08/18/04
Bulbs
add color to a Late Winter Landscape
By: Donna Couch
We’ve
been really lucky the past couple of weeks by experiencing
lower than average temperatures here, but with the heat and
the added humidity with all the tropical storms and hurricanes
building in the east, I find it harder to drag myself into
the garden in the evenings. I keep waiting, but of course,
with no rain the past several weeks, if Walter or I don’t
water, my little garden friends dry up and die. Not only do
the plants need a drink, but so do my little bird and butterfly
friends that are desperately seeking a cool bath or a refreshing
dip while getting a nourishing meal from our feeders. Just
this week, I added a new hummingbird feeder that was a birthday
gift from last week. Anyway, with the heat an ever present
reminder that I’m getting older, my mind sometimes turns
to cooler time and plans for upcoming gardens. So, I’m
starting to plan my bulb planting for my spring garden.
I’ve
always been an iris person, and for years, they were the only
flowers in my garden, so once they bloomed, all I had left
was greenery. But they were all special, as many of them had
been started by bulbs or rhizomes, given to me by friends like
Josie Coggins and family members like my Granny Montgomery.
Of course, now I have many more flowers in my garden, but my
irises are still special to me because of who they came from.
I also share my irises when I’m thinning them, so that
others can enjoy their beauty. Kristi & I both have irises
that came from my Mother’s garden.
Irises
are great almost anywhere you put them. They need little care,
and are an excellent choice in most gardens. If you have a
problem with soil erosion, plant irises in the area to help
hold the soil in place. Need a tall flower for height in your
garden? Think Iris! How about a beautiful flower for cutting?
Well, you get the idea-having iris in your garden can fill
lots of purposes. Irises can add beauty and color, even in
places such as a fence row, framing a garden gate or circling
a tree or bird bath.
And
of course, there are many other beautiful spring-blooming bulbs,
corms and rhizomes, and planted in abundance, they make a beautiful
water color painting right in your own yard. For early flowering,
choose tulips or daffodils. Grape hyacinths make a beautiful
splash of purple in and area that is just coming alive with
greenery. Alliums are another great choice to provide height
in your garden plus a great cut flower for heighth.
But
how do you fit those bulbs in to your garden that is already
planted with beautiful shrubs and perennials? Don’t worry,
bulbs coexist with other plants well, and roots of other plants
near them will not cause any trouble. While most perennials
are still waking up from their winter nap, many in the bulb
family will be showing color that is breathtaking.
A
great place to plant your bulbs is in areas around trees. It
is important to keep the bulbs close to the tree trunk where
roots are thicker and can more easily stand up to the need
to dig small holes to house your bulbs while they are waiting
to bloom. Planting further away from trees can damage smaller
roots, and besides, the roots will rob the bulb of needed water
and nutrients. However, take care to not cut or gouge even
the larger roots. When planting very close to trees, also plant
bulbs that are early bloomers, so that they have enough time
in the sunlight to replenish their needed energy before the
tree reaches full leaf.
You
can create a very dramatic effect with bulbs by planting large
quantities in mass. Of course, depending on the flower and
the foliage, sometimes it doesn’t take as many to create
the drama, but for smaller flowers such as tulips, daffodils
and crotons, at least 25 in a group are needed. For larger
plants such as your allium varieties, lilies, or even the later
blooming day lily, 6 bulbs close together can be dramatic.
Another great look can be achieved by planting a number of
bulbs of several varieties in a small grouping, such as grape
hyacinth and yellow daffodils, red tulips with white and blue
hyacinth, anemones with narcissus, or purple crocus with yellow
daffodils.
If
you haven’t experimented with bulbs, you might want to
add some to your garden. They are a great way to add vibrant
color, especially right after a long winter’s cold spell.
Cold? Did someone say cold? Oh well, it’s the thought
that counts! Start getting ready, it is almost Fall, you know.
