Species Crocus Mix opens while winter is still hanging around, sending up small goblet-shaped flowers in blue, white, purple, yellow and striped bicolors. At just 4-6 inches tall, these little bulbs tuck into lawns, borders, rock gardens and under deciduous trees without crowding anything out.
They are champion naturalizers, multiplying year after year into wider and wider drifts. The grassy foliage dies back early in the season, so you can mow as usual once the show is over. Plant them in containers or window boxes too, and set them by the door where you will actually see the first blooms.
Plant them in fall, forget about them, and let spring do the rest.