As a group,flower bulbs are outstanding plantscolorful, showy, and generally easy to grow for container gardening. Many have evergreen foliage; with others, the leaves ripen after flowering and the bulbs are stored and started again, year after year. Some flower bulbs are hardy, others, tender, though what is, and is not hardy, in a particular area is a matter of winter temperature averages. In cold regions, tender typestuberous begonias, gloxinias, and calla liliescan be treated like summer in container gardens. This gives the gardener a wide variety to grow from earliest spring to late fall.

Dutch flower bulbs include crocus, snowdrops, eranthis or winter aconites, chionodoxas, scillas, grape hyacinths, leucojums or snowflakes, Dutch hyacinths, daffodils, and tulips, the pride of northern spring gardens. Though hardy, they are not adapted to garden containers outdoors where temperatures drop much below freezing. They require the protection of a shed, unheated cellar or cold frame. Gardening Pots can also be dug into a trench in the ground for the winter and covered with a thick blanket of marsh hay or straw. Where temperatures do not go below freezing, Dutch flower bulbs can be left outdoors in gardening pots over the winter.

For best results in a container garden, start with fresh, firm, large-sized flower bulbs each fall. Insure good drainage in the bottom of each garden pot and use a light soil with bone meal added. If in clay pots, plunge during the rooting period in damp peat moss to prevent rapid drying out. If this occurs too often, roots will be injured and flowers will be poor. When weather permits, after the danger of freezing passes, put your container garden outside where they are to flower or in a nursery row until they reach the bud stage. After blooming, move your container garden where foliage can ripen unseen.

For fragrance, concentrate on Dutch hyacinths, excellent for bedding large planter boxes or raised beds. Daffodils look well grouped around trees or large shrubs, as birches and forsythias. Tulips, formal in character, combine delightfully with pansies, violas, wall flowers, forget-me-nots, marguerites, English daisies, and annual candytuft in container gardens.

As already indicated, in cold areas, Dutch flower bulbs cannot be potted or planted in small window boxes and left outdoors unprotected for the winter. They can, however, be set out in large planters and boxes, deep and wide enough to contain plenty of soil. The garden pots should be one and a half to two feet deep and about two feet wide. Set flower bulbs, with at least six inches of soil above them, planting them early enough in the fall so that they can make root growth before soil freezes hard. In penthouse gardens in New York City, Dutch bulbs have been grown successfully in this way, but it is always a risk. It makes no difference whether garden pots are made of wood, concrete, or other material; it is the amount of soil they hold that counts.

Actually, it is not the freezing of the soil that injures flower bulbs (this occurs in open ground), but it is the pressure and counter pressure exerted by frost on the sides of containers, which are firm and do not give. As a result, flower bulbs are bruised and thrust out of the soil, their roots torn. Where there is no hard freeze, but sufficient cold weather, hardy flower bulbs can be grown successfully in garden containers of small size.

Here is a partial list of flower bulbs that thrive in container gardens. They will help you with your container garden design

Achimenes are warmth-loving trailing plants with neat leaves and tubular flowers in blue, lavender, red and white. Related to gloxinias and African violets, they are nice in hanging baskets and window boxes or in garden pots on tables, shelves, or wall brackets. Start the small tubers indoors and give plants a sheltered spot with protection from strong sun and wind. Achimenes, an old standby in the South, is worthy of more frequent planting.

Agapanthus or Blue Lily of the Nile is a fleshy-rooted evergreen plant, with strap leaves, often grown in tubs and urns on terraces and steps during the summer, when the tall blue spikes unfold. Culture is easy, but plants require a well-lighted, frost proof room or greenhouse in winter. This is an old-time favorite, often seen in the gardens of Europe. It is a perfect flower bulb for container gardening.

The Calla Lily is Showy, and outdoors in warmer regions, but a tender pot plant in the North. Most familiar is the white one with large, shiny, heart-shaped leaves. Start bulbs indoors in February or March in rich soil and, when weather settles, transfer to large gardening pots and take outdoors. Calla lilies do well in full sun or part shade, are heavy feeders and need much water. There is also a dainty yellow one with white-spotted leaves. Rest your flower bulbs after foliage ripens and grow again.

Colorful and free-flowering Dahlias provide bounteous cut blooms. Tall, large-flowering kinds can be grown only in large planters and boxes, but the dwarfs, even freer flowering, are excellent in small garden containers. Attaining one to two feet tall, they grow easily from tubers in average soil in sun or part shade. They may also be raised from seed sown indoors in February. If tubers are stored in peat or sand in a cool, frost proof place, they can be grown for years. Check bulbs during winter, and if shriveling, sprinkle lightly.

Gladiolus, the summer-flowering plant has spear like leaves and many hued spikes. Corms can be planted in garden containers outdoors after danger of frost is passed. Set them six inches apart and four to six inches deep. The best way to use these in container gardening is to planting a few every two to three weeks, giving you a succession of bloom in your container garden. Stake stems before flowers open. After the leaves turn brown, or there is a frost, lift corms, cut off foliage and dust with DDT to control the tiny sucking thrips. After dusting, store corms in a dry place at 45 to 55 degrees F for future planting.

Gloxinias, another Summer-flowering plant and tender with large, tubular blooms of red, pink, lavender, purple, or white, and broad velvety rosettes of leaves. Start tubers indoors and don’t take outside until weather is warm. Since the leaves are easily broken or injured by wind or rain, put plants in a sheltered spot. The low broad eaves of contemporary houses, with restricted sun, offer an appropriate setting for rows of pots or window boxes filled with gay gloxinias.

Now you have some great ideas for your container garden design. Its time now to start planting your flower bulbs.

Happy Container Gardening!

Copyright 2006 Mary Hanna All Rights Reserved.

This article may be distributed freely on your website and in your ezines, as long as this entire article, copyright notice, links and the resource box are unchanged.

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When you’re learning about something new, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the sheer amount of relevant information available. This informative article should help you focus on the central points.

One of the features of bulbs that make them so attractive is the ability for the gardener to divide their bulb plants to produce new growth, share with friends, or just plant in different areas of the landscape.

In addition, many bulb flowers become overgrown, and reducing the growth through dividing bulbs is the best way to get things back under control. It is generally easy to tell when a planting of bulbs needs to be divided. One sure sign is when a previously well blooming planting of bulbs has begun to provide only sparse blooms. Most times the culprit is overcrowding, and the solution is to divide those bulbs. Properly dividing the bulbs will reduce the overcrowding and allow the remaining bulbs to bloom for vibrantly.

The techniques used to divide bulbs depend on the exact type of bulb to be divided. There are actually five different types of bulb flowers – true bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes and tuberous roots. The techniques for dividing each type of bulb vary, so it is important to know which type you are working with. Any good gardening guide will tell you which type of bulb you have, and that information is usually provided when you buy the bulbs as well.

True bulbs
To divide a true bulb, you should begin by carefully separating the original bulb from the smaller bulb growing at its base. When dividing lily bulbs, you should be careful to first remove the outer scales from the basal plate. After the outer scales are removed, the ends of the bulb should be dipped in a rooting hormone, and the bulb should be planted immediately.

Corms
Corms are not true bulbs, and they renew their growth each season through the production of a new corm, and sometimes also small cormels growing on top of the original corm. To divide corms, the gardener should simply separate the healthy new corms, as well as any cormels, from the original corms.

Tubers
As tubers mature, they increase both their size and the number of growing points. However, most tubers do not form distinct increases. Therefore, to divide tubers, a large tuber should be cut into two or more sections, being sure that each section contains at least one growing point.

Rhizomes
The new growth on rhizomes is produced from growth points located at their sides. Rhizomes are divided by breaking the sections apart at the natural divisions between them, being sure that each of the new divisions has at least one growth point on it.

Tuberous roots
A tuberous root will contain several growing points. Some, like daylilies, form separate and distinct plants, which can simply be pulled apart. This type of sectioning is generally done in fall or summer while the plant is still in its growth stage.

Other tuberous root plants, such as dahlias, are more difficult to separate. In order to separate more difficult plants like dahlias, you will need to cut the clumps apart so that each root has a growth bud from which to start. With these types of plants, it is best to separate them in early spring, before planting.

Truthfully, the only difference between you and experts is time. If you’ll invest a little more time in reading, you’ll be that much nearer to expert status when it comes to dividing your bulbs properly.

The day will come when you can use something you read about here to have a beneficial impact. Then you’ll be glad you took the time to learn more about dividing your bulbs properly.

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When people decide to grow flowers, they have many choices. They can buy potted flowers and replant them. If they are extremely patient, they can grow flowers from seeds. They can also grow flowers from clippings of other plants. One of the most popular ways of growing flowers, however, is to grow them from flower bulbs. A huge variety of flowers can be grown from bulbs, including lilacs, lilies, daylilies, cannas, tulips, gladiolus, crocuses, daffodils, dahlias, and many more.

Many people choose flower bulbs for their ease of planting and colorful flowers. Growing bulbs is virtually foolproof. Finding flower bulbs for sale is just as easy. You can buy flower bulbs at local nurseries and landscape supply stores. Some home improvement stores like Lowes or Home Depot offer flower bulbs for sale. Many department stores, such as Wal-Mart, also sell flower bulbs. At certain times of the year, discount stores, such as 99 Cents Only, Dollar Tree, or Dollar General, sell flower bulbs. When buying flower bulbs at discount stores, it is important to make sure you are buying viable bulbs. Flower bulbs should be firm and blemish-free.

It is becoming increasingly popular to buy flower bulbs from online nurseries. Many suppliers now offer flower bulbs for sale online, including Nature Hills Nursery, Schreiners Gardens, and American Meadows. You can even order bulbs at EBay! Be careful when purchasing bulbs onlinesince you cannot inspect the bulbs prior to purchase, you should only buy from a reputable nursery. Some of the highest quality bulbs, especially of tulips, come from Holland.

If you are in the market for flower bulbs, there is no shortage of them available. From discount stores to online stores, many companies sell flower bulbs.

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Flower bulbs need a good, long, winters sleep. Like some people we know, if they wake up before they are fully rested they get kind of cranky, and then they dont bloom well at all.

Actually what happens is during a mild winter, the soil stays too warm and the bulbs begin to come out of dormancy early. They start to grow, and once the tips emerge above the soil line, they are subject to freezing if the temperatures dip back down below freezing. And thats usually what happens. After the bulbs have emerged, they freeze and then dont bloom at all, or if they do its a very sad display.

Another reason this happens is because the bulbs are not planted deep enough. They may have been deep enough when you planted them, but as the soil goes through the freezing and thawing process, the bulbs can actually work their way up in the ground. One way to keep your flower bulbs sleeping longer, which will protect them from freezing, is to mulch the bed.

In the fall just apply a 3-4 layer of well composted mulch. This layer of mulch will do a couple of things. It will maintain a higher moisture content in the soil, which is good as long as the soil isnt too soggy. Well composted mulch also adds valuable organic matter to the planting bed. Organic matter makes a great natural fertilizer.

A 3-4 layer of mulch also acts as an insulator. It will keep the soil from freezing for a while, which is good because you dont want the bulbs going through a series of short cycles of freezing and thawing. Then when the temperatures drop below freezing and stay there for a while, the soil does eventually freeze. Then the mulch actually works in reverse and keeps the soil from thawing out too early. Keeping it in a frozen state is actually good because the bulbs remain dormant for a longer period of time.

When they finally do wake up it is spring time, and hopefully by the time they emerge from the ground the danger of a hard freeze is past and they will not be damaged. If you can keep them from freezing, they will flower beautifully. The extra organic matter will help to nourish the bulbs when they are done blooming, and the cycle starts all over again.

We also plant annual flowers in the same beds with our spring bulbs. By the time the danger of frost is past and its time to plant the annuals, the top of the bulbs have died back and are ready to be removed. The mulch that is added in the fall also helps to nourish the annual flowers, as well as improve the soil permanently. Any time you add well composted organic matter to your planting beds, you are bound to realize multiple benefits. The key words here are well composted. Fresh material is not good.

Did you find this article useful? For more useful tips and hints, points to ponder and keep in mind, techniques, and insights pertaining to gardening and gardening implements, do please browse for more information at our websites.

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Flower bulbs can produce some amazing flowers throughout the whole year for little care and effort once planted. This yearly display can start with the earliest flowering bulbs in the spring such as snowdrops and crocus and proceed into winter with bulbs forced indoors to bloom. These you can see available in stores around Christmas time.

For this article we will discuss flower bulbs as being most of the group of flowers that grow from enlarged underground masses that store food over the winter for the plant. In another article we will address the actual differences among all such “bulbs”.

Flower bulbs, if planted in a bed, need a soil that has good drainage. A sandy loam soil is ideal but bulbs will do well in just about anything short of cold clay soil, soggy spots and very rocky ground. Even amongst the rocks you can find pockets to plant some of the smaller flower bulbs. Adding plenty of organic matter always helps your soil as we have mentioned in other articles.

Some expert gardeners suggest a flowerbed where the bulbs will be planted should be prepared to a depth of two feet. This allows you to plant even the largest of bulbs to a good depth. But if the location is a low spot to which all other areas drain, and it holds water, this will not be a good spot to plant your bulbs regardless of how well you prepare the soil. Flower bulbs will readily rot where the soil holds water and is soggy.

Whatever spot you pick be sure it allows your flower bulbs to be in full sun. As most spring-flowering bulbs come up before the trees have their leaves, it may not be as great a concern for them. It is certainly a consideration when planting summer-flowering bulbs. Keep this in mind when planting near evergreens and man-made structures.

Some flower gardeners prefer to use bulbs to “naturalize” an area. To do this, you simply dig a hole big enough and deep enough for the bulb you are planting. You can also dig a hole big enough to hold four or five bulbs at a time. Put a little bulb fertilizer in the hole, place your bulbs in, replace the soil removed and cap with the sod you removed in making the hole.

And lastly the rule of thumb for planting flower bulbs is three times as deep as the bulb is big. You may wish to consider planting some bulbs even deeper. Barbara Damrosch of Theme Gardens fame prefers to plant her bulbs, especially tulips and daffodils, deeper at ten inches. She prefers this to keep them from sprouting in the fall, being worked out of the ground by the freezing and thawing of it, and also to help protect the bulbs from being eaten by animals.

© 2005, Sandra Dinkins-Wilson

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Autumn is the time of year when the weather cools, the tree leaves turn vibrant colors and we gardeners need to think of the Spring. What? Think of spring in autumn? Why? Well, Autumn is when we must plant the bulbs that will give us those early flowering beauties which herald the growing season.

Before summer is through the garden centers are already bursting with possibilities. There are great displays of Tulips, Daffodils, Crocus, Snowdrops, Grape Hyacinths and Alliums among others. My mailbox is full with mail order catalogues which offer a greater variety of these old-time favorites plus others you might never see in stores. I defy anyone to look through a few and not fall in love with something new and different every Autumn. Those catalogues are a danger to wallets so pace yourself. In general you won’t spend a single cent without it giving you endless payback. Bulbs multiply readily with some naturalizing quite enchantingly.

When wishing to create a dazzling Spring flower display one needs to prepare the planting sight which should get ample sun exposure. Remember that in early Spring there are no leaves on trees to shade out the sun so planting under trees is usually all right. Ridding the intended space of weeds and fortifying the bare soil with compost tilling it in well is the best thing you can do to ensure wonderful productivity. Good rich, well draining soil is a must. This has to be done first because once planted these bulbs need never be disturbed except for dividing.

After the sight is prepared one needs to decide what flowers to plant. The best Spring displays I’ve seen in Botanical gardens (and I’ve seen plenty in my many travels around the US) are those with a long blooming time. To achieve this a good mixture of bulbs is required. This doesn’t mean you have to have Daffodils with Tulips or Hyacinths with Crocus unless you like that look. Combinations look amazing when done with contrasting color and shapes. Experiment and you might surprise yourself. Most people, however, seem to prefer a bed devoted to one flower. The look is stunning I must admit but I find it limited. Once they flower, mostly all at once, you’re left with bare ground again. How boring it that?

What I see as the good alternative to the sole flower approach for the home garden is layering the bulbs this way you have a continuous display which can last for over three months if properly thought out. When purchasing these bulbs they are usually labeled

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Dutch Miracles? Hmm… Red Emperor’ tulips? Mount Hood daffodils? Snow crocus? You stand in front of rows and rows of Dutch bulbs, wondering which spring-flowering bulbs are just right for your garden. Tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, crocus and so many others – the choice is incredible. You want to try all of them, but the reality of budgets and limited space is usually the deciding factor.

You pick up a tulip bulb and turn it over, meditatively, in your hand, wondering how this new variety would look in your yard. There, contained in a compact package, is one of nature’s miracles. Within that hard, relatively small bulb, you hold an entire flowering plant. Leaves, stem and flower bud are all tucked neatly inside, waiting for just the right conditions to commence its flowering cycle. Imagine the wonder of a child, as you explain these “magical” bulbs. They’ll delight in the simple planting process and spend the winter anticipating a spring flower show.

Here in Zone 5, bulbs are available at garden centers right through the autumn, but selections are best in September and early October. To avoid premature sprouting of foliage during the fall, store bulbs in paper bags in a cool, dark, dry basement until mid to late October.

Is your garden formal, informal or somewhere in-between? Long rows of stately tulips, bordered by earlier blooming daffodils, hyacinths and minor bulbs will create the right look for formal beds. Incorporating bulbs into the informal landscape is a less exact science and a lot more fun. For naturalizing, toss a few handfuls of narcissus or crocus bulbs across the lawn and plant them where they land – children love this part. Cluster groups of daffodils and grape hyacinths (Muscari) under a birch clump.

Most Dutch bulbs lend themselves to group plantings, equally at home around the kitchen garden or planted in pockets throughout the foundation beds. For maximum display, plant minor bulbs (crocus, scilla, etc.) at 20-30 per square foot, tulips at 12 per square foot, hyacinths at 8-10 per square foot and daffodils at 6-8 per square foot.

While a bulb planter is fine for popping in a few minor bulbs, or naturalizing bulbs into a lawn area, I find a spade is generally the most practical tool for the job. This is especially true when planting bulbs in “pockets,” in groups of 6-30 (depending on variety). In general, minor bulbs are planted 3-4″ deep, while major bulbs (tulips, narcissus, hyacinth) are planted 6-8″

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Flowers are one of natures greatest gifts. Their scent, their colors, their shapes everything about flowers is beautiful. A colorful, cheerful flower can brighten even the darkest day. Even more enjoyable than looking at flowers, though, is growing them. Flowers can be bought from pots and replanted. They can also be grown from clippings. However, one of the most popular ways of growing flowers is from bulbs and seeds.

Growing flowers outdoors from bulbs is simple; in fact, it is so easy that its almost foolproof. One of the most important aspects is timing. Bulbs need to be planted about six weeks before the first frost. Bulbs must be planted in an area with good drainage and a lot of sun. Make sure the soil is loose, and then plant the bulbs about six inches in the ground. (Package directions may vary depending on type and location; when directions differ, following your package.) Try to place the bulb in the hole with the pointed end facing up. Cover the hole and water. Voila! Youve planted your flower bulbs.

Flower bulbs and seeds make flower gardens accessible for everyone. They can be grown virtually anywhere. One idea is to plant them in containers. With container gardens, even apartment dwellers can enjoy the beauty of flowers. Container-grown flower bulbs and seeds also allow growers to defy nature. Flower bulbs can be planted indoors in any season and in any climate, as long as the indoor conditions are favorable for growth.

Flower bulbs are available in many varieties, such as tulips, daffodils, gladiolus, and crocus.

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With fall just around the corner and the gardening season winding down, it’s hard to think about planting. But that’s exactly what you should do if you want to see some bright blooms early next spring. Tulips, daffodils, crocuses and other spring flowers start with bulbs planted in the fall.

What’s nice about these early spring flowers is that they are usually done blooming before perennials and other plants take over the flower bed. Keeping that in mind, take a walk around your yard and look at areas where you want to add some early color to your landscape in the spring. Garden catalogs with pictures of different types of bulbs can help you select the type and color of flowers you want in your yard.

Consider different heights and colors of plants and how they might look next to each other. A row of lavender tulips, for example, can provide the perfect backdrop for a row of shorter pink hyacinths. You may want to sketch out your plan on some paper to indicate where you would like to have spring flowers in your yard. This will also give you an idea of how many bulbs you will need to purchase.

If you are as comfortable around a computer as you are the garden, you can try landscaping software. Some programs let you plug in a picture of your home and simulate various plantings. While it might be a bit of overkill if you only want a spring flower plan, it can give you a more holistic approach to your landscaping. You can map out a strategy of what to plant so you will have blooms all summer long, not just in the spring.

You can also take the low-tech, no planning approach of a spring surprise. Try randomly planting different bulbs in flower beds and other areas of your yard. Consider planting some in areas of your lawn that are fairly protected like under trees or near your home. If the grass starts growing, you can always mow around the plants until they are done blooming. After a long winter, it’s a pleasant surprise to see colorful blooms popping out of the ground from bulbs you forgot about.

Most spring bulbs appear on shelves in September and October. If you are a bargain hunter and willing to take a little risk, watch for clearance sales on bulbs late in the fall at garden shops. I have planted these clearance bulbs late in the season with a decent success rate of blooms the following spring. Be sure to plant before the ground freezes.

While you are at the garden shop, be sure to buy a bulb-planting tool to simplify your work. Most spring bulbs should be planted at a depth of four inches or more, depending on the type of flower. Be sure to follow the instructions on the package and check how much space you should have between each bulb.

Once your bulbs are in the ground, you may need to protect your investment from deer, chipmunks and other garden invaders. A publication from University of Vermont Extension by Dr. Leonard Perry suggests placing fine mesh over your plantings to help prevent rodents and other animals from digging up your bulbs. After your flowers bloom, the same publication recommends leaving the leaves on the plants until they turn yellow to ensure the bulbs get enough nutrients for the next season.

With some advance planting and a little luck, your work in the fall will be rewarded the following spring. The bright blooms will help you forget about winter and get you motivated for another season of gardening.

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