Bulb Therapy
By Elizabeth Licata

Yes, spring is short in Western New York. It can also be windy, rainy, and generally not conducive to enjoyment of outdoor floral displays, except as viewed from a cozy window. But if this past spring and (gasp) summer are any indication, there may be a trend toward milder, warmer springs—all the more reason to plant as many spring bulbs as possible. And, as any gardener and many nongardeners know, now is the time to do it.
Tulip Types
Illustrations of different tulip types are from
Bulbs (The Time-Life Encyclopededia of
Gardening) by James Underwood Crockett
It seems appropriate that the time to prepare for spring flowers is in the fall, as plants stop blooming and leaves begin to fall; it’s an affirmation that in the midst of decline and death, renewal is around the corner. There is great pleasure in perusing bulb catalogs and choosing tulip colors for the next season, even if anticipation often exceeds reality. This is what I’ve learned after five or six years of planning bulb gardens:

Comparison shopping
All bulbs are not created equal. I order from about six different mail order houses, with some impulse purchases from local stores. Why? First off, I crave variety. If there are six types of single early tulips in Home Depot, then those are the tulips I’ll be seeing all over Western New York come spring. Conformity not being a quality I value particularly, I’d prefer to use varieties that are less widely available. Some mail order houses offer extensive variety and are also more likely to send quality bulbs and the exact bulbs that you ordered (this is not always a given). Lately, I have been more interested in smaller, “species” or wild tulips, which last and multiply for years (unlike the traditional tulip), and only a few companies carry these.

Containers=versatility
It is impossible to overstate the possibilities of planting bulbs in containers, particularly if you have a small property. You can plant as many bulbs as will fit in multiple containers and save them (or not) after blooming for the next season. Hybrid tulips are notorious for their decline after their first season of bloom. I prefer to treat them as annuals and change the types of tulips I grow every year. It’s fun, and they aren’t all that expensive. You can also create special raised beds for tulips and use the beds for summer annuals after the tulips are done. Again, I would recommend removing the tulips; to keep them in the ground for the next year, you have to wait until the hideous decline of the foliage has run its depressing course. Containers and raised beds, which can be as large or small as you like, allow you to line your property with spring color without the aftermath of at least a month of ugly yellow-brown leaves. After planting them in the fall, move the containers to a protected spot—a garage is perfect. Keep them moist, and bring them back out in early April or so.

Timing is everything
First, in March, come the crocuses. I do not bother with these; they usually get snowed on or frozen and end up looking pretty pathetic in a small space—in a large field, they’re fine. Then, the daffodils, hyacinths, and scilla (beautiful small blue flowers). I plant at least fifty hyacinths in containers (tightly, with their tops visible) and keep them in a root cellar until late December. They are fabulous Christmas presents, as they will be showing a large green bud at the top by that time. They’re also great in the ground, in containers, or wherever you want to put them. People do not use these glorious plants nearly enough. The scilla are also great for early spring color; I have actually managed to force them in containers, but it’s a bit of an affectation. I like daffodils in large, open spaces, but not so much in my yard. And again, the foliage goes on and on and on.
Tulips
A raised bed of Darwin Hybrid tulips.
In mid-April the tulips begin: first the single early, then the doubles, then the Darwin hybrids (most perennial in habit), then the lily-flowering and single late, then the specialty varieties, like parrot and viridiflora. This progression usually goes from mid-April (single earlies) to mid-May (lily-flowering), but weird weather can create anomalies, as can the use of containers. Species tulips can be very early or very late, depending on variety. I highly recommend the beautiful Lady Jane clusiana (late, rose and white) and the lily-shaped turkestanica (early, yellow and white), which is amazingly reliable in even the most difficult situations. Species tulips are great for around trees and shrubs, or for rock gardens.

And speaking of timing, right around now, many of the mail order places will begin to run out of varieties, though Home Depot will probably have a good, if limited, supply for a few weeks.

Then there’s the rest
I’ve not mentioned all the different varieties of hyacinths, and I haven’t said one word about snowdrops, which are wonderful plants, but perusing any of the websites at the end of this article will open your eyes to a huge world of bulbs. (Even if you don’t buy any, it’s a blast to explore this world.) I must add a final word about indoor bulb gardens. In addition to the forced hyacinths, I always have several pots of paperwhites (a type of narcissus) blooming in the house from November through January. You need not limit yourself to the rather unpleasant-smelling Ziva; there are other varieties that may not bloom as much, but are taller and have a milder fragrance. These come by different names: I have purchased Nazareth, Omri, and Jerusalem from various places online and had success with all. The best planting method I have found is in tall glass cylinders one-third filled with decorative stones. The water should reach only to the bottom of the bulb, and bulbs should be tightly packed for stability and display. I also have four hippeastrum (commonly known—incorrectly—as amaryllis) that I keep as houseplants; they bloom in February or even March. These indoor beauties are absolutely necessary to the winter sanity of the obsessive gardener, and are usually purchased in the fall.

And, finally, lilies
I am talking about the lily species, not daylilies. These are mid-summer plants that can be ordered in the spring and fall, but I believe the best selection is available in the fall. Also, they are harvested in the fall, so you know you are getting fresh bulbs. They are all beautiful, and you can’t have enough. Plant them as soon as they arrive.


Reliable mail order houses for bulbs

Brent and Becky’s Bulbs
www.brentandbeckysbulbs.com
(This company is routinely picked by polls as one of the best mail order houses.)

McClure Zimmerman
www.mzbulb.com
(Their motto: “... The one clinching argument for having bulbs, and having them in abundance, is that they produce over a month or more of heart-lifting color...”)

The Lily Garden
thelilygarden.com
(This is the place for lilies. Period.)

Colorblends
www.colorblends.com
(This is kind of a wacky company that offers tulip mixes and other bulbs, but the mixes are good, and the bulbs come up, even if they don’t tell you the hybrid names. The prices are good, too.)

Van Engelens
vanengelen.com
(Great if you’re buying in quantity and highly reliable.)

Old House Gardens
oldhousegardens.com
(As the name implies, some antique varieties, and a quaint website.)

Elizabeth Licata is editor of Buffalo Spree and an obsessive amateur gardener. Visit her gardening blog at www.allentowngardener.com, or email her at elicata@buffalospree.com.


SUBSCRIBE NOW

Back to the Table of Contents

Back to Top