic touch to borders, containers, or naturalized lawns.

Check out this yellow and purple one at Vesey’s or this lovely violet coloured Ruby Giant at Coast Farms.

2. Alliums

All the bigger and taller alliums are stunning in the garden. A burst of long lasting colour in the early spring garden.

I must admit to not much liking the smaller drumstick kind. I tore them out of my former garden as they just looked weedy. Perhaps in a smaller garden, or a rock garden? Where they can be the star of the show.

Purple Sensation is one of my all time favourites, with its globe-shaped clusters of vivid violet, starry blooms. They are low-maintenance and bring striking vertical interest to garden beds and borders. Best of all? Though deer and bunnies will not touch them, pollinators can’t get enough!

This white and purple allium package would give you a similar look as the one above, or check out this one in pink, purple, and white.

3. Glory of the Snow (Chionodoxa)

I’m always looking for low growing bulbs and flowers to plant by pathways and along the edges of my garden beds. This delicate, pretty flower is so hardy, and so lovely. Takes a while to multiply so do not let these photos fool you into thinking you will get this look in a hurry, unless you plant a hundred or more ; )

Chionodoxa forbesii. Called ‘Glory of the Snow’ because they bloom so incredibly early in spring. Bright blue flowers with a white center are care-free and will naturalize easily. Height 4-6″.

Comes in pink, white, purple, and blue. Here is a colourful package from Vesey’s.

4. Grape Hyacinths (Muscari)

An absolute favourite of mine. I start planting these as soon as I move to any new property. The leaves come up in the fall and the flowers follow in the spring. They multiply over the years, which is why I like to get them in as soon as I can.

Muscari comes in pink, white, dark blue, and light blue. I like to buy the set that you see in the picture, as it combines grape hyacinths with glory of the snow and squill. All are deer resistant, all are low growing, and all will multiply over the years. This blue and white mix is also on my list.

5. Puschkinia (Squill)

There are two types of small flowering bulbs that are commonly called Squill. The striped ones (above) are feathery, pretty in white veined with blue.

These early bloomers are low-growing bulbs, perfect for naturalizing in the lawn, border gardens, rock gardens, or in spring bulb container plantings . They are relatives of Spanish and English Bluebells so you know they will gracefully spread and add spring charm.

I add a few more of these to my border beds each year. They will spread with time to become a lovely, low-growing border of white and blue in early spring.

Can be ordered from here and here.

6. Scilla (Siberian Squill)

Scilla is a dainty little clump of the perfect blue colour. It also spreads slowly, over the years. Such a pretty addition to the spring garden.

Siberian Squill is one of the best naturalizing bulbs in Canadian gardens. It is hardy and spreads freely for a spectacular show of true-blue dainty flowers in early spring. Delightfully petite, Scilla brings brilliant blue flowers to the early spring garden. Native to Russia’s chilly plains, these resilient bulbs naturalize effortlessly. Each bulb sends up several flower stems—perfect for lining walkways, nestling into borders

Order Siberian Squill here or here.

7. Galanthus elwesii  (Snowdrops)

Snowdrops are small bell-shaped white flowers that don’t mind snow! These early risers are deer-resistant and provide food to early pollinators.

These bell-shaped blooms dangle gracefully on short stems and are incredibly resilient, often blooming through lingering snow. Ideal for mass planting, they thrive in partial shade or full sun with well-drained soil. Over time, they naturalize beautifully by multiplying through offsets and self-seeding, creating drifts of delicate white that brighten woodlands, lawns, and borders.

Buy them here or here.

8. Daffodils

I add this one hesitantly as it can be borderline in our zone 3 gardens. Stick with a very winter hardy type if you are in a zone 3, stay away from the fancier ones, and they should do okay.

These Dutch Master’s that you see above are pretty goof proof, or get if from Coast Farms.

I would plant them in a sheltered location, like beside the house or garage, along the sidewalk or pathway where you throw snow on them in winter for insulation.

As I am not a fan of yellow, I would go with a white one, like Mount Hood or Thalia.

I do not get any kickbacks for recommending Vesey’s or Coast Farms flowers. I just wanted to choose reliable Canadian companies where I know you will get great service and great bulbs.

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Add some perennial flowers of forget-me-nots, peonies, and bleeding hearts into your spring garden and you will have blooms from late winter through till summer… food for the pollinators that deer and bunnies have no interest in.

See this article for more ideas for spring…. my favourite spring flowering bulbs.

Happy Planting ~ Tanja