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Show 4 - MONSOON TIMES - ‘ SEPTEMBER 15, 1997 GARDEN GRAB BAG So the vegetable garden is just about finished, the fall flowers are blooming and what aml contemplating about now? Right! Spring! Already! This isn't just wishful thinking (because I'm certainly no great fan of the winter months), but it's certainly good timing since this is when we all should be envisioning the wonderful color that spring-blooming bulbs bring with their welcome charm after bulbs and the assortment is well worth the effort to find some of them. When planting your bulbs, remember to use at least 5 of each type of the larger bulbs and 10-12 of the smaller species and place them in groups rather than in a straight row for a more natural effect. Some of the smaller early specimens such as snowdrops or grape hyacinths are often planted directly in lawns for added interest, because they the dreary months of snow. And, die back before it's mowing time. Bulbs also like to be of course, the earlier in the fall that you plant your spring bulbs, the better root system they will develop before the planted under deciduous trees where they receive plenty of sunlight while they're blooming but later in the season, when the trees leaf out, the bulb foliage is protected from the hot weather. Before you plant your bulbs, be sure your soil is in ground freezes. good condition with added organic matter, compost, and For those of you that order sand. Fertilize your bulbs when you plant them (bone by mail, your bulbs have probably already started arriving, and you need to get busy meal is a favorite of many gardeners) and again in the spring when new growth emerges to bolster those planting them. For the rest of us, we need to determine what we need, get them purchased or divided from previously established plants and plan spots for them. What should we be considering when we plant bulbs? First, you have species which bloom either early (FebMarch), mid-season (April), or late (May into early summer), and the most color will be achieved with use of all three types. This blooming season can also be affected by where you plant them, as I found out last year when my daffodils, which were all the same variety, bloomed on the south and east of the house almost 4 weeks before they did on the north side. Next you have height to calculate with the smallest bulbs barely inches in bloomng size all the way up to the giant alliums which easily go 4—5 feet high! You don't want a bunch of beautiful tall tulips completely hiding some colorful blue scilla. Then you have to also consider whether the plant will continue to bloom repeatedly as a single plant or "naturalize" and increase with time. Many of the miniature bulbs will spread rapidly and reward you with large areas of blooms in just a few years. Applying these factors you can plan a garden using bulbs which will delight you in the years to come and provide you with colorful plants long before the summer months arrive. There are now so many varieties of tulips and daffodils that I could probably write a whole column on them alone. But there are also many other varieties of EARLY galanthus (snowdrops) 6"—8" crocuses 6" scilla 6" eranthis (winter aconite) 4—6" grape hyacinth 4"~6" anemones 4'36" dwarf iris 4'58" chionodoxa (glory of the snow) 5" some tulip varieties* blooms. A good rule of thumb is to plant at a depth of3 times the diameter of the bulb so tiny crocus bulbs will be shallow, While big hyacinths could be 8" deep. If you have a problem with squirrels or chipmunks digging up your bulbs, cover the area with pieces of chicken wire. Also, remember that after the flowers have finished blooming the foliage should be left to ripen and dry up since this is the period when the bulb restores its energy for the next season's blooms. These dying leaves will be less noticeable if planted near other perennials which will be developing about the time that these are dying back or in an area where you will be placing annuals which will help disguise them. Another hint, if you have deer problems, is to use blood meal around your beds to discourage nibbling on the emerging tulip tips which they seem to love. One yearI even used squished up liver and just touched the tops of my leaves as they came up sinceI didn't have any blood meal handy! I've included a little chart listing some of the available bulbs by season and their heights of bloom. Try a few of them for the fun of it! I hope you enjoy them as much as I do when those first blossoms open and you realize that winter really will end! 'MID-SEASON some crocuses hyacinth 6"—8" erythronium lO"-12" most fritillarias 8"—36" many tulip varieties* many daffodil varieties* *Many choices of colors and various heights of bloom —Rusty Salmon, 259-4044 LATE hardy cyclamen 8" wood hyacinth 10" leukojurn (snowflake) 15" most alliums 6"‘5' Dutch iris l6"—l8" Star of Bethlehem 8" many tulip varieties* many daffodil varieties* |