Doff the crocs and don the wellies, I like to say. It’s nearly time to plant spring blooming bulbs. Ever the gardener, there’s no end to these labors. Even when the cold weather ensnares us, we can plan ahead, make revisions, troubleshoot, and dream.
One thing you could find me doing over this soggy weekend was to be ogling the huge variety of bulbs from my go-to catalog, “Beauty from Bulbs” by John Scheepers. Their motto: “Never underestimate the power of planting” is one I can definitely relate to. The most enticing varieties of all kinds of bulbs revived my imaginative powers as to what parts of my established garden could use a little pick me up.
The thing I like most about bulbs is that you sort of forget that you installed them and when they appear, it’s like discovering a hidden gem. You seal them into the ground and forget about them for six months. It’s fascinating how you literally do not see them until they bloom because you planted them as a plain bulb with the character of an onion. It’s pretty amazing how a plain thing can transform into absolute wonder. Let’s dub them the “Cinderellas of the garden.”
This time of the year is when I like to order up my bulbs. Perhaps you’re thinking that is late, but I stubbornly hold off installing them so as to stave off rustlers – namely squirrels. I’ve had my share of past bulb burglaries, and my tactic is to simply wait until just before the ground hardens over. This ideology harkens back to when my daughter Olivia was born one late November day, and I had not yet planted my tulip bulbs. A week after the birth and following Thanksgiving, I finally got them in the ground and voila – they emerged perfectly in spring. “No bulbs for you,” I’d hinted at the thieving squirrels who by then had secured their food storage.
I used to use a number of sources for bulbs, but I’ve narrowed it down to one company which is John Scheepers in Bantam, Connecticut. I love their descriptions and color photos and vast choices, added to the fact that I’ve had wonderful results. I sometimes purchase them at a local greenhouse as well when the desirable bulb appears.
I was thinking of a spread of bulbs in my woodland garden that would, if timed right, bloom alongside wildflowers that grow in profusion – epimedium and bluebells and lily of the valley. I always try to think through how I’m going to map it out. Sometimes it works, sometimes it does not. A few years ago, I had the idea of installing leucojum (a diminutive bulb with a white bell flower) in a bed under my Elizabeth magnolia. But somehow, they look lost there; I think the addition of a companion might help. I will keep you posted on my upcoming plantings (I’m still reviewing the selections as well as where to plant what).
For now, I have some basic advice for those of you who are new to gardening or need re-briefing. Here are 12 tips – on planting bulbs – that I hope will result in what you envision.
1. Think three-dimensionally. Before placing them in the ground, sketch it out as it will look from a bird’s-eye view and/or ground view.
2. With so many ways to use bulbs for a big impact, think of how you want to stage them. Will it be part of a formal bed or a naturalized effect in the border? Hyacinths and tulips are classic bedding bulbs for their strong sculptural form. Plant in blocks of color for a formal look.
3. In mixed herbaceous and shrub borders, bulbs provide splashes of bright color, adding vitality to the permanent plantings. Grow some through low groundcover plants so that their blooms appear to float above the mat of foliage. For cottage borders, use species bulbs, which will look less ornate.
4. Bulbs can add a fresh array of color beginning in late winter until the early summer. Try to envision the various stages of your garden. While the herbaceous perennials and deciduous plants are slowly coming back to life, think about masking the front of the border with colorful bulbs: small daffodils, snowdrops, reticulata irises, or clumps of winter aconites.
5. Know your bulb’s soil and light requirements. Most bulbs will rot if they are in constantly damp soil or shade. Camassia and leucojum are exceptions as are certain daffodil species that will thrive in moist, partially shaded environments.
6. Use a painterly eye when siting bulbs, considering size, shape and color, as well as time of bloom. Delicate bell-like flowers of fritillaria may show up better in small-scale plantings. Mixing white snowdrops amid a sea of crocuses will help accentuate the deeper color. Dwarf bulbs look attractive when planted in pockets of rock and away from direct contact with ground in an alpine garden – less mud winds up on the flower, and the petite size is more proportionate than a taller bulb species.
7. Partner bulbs with trees that have lighter deciduous canopies. Ideal bulbs for this setting include anemones, crocuses, daffodils or scilla, according to The American Horticultural Society. For fall carpeting try hardy fall flowering cyclamen. Complement the tree by underplanting with flowers that reflect its habit or color. Goblet-shaped crocuses pair well with a magnolia’s floral form, as a pendulous flower will mimic a weeping tree.
8. Daffodils are among the easiest bulbs to grow. If you live in deer territory, these are among the flowers deer don’t fancy. Snowdrops and leucojum are also critter proof, as they are poisonous. Also, many species will naturalize over time, giving you a return on your initial investment. “Daffs” will grow in almost any soil type, but prefer well-drained, moist, slightly alkaline conditions. They thrive in sun or lightly dappled shade. Daffodils come in a wide variety of shapes and forms and in shades ranging from the classic golden yellow to white, pink and orange, some with splashes of red or green.
9. When digging a bed, bore a couple of inches deeper than the required depth for your bulb. Use a 2-inch layer of compost and humps mix to fill the extra space, creating a cozy environment for the bulbs to root in.
10. Dust some fertilizer in the hole – one high in phosphorus, calcium and magnesium or bone meal. It’s not required, since most bulbs have food stored in them for the first season, but it will foster future growth and help them root faster. Alternately, when filling the hole, apply 9-9-6 NPK slow-release fertilizer such as Bulb Booster on top and water. You can add more in the spring when you see green growth emerging.
11. Best not to plant bulbs in containers now but rather lift them from the ground later when they are about to bloom and transplant them into pots or window boxes. Scheepers warns against planting bulbs in outdoor containers: “Flower bulbs planted in outdoor containers will not thrive and flower… Bulbs in outdoor containers do not experience a true winter, suffering from wild temperature extremes that cause root-system destruction, damaged flower development and failure to thrive.”
12. When your bulbs do finally bloom, take a photo to map their place. This will better help you chart where to dig future installations. If you don’t have photos to rely on, use a slender forked trowel to dig and feel your way through as when you go quahogging.
“Live in each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influence of the earth.” – Henry David Thoreau, Walden
The Coastal Gardener
By Laura McLean
