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Yellow nutsedge seems a likely possibility. Looks like a broad-leaved grass, spreads by rhizomes and bulbs, and is the devil to eradicate.

Here is a link that might be useful: Yellow nutsedge

Those bulbs are not nutsedge. They do, however, look like crocus.

Definitely not nutsedge. Possibly crocus.

Ha, after looking up nutsedge I was about to say "that might be it!" because i do remember some of the weeds looking rather grass-like before the weedwhacking (couldn't find a picture, darnit). So I'm a little curious why 2 of you said it's definitely not.

On the other hand if by crocus, you mean those pretty little purple or yellow flowers that pop up at the start of spring, I don't remember ever seeing them up there at all. Seems they'd be hard to miss what with all the hundreds of bulbs I pulled already-- whatever it is, I have a lot of it. I'll wait and see what grows back now that I've pulled these out-- I'm not in a super big hurry to do anything with the area yet. Plenty other more important spots for me to work on in the meantime : )

Crocosmia is another possibility.

are you sure those big roots are "connected" to these bulbs?

look like crocus to me... based on this pic ... its the unique hairy coverage ... sorta like a hairy coconut ... see link

if crocus ... or most bulbs.. they could be stored dry until fall planting time ... like in an onion bag ...

or replanted ...

i wonder if you could cold treat a few... and force them to bloom .. no clue.. just an idea ... to find out what they are ...

ken

Here is a link that might be useful: link

Yes, Shadeyplace, a critical clue is whether or not the bulbs are actually connected to those fleshy-looking roots or possibly rhizomes. Crocus or such wouldn't have that but it is a particular characteristic of nutsedge.

Sometimes you can have of ton of legit flower bulbs and not many, or even any, blooms-- bulbs either too immature or crowded or some other factor not right. Brodiaea comes to mind immediately.

Crocosmia corms would be connected and it spreads like crazy. Completely unlike Crocus.

Crocosmia -- ah yes, my mother had an ever-expanding swathe of that and it does put out fleshy-white, root-like stolons -- see link, scroll down to 2nd photo.

Croscosmia would have a distinct sort of foliage, a couple of feet tall or more -- the pre-weedwhacker photo, if available, could be helpful!

With Crocosmia, at least it has a pretty flower (assuming it ever blooms), even if as much a thug as nutsedge...

Here is a link that might be useful: Crocosmia stolon photo

The nutsedge "nuts" I've seen are too small, and not quite that shape, and would be connected along roots. None of those roots look likely.

You will see many photos of nutsedge nuts here -- they're not at all like the ones in the OP's photo:
http://imgarcade.com/1/yellow-nutsedge-tubers/

The bulbs do look like crocus; however, I can't swear there aren't other plants with similar-looking bulbs. They could be crocus: they could be something I don't know. But they could not be yellow or purple nutsedge.

I'm not 100% sure they're connected to the roots-- I thought I was but now I'm second guessing myself. Maybe they only got tangled up in the roots? I think at this point I'll just let whatever's there grow again and then dig up a few things to see which comes from the bulbs, take more pictures when it does. I don't remember any flowers of any kind ever being there, except some thing that had big spiny puffballs coming off the top of tall stems. I don't think they were colored though. Problem w ALL of this is I can't really trust my memory on any of it. I basically don't come up here at all until the pool gets opened in May and the window between then and when husband weedwhacked was pretty small.

I'll post more info as soon as I have it! Thanks to everyone for all the good insight-- I'm sure one of these ideas is probably the right one and I've just given some wrong information somewhere along the way. Sheesh! : )

Well, the anticipation will be killing us :-). As several pointed out, my idea of yellow nutsedge not likely because the bulbs have fibrous covering and are otherwise not like, and if roots and bulbs aren't connected then there goes the last slender thread of that little hypothesis. On the other hand, lots of bulbs with fibrous coats out there (many native bulbs in California, species glads for example, and crocus and crocosmia) that also proliferate like crazy -- but "big spiny puffballs"? I'll stay tuned!

Ok it's spring and the things-- whatever they are-- are back! Whatever had the big spiny puffballs appears to be gone now, guess I got that out, hehe. I have a lot more of this other stuff left than I thought though and overall it's just bad news so I think we will just take everything out. Still curious to what they are though...

Looks like crocus. They're one of the first bulbs that flowers in the spring.

Thanks guys! I didn't see any crocus flowers on them last year so I didn't think that's what they were when others suggested it last year but I didn't know they could sometimes not bloom!! Very interesting. We have a few in our grass here and there, the darker purple ones and the bright deep yellow-- not sure how they got there in such random places but they're pretty so I don't mind em.

Thanks again!

not sure how they got there in such random places

==>>> because every time you pull something else out.. you drag those corms with them ..

many of us.. have them out in the lawn ... from carrying the weeds across such ... check out the link below ...

ken

https://www.google.com/search?q=crocus+naturalized&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=ZUFCVdmYDsyXNpD4gcgC&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAg&biw=810&bih=745&dpr=0.9