Bulb Sale (part 2)

In May, I planted the 12 for $25 bulbs I bought at the Philadelphia Flower Show – 6 Casablanca and 6 Stargazer Lilies. (See May 4 post.)

When I bought the bulbs, I didn’t mark them so “Since Casablanca blooms white, I rationalized that the bulbs would be white.” I planted the white bulbs with the other beautiful Casablanca lilies from Breck’s (3 for about $20).

As you can see the 2 foot lilies are not white next to the 4 foot Casablanca lilies. In fact they barely resemble the Stargazer lilies pictured here at Dave’s Garden dot com. I can’t detect any scent.

This is one time when buying on impulse didn’t work out so well. I can’t wait to see what the other 6 lilies look like when they bloom.

They should be Casablanca. They are now about 1 ½ ft. tall and have a few buds.

Easter Tulips

Do you plant the potted bulbs you get for Easter?

All the tulips in the photo above were Easter gifts.

This year I received a lovely pot of purple tulips. When they began to fade, I cut off what remained of the blooms.
Dug a hole behind the existing Easter tulips.
Cut and teased the roots.

Put the entire pot full in the hole and refilled it with the soil and watered in.

They may not bloom next year but I hope they will do as well as the other Easter tulips in a few years.

Glory-of-the-Snow

Chionodoxa forbesii

This happy little flower always makes me smile. The blue stars seem to sparkle as the gardening season begins.

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In 1999, I planted 30 Glory-of-the-Snow bulbs on top of some tulip bulbs.

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The tulip bulbs were planted 6 to 8 inches deep. I filled the planting hole with soil up to 3 inches from the top, added the Glory-of-the-Snow bulbs then added the rest of the soil on top. Over the years, the tiny bulbs have multiplied. They also moved around the front garden with transplants and new plants.

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After blooming, the leaves fade away and the bulb goes dormant for the summer – to burst into blue abundance next spring.

I wish I had a hundred more.

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Planting Bulbs

I planted 5 bulbs, “Fragrant Hyacinth Mixture” Hyacinthus orientalis, last weekend. At 2 inches, they are not the largest hyacinth bulbs I ever bought. I bought them at a fund raiser. I kept telling myself it was for a good cause.

It’s easy to see which end is up on hyacinths - pointy end up. You can even see some dried roots in the one upside down bulb in the picture below.

I wanted to plant them with other hyacinths already in my garden. I can’t be certain exactly where the other hyacinths are. All signs of hyacinths are long gone. I didn’t want to dig up the old bulbs or worse, chop them into pieces with my shovel.

Years ago when I started planting spring blooming bulbs, I used tongue depressors in spring to mark the spots where I wanted to add more bulbs. It was easy to see where the empty spots were when the bulbs bloomed. Then in fall I knew where to dig. This year I didn’t plan to plant more hyacinths. The fund raiser changed that.

So I had to take a guess.

I knew the spot I wanted would be somewhere in the mass of sweet alyssum. The alyssum self sows every year and camouflages the hyacinth leaves as they fade. I love the sweet scent of alyssum in the warm sun. I hated to pull them out before frost but I had to clean out a spot to plant the new bulbs.

Then I dug a hole about 6 inches deep. I placed the bulbs closer than the 4 to 6 inches apart recommended because I like to have a clump of blooms.

After covering the bulbs, I watered well to settle the soil around the bulbs and dissipate the bulb odor from bulb eating critters. As a little insurance from marauding squirrels, I sprinkled the ground with cayenne pepper. It may not help but it can’t hurt.

For some expert advice and interesting facts on planting spring blooming bulbs from Doug Green, click here and here.

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Forcing Bulbs

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I potted some bulbs in November. Watered and stored them in a box in the garage. My biggest concern was about water. Too much might rot the bulbs. But nothing rotted so I guess I did OK. I brought them into the house and put them in a sunny window on January 13.

Narcissus Grand Soleil d’Or is labeled as “Indoor Narcissus.” The package suggests, “Spread some pebbles or marbles over the (potting) mix for a nice appearance and to prevent the Narcissus from falling over when in full bloom.” I haven’t done that (yet). The growth actually started within a few days.

The hyacinth was labeled “Pink”. I used the same method as the narcissus. You can just see the bloom in the center of the leaves in the picture.

It was a simple project and fills some of my need to garden in these cold, snowy months. I’ll post a picture when they bloom.

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(More information on forcing bulbs from Penn State Cooperative Extension - Berks County.)

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Longwood Gardens

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A few plants that are not mums at Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, PA. (Or, bits and pieces of the rest of a fun day.)

The grounds are immaculate at Longwood. A pleasant stroll through Pierce’s 7-Acre Woods is so natural that it is hard to believe it was planned.

The woods artfully combines ancient trees and more recent plantings. Tall holly is trimmed to a perfect cone. A giant Hinoki False Cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa var. formosana) stands 70 to 80 feet tall. I can only imagine what it will be like when the rhododendron, azalea, magnolia and dogwood bloom.

Our guide was a bit rushed so, when I stopped to take pictures or get a closer look at a shrub, I didn’t hear the tour information. I couldn’t help myself; there was so much to see.

Longwood has the same problems as any other garden. A fungus infests ailing tree. Woolly adelgid riddles a hemlock. There are some things that can’t be cured in any garden.

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Tousands of bulbs are planted along the Flower Garden Walk. Covered with mesh to thwart marauding squirrels, they wait for a color coordinated spring display.

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The fruit of the Osage Orange (Maclura pomifera) ended up in a pot of Ostrich Fern. Also called “monkey brains” and “hedge apple”, it is said that the thorns are of this tree are large enough to flatten a tire. The fruit is said to repel insects.

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In the Production Greenhouses, the Christmas displays are coming together. (Pictures from my post of last year’s Christmas display here.) Rows and rows of poinsettias, begonias and amaryllis wait for their turn in the conservancy. Longwood closes for 3 days and the magic is done – from autumn yellow, red and orange to Christmas red, white and pink.

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In the Children’s Garden, simple musical instruments, a scavenger hunt, puppets, grottos, mazes, fountains, friendly monsters, ramps and spiral stairs create a delightful, imaginative playground. I turned into a kid in about 30 seconds. I so wanted to play hide and seek.

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The orchid house, at the first crossroads of the greenhouses next to the Main Conservatory, hosts a wall of orchids. Always a wonderful display.

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A pretty plant in the Palm Garden (above), the Amazon Lily (Eucharis x grandiflora) was gracefully tucked in with other tropicals. A future house plant for me? I’ll store the thought in my “maybe someday” brain file.

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In direct opposition to the serene Palm Garden, the Mediterranean Garden is a bright hot spot. Lantana, Kalanchoe and Variegated Spurflower would make a fiery combination for in pot on a sunny deck.

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I’ll try to get back in spring to see the bulb display and trees in bloom. Then I want to go back to see the summer flower gardens. I may try the self-guided audio tour. I guess I’m hooked on Longwood.

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Forcing Bulbs

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I’ve decided to try to force some narcissus (‘Grand Soleil d’Or’) and hyacinths (‘Pink Surprise’) to bloom next spring. I’m aiming for an early March bloom.

I’ll be planting them in soil in a day or two. Right now they are in the refrigerator. The temperature has been a little warm outside – not staying consistently below 50 degrees.

I'll keep them in the garage after they are planted and keep them in the dark. I plan to bring them in from cold storage about the middle of January. I’ll put them in a cool room out of direct sunlight until they sprout. Then I’ll move them to a sunny window. That’s my plan, anyway.

Some expert information on forcing bulbs from Purdue and Clemson University Extensions.

I haven’t followed directions to the letter. I will be away in the beginning of January so I’m trying to adapt the directions to what is possible for me.

I’ll be sure to let you know how it turns out.

Won’t it be nice when the daffodils and hyacinths are blooming in the garden again like the pictures here? (Approx. 160 days 'till outdoor blooms.)

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Tuberose

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Does this look like a tuberose to you?

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In 2004, I purchased tuberose bulbs from Meilingers and Van Dyck's on line. This is what I got. This is what I've been nurturing for 4 years.

Doesn't look like a tuberose to me. What do you think?

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Tuberose

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Well here it is! The first buds on my 4 year old Double Flowering Tuberose (Polianthea tuberosa). (see posts December 29, 2006 and February 2, 2008.)

I’ve been trying to get a bloom for 4 years. Every year I’m tempted to add them to the compost pile. What did I do differently this year?

On advice from Doug Green at http://www.simplegiftsfarm.com/ , “the deal with this plant is that is LOVES warmth. If you try to grow it cold (like early in the season) it is not going to be a happy camper. It is Mexican. Think warmth. Think long season of warmth because it is essentially an Agave plant. Think mature bulbs that may take several seasons of growing under great conditions until they reach blooming size (many inexpensive seed companies sell the tiny babies rather than established blooming size).”

The last few years I put the pot out on the deck in the middle of May. This year I didn’t put the pot outside until June. I kept it in the house in my sunniest spot until the nights were warm.

I purchased a 4 fl. oz bottle of Hawaiian Flower Magic (9-18-9) from Roberta's, Inc. at the Philadelphia Flower Show. The woman selling the fertilizer practically guaranteed it would get the tuberose to bloom (8 drops to a quart of water). I watered every time with the fertilizer mix. I filled a spray bottle with the fertilizer mix and sprayed the leaves often. I never let the pot dry completely.

I’m not sure if the bulbs were simply mature enough to bloom this year or if my adjustments in care allowed the buds to form. Whatever the reason, I’m delighted to see buds.

I’ll bring the tuberose into the house towards the end of August when the nights begin to cool. When it finishes blooming, I’ll put it in a cool place and discontinue watering for the winter. I’ll add a little soil in February and begin to water sparingly until I see some growth. They will need to be divided some day. Hopefully, next year there will be more blooms.

I’ll be sure to post a picture when the buds open. If you’ve had success with tuberose, please let me know.

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More information on tuberose bulbs at Easy to Grow Bulbs http://www.easytogrowbulbs.com/index.asp?PageAction=Custom&ID=79 and GardenWeb Forum http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/bulbs/msg0606505130183.html
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Amaryllis. The amaryllis rebirth is always amazing to me. The potted plants spent last summer in a shady but bright place in the garden. I watered & fed them with fish emulsion about once a month.

I brought them in late August and let them dry in a cool dark place under the plant tables. I started giving them a little water before Christmas and added a little potting soil to the top. I kept them in the same place and gave them a little water about once a week.

About 6 weeks later, I saw a tiny bit of green poking up from the bulb. Then I moved them to a sunny location and watered well. And, like magic, a beautiful bloom. As with every year, not all of them will bloom. I'm happy with one out of five - in time to combat the "February Funk" and get me in the mood for the Philadelphia Flower Show. My space and time allow only 5 plants.

I have 2 varieties - both were gifts so I don't have names. The plant pictured here is called "the one Pam gave me." I also have a deep red I call "Rosey's Daughter" because my uncle called the original "Rosey". How's that for a scientific explanation?

Some of the bulbs will need to be divided this spring. If I can find someone to give them to, I'll repot the "babies" and give them away. If I can't find someone to give them to, I'll plant them in the garden & enjoy the foliage for the summer. Please leave an comment and email address if you're looking for a free amaryllis - no guarantees :-).