GROWING BULBS
If you want to bring to your garden to life with the joys of spring, and abundant color, think about growing bulbs
. When looking for a good variety of color and plants, growing bulbs offer endless choices.
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They are easy to grow, providing you prepare a good sunny spot with good drainage so sandy soil is very accommodating. Add lots of well rotted organic material and dig in well. Buy some today and get free shipping from Dutch Gardens
. When growing from bulbs, make sure they are firm and they need to be planted 2-3 times as deep as the bulb is tall. When they start to shoot, use a specialized fertilizer up till the buds start to show.
There are various spring flowering types which adorn many gardens throughout the world including tulips, daffodils, lilies, crocuses, hyacinths and alliums. Whilst they are primarily used in the garden for color many of them, especially hyacinths, are also delightfully fragrant. Growing bulbs in groups or “drifts” will increase the impact in your garden rather than having single specimens. Some such as daffodils and crocus are suitable for naturalizing, just scatter them around and plant them where they fall. Choose an area that does not need mowing in early spring because once the flowers have finished you need to let the tops continue growing to provide energy for future years flowers. You can remove the foliage when it dies back naturally after about six weeks.
These all need to be planted a month before the frosts for them to get their biological clock on the move, so growing bulbs in zones 4-8 is suitable. For zones 8-10 where winters are mild you will need to provide an artificial winter for growing spring flowering bulbs. This entails putting them in the refrigerator in a vented bag for about 8 weeks before planting. Check the tips on the packet for more information in your particular zone.
For practical advice on growing bulbs including overwintering, propagation, watering and feeding see The Gardener’s Guide to Bulbs
with over 800 photographs
When growing bulbs it’s easy to be misled where size and price is concerned. Discounted ones can be very disappointing; if you want a show to be proud of and get the rewards you’re looking for, get a good brand name. To help give you an idea on what size flower you can expect, the bulb’s circumference is important, the bigger the better.
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Arguably one of the most popular types of plants that are started from growing bulbs would be tulips. These need to be planted in the fall to give an abundance of color in the spring; there is a spectacular display of colors to choose from, black, white, red, pink, purple and orange etc. be sure to buy early, mid and late blooming tulips to have a show throughout springtime. You can have a ball and create a wonderful array of colors.
Summer Flowering
If you would prefer or want to start growing bulbs for your summer garden, dahlias, begonias, lilies and gladiolus, should be planted in late spring. Give them some protection if the temperature drops as they are not hardy plants. If you have a greenhouse or use cloches you will be able to start them started off earlier and they will be ready for transplanting when the weather permits. You will find that you will have continuous color throughout summer growing these summer bulbs. Summer types should be dug up and stored in a dry cool place over the winter months; again it is very important that after blooming you let the plant continue growing till the leaves die off naturally, this allows it to energize itself ready for next season. This is also a good time to multiply your stock by separating them for use next season.
You will also have great success with growing bulbs in pots or on a balcony. Make sure you use a good quality potting mix and a pot at least 8 inches deep is recommended with drainage holes. Just remember that pots dry out quickly so should be checked daily for moisture.
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