May
19
Posted under
Flower bulb care
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″
May
05
Posted under
Flower bulb care
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.
Apr
22
Posted under
Flower bulb care
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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Mar
29
Posted under
Spring flower bulbs 
Product Description
OverviewVariety of bulbs for sun and shade. Excellent cut flowers. Available in select Clubs with Floral departments.SpecificationsSummer flowering Excellent cut flowers Low grow varieties for borders Varieties for sun and shade… More >>
Spring Flower Bulbs
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Jan
02
Posted under
Flower bulb care
Planting spring bulbs is a fairly easy project. You dig a hole a little deeper and little bigger than the bulb you are planning to put in the spot and put a little plant food in the hole along with the bulb then place the bulb with the biggest part down and the point of the bulb up.
Most bulbs come with fairly complete instructions on the package about the depth and the conditions you need to provide for the plant to flourish. Often the directions include a chart or drawing which makes it very clear to the new gardener.
It’s a good idea to put some fertilizer in the hole as you plant. Any hardware store or garden center will stock the general fertilizer you will want to give your bulbs a good nutritious start on their life in your garden.
Bulbs can be planted with a special tool which takes just the rights size plug out of the ground or with a standard trowel or shovel. The spot can be quite shady and can be in the middle of a lawn because in the spring the sun will warm the soil before the leaves come out on trees and the bulb in the lawn will come up and bloom before the grass is very tall. When it fades and you can mow over the spot with no worry for the bulb which is tucked in under the lawn.That is called naturalizing.
Bulbs can be layered also with several planted in one spot one above the other so that they bloom successively. They can also be put into pots and planters and even window boxes in the fall so that there is an early show which is movable and can be enjoyed wherever you decide to place it in the spring. The containers can be wintered over in any out of the way spot in your yard and moved in the spring to a showy spot to be enjoyed. They can even be brought in to the house for an early show of color or the flowers can be cut and displayed in a vase.
Sometimes people decide that after the plant has bloomed they don’t like the looks of the leaves which remain behind. If you feel that the leaves of your faded tulip or daffodil annoy you don’t cut them off. Either tie them in a knot so that they are a bit more inconspicuous or just leave them alone until they fade. You can plant something else in front of the fading leaves to mask it a bit if you want to distract the eyes of the viewer.The leaves do a special job of gathering the sunshine to nurture the hidden bulb.When the leaves have faded to brown and shriveled you can safely clip them and put them in the compost heap.
Whether you choose to plant in a carefully arranged flower garden,naturalize your bulbs by scattering them among your grass or pot them, bulbs can provide a beautiful spring show for a few dollars and a small amount of effort. Most bulbs will give you years of enjoyment and when they multiply you can give their offspring away to your family and friends so that they can share your pleasure.
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Dec
13
Posted under
Flower bulb care
Want Spring Color This Winter? Just Force The Issue
Spring is but a distant memory. What sticks out in our minds is what kind of spring it was. The bulk of spring, April, is a wet cold miserable time to be in the garden. Crops in out gardens and in the fields of farmers were ruined. But oh what a month May is. Beautiful warm temperatures and the most co-operative nature has been to gardeners in along time. As the leaves fall in colored splendor they remind us that spring is just around the corner. Around a cold dark sometimes snowy winter though. However if we just look back at May and see how nature cooperated and made up for the rains of April we can have spring spring up a little early indoors. The trick is to plan now and plant now.
A visit to any garden center in the fall will give you great ideas for spring bulb gardening. Tulips in rainbows of colors, daffodils and narcissus that deer refuse to eat. Crocus and snowdrops defy their dainty stature by poking their heads up through the snow. And watch out for hyacinths! They give many gardeners an itching reaction almost as strong as their fragrance. In fact in Holland employees are paid extra to work sorting hyacinths!
With all that beauty displayed on the package who can wait until spring for all that color?
Well it turns out that nature is beat Madison Avenue to the marketing game when it comes to the “I want it now” consumer. While you cannot have spring now you can have it in a few weeks if you simply force the issue. Spring bulbs can be coaxed to bloom indoors well before St. Patrick Day arrives.
The easiest to force are paper whites. I fact these pungent flowers will not survive outside at all. Paper whites do not need soil to bloom just a vase with a narrow neck to hold the bulb. Below the bulb water should be place just to be low the bottom of the bulb. Warm rooms will encourage the roots to descend into the water and green shoots to emerge from the top. Paper whites can also be grown in shallow bowls that do not have drainage holes. Line the bottom of the bowl with stones, place paper whites in odd numbers close together on the rocks. Fill in between the bulbs with more rocks. Add some water to the bottom of the bowl and the bulbs will be gin to grow. These indoor blooming narcissus also come in yellow.
Many other bulbs can be forced indoors as well. Tulips planted in shallow containers filled with lightweight soil can be planted now. After planting water well and place
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Aug
25
Posted under
Flower bulb care
Although spring is upon us there’s still time to get your snowdrop bulbs in the ground ready for next year. Snowdrop bulbs can be planted right up to the end of September so if you are thinking of starting a garden then this is one plant worth considering.
Not only does it flower early in the spring but to me the Snowdrop marks the end of the winter, when I see the snowdrops up I know that it won’t be too long before the weather starts to get better and the summer will be on it’s way.
There are different types of Snowdrop you can plant and these can be bought from the garden centre in nets for around 2.50. At boot sales or in garden shops after the summer you can often find nets of snowdrop bulbs on offer at a really low price.
You can get autumn flowering varieties but it’s usually the white early spring varieties which are the one’s seen most in gardens and at the road sides.
The snowdrop will grow in any good soil, they also grow well in grass and it’s nice to see snowdrops popping up in little clusters around the lawns of some houses as your passing. They brighten up the wintery days and seem to signal the coming spring.
You can also grow them in pots but you might find that they don’t last as long as when they are in the ground, I have no ideal why this seems to be the case but if you haven’t a garden you can get a little bloom of snowdrops in a large pot to brighten up your patio or window box.
There are a few varieties to choose from.
Galanthus Elwesii as it is known is slightly larger than the snowdrop we see in spring, it’s flowers are still white but the inner segments are a rich green colour.
The G.Ikarie which flowers in March also has white flowers but these are more glossy than the other varieties.
The one we all know is the G. Nivalis, other known as the Common Snowdrop or Old English snowdrop and this has little white flowers. This will double if left in the ground so that the year after flowering you will have double the amount of flowers than last year. This makes it a good variety to plant and to forget about, it’s low maintenance and you if you plant it in the right place and don’t want to move it the year after it will come up year after year doubling in amounts of blooms each year.
There are a few other varieties to look for and you will be able to find them at the garden centres, the names of the bulbs will be written on the little sacks for purchase, quite often you will get a picture of the bloom on the pack which gives you more of an idea of what you will be getting.
For me the Snowdrop is on of the best plants around, it has great significance marking the end of winter and ever since I was little I can remember looking out for the first Snowdrop in the garden, then the thrill of seeing one cheers me up as I know that soon the weather will be warmer and the days will be longer. Barbecues, Relaxing, Holidays and everything good which follows the winter blues.
Have fun x
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Jun
25
Posted under
Flower bulb care
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.
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Jan
20
Posted under
Flower bulb care
Early November marks the best time to plant spring bulbs in your gardens. Daffodils, crocus, and tulips liven up your garden well before many trees and plants have started sprouting. A little bit of work will give you rich rewards in the spring when you are searching for a hint of green on the trees. And you’ll have plenty of flowers to cut for springtime arrangements.
Planting bulbs in November allows the bulbs to cool for a time. This cooling period allows roots to develop but protects the bulb from any frost on the surface. Soil temperatures should be below 60 degrees. And of course, try to plant bulbs when it’s a comfortable, sunny day. This’ll make things a lot neater but also keep the bulbs from getting wet until you ready to water them.
Bulbs should be planted in full or partial sun. The garden should never be soaking wet so choose another area if the spot has poor drainage. You also need to consider how much sun a flowering plant will receive in the spring. Too much sun causes the flower to die off too soon. So maximize your placement for the longest possible enjoyment of your flowers.
There’s two ways to plant bulbs. If you are planting a large number of bulbs, dig a trench with a spade. If you are planting just a few bulbs, it’s much easier to use a bulb-planting tool. This tool removes a cylinder shape of dirt allowing you to just drop the bulb in the pre-formed hole and replace the dirt. It’s easy, kind of fun, and really quick. Trenching can take a little more time but it’s definitely the only option for planting large volumes of bulbs.
You might want to have a bulb arrangement plan if you want a blanket of color or a organized grouping of flowers. This should all be decided before digging. At this point, bulb planting might seem complicated but it really isn’t.
Some general rules of thumb: large bulbs are planted 8-12 inches deep and 3-6 inches apart. Small bulbs are planted 4-6 inches deep and 1-2 inches apart. Dig your trench or hole and sprinkle some bone meal or bulb fertilizer in the hole. Place the bulbs where you want them, making sure they are at the correct depth. Cover the bulb with soil and water them. Add 2-3 inches of mulch. That’s it!
It’s easy. Your only problem could come in the form of your friendly, neighborhood squirrel. Some folks industriously plant bulbs only to have an equally industrious squirrel come right behind them, diligently digging up an expensive and tasty snack. If this happens and you actually have some bulbs left after squirrel dinnertime, just gently move the mulch out of the way and add a layer of gravel. Replace the mulch. This will usually deter digging.
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