A bulb is an underground vertical shoot
that has modified leaves (or thickened leaf bases) that are used as food storage
organs by a dormant plant.
A bulb's leaf bases generally do not support leaves, but contain food reserves
to enable the plant to survive adverse conditions. The leaf bases may overlap
and surround the center of the bulb as with lilies, or may completely surround
the inner regions of the bulb, as with the onion. A modified stem forms the base
of the bulb, and plant growth occurs from this basal plate. Roots emerge from
the underside of the base, and new stems and leaves from the upper side.
Other types of storage organs (such as corms, rhizomes, and tubers) are
sometimes erroneously referred to as bulbs. The correct term for plants that
form underground storage organs, including bulbs as well as tubers and corms, is
geophyte. Some epiphytic orchids (family Orchidaceae) form above-ground storage
organs called pseudobulbs, that superficially resemble bulbs.
Plants that form true bulbs are all monocotyledons, and include:
Onion, garlic, and other alliums, family Alliaceae.
Lily, tulip, and many other members of the lily family Liliaceae.
Amaryllis, Hippeastrum, Narcissus, and several other members of the amaryllis
family Amaryllidaceae.
Two groups of Iris species, family Iridaceae: subgenus Xiphium (the "Dutch"
irises) and subgenus Hermodactyloides (the miniature "rock garden" irises).
The Brimeura 'Blue/White', 'Brimeura amethystina', a fall planted bulb, is extremely easy to grow. The white or blue flowers are useful for a wide variety of purposes. Brimeura bulbs will naturalize without any special care, and they can withstand a ...Read More
The Crocus 'Flower Record', 'Crocus giant', a fall planted bulb, produces a deep purple, shiny colored flower that will create a fantastic spring spectacle. Flower Record is very good for indoor forcing and for naturalizing. If you have the space, pl...Read More
The Crocus 'Jeanne d'Arc', 'Crocus giant', fall planted bulb, is a brave winter-defying crocus that is gleaming virginal white, with a slight tinge of purple at the base. The glossy, deeply cupped petals surround a vivid orange stigma. Upright, slend...Read More
The Crocus 'Assorted Colors', 'Crocus giant', is a fall planted bulb. The Crocus heralds of spring, and cheers up the garden after a dull and long winter. They bloom profusely in whites, yellows, blues and purples. Some are solids, others are two-ton...Read More
The Crocus 'Pickwick', 'Crocus giant', a fall planted bulb, is a profusely flowering Crocus with appealing violet flowers. Each bulb will produce four to five flowers. They are excellent for naturalizing in the border, woodland garden, or in the lawn...Read More
The Crocus 'Queen of Blues', 'Crocus giant', a fall planted bulb, is a profusely flowering Crocus with appealing blue flowers. Each bulb will produce four to five flowers. They are excellent for naturalizing in the border, woodland garden or in the l...Read More
The Crocus 'Remembrance', 'Crocus giant', is a fall planted bulb. The deep purple, shiny color of this variety will create a fantastic spring spectacle. They are very good for indoor forcing and for naturalizing. If you have the space, plant dozens t...Read More
The Crocus 'Advance', 'Snow Crocus species', a fall planted bulb, is a very special, deliciously scented botanical crocus. The outside of the flower is blue, while the inside is bright yellow. They are a very good naturalizer and good for use in lawn...Read More
The Crocus 'Blue Pearl', 'Snow Crocus species', is a fall planted bulb. You will fall in love with this delicate Snow Crocus. It is considered by many the most beautiful Crocus for its unique coloring. Each bulb produces a bunch of subtle violet-blue...Read More
The Crocus 'Cream Beauty', 'Snow Crocus species', a fall planted bulb, is a lovely little flower with short, creamy little flowers, which show up very early in the spring. Each bulb will produce four to five flowers. They are excellent for naturalizi...Read More
The Crocus 'Golden Bunch', 'Crocus species', a fall planted bulb, is a wonderful Crocus with golden-yellow flowers, that survive in rock gardens, the lawn, and the front of the border. The bright colors of the Crocus show up as soon as the snow has m...Read More
The Crocus 'Miss Vain', 'Crocus species, is a fall planted bulb. The bright colors of the Crocus show up as soon as the snow has melted, announcing the coming of spring. These wonderful tiny Crocuses have more, but smaller flowers than the Giant Croc...Read More
The Crocus 'Mixed Colors', 'Crocus species', is a fall planted bulb. The bright colors of the Crocus show up as soon as the snow has melted, announcing the coming of spring. These wonderful tiny Crocuses have more, but smaller, flowers than the Giant...Read More
The Crocus 'Ruby Giant', 'Crocus species', is a fall planted bulb. Once the Ruby Giant bulbs have established themselves, their early flowering lilac-purple flowers, and silver-striped leaves, emerge in seemingly infinite numbers. They do this year a...Read More
The Crocus 'Sieberi Tricolor', 'Crocus species', is a fall planted bulb. This distinctive little Crocus has bright violet purple florets and the yellow-orange base is surrounded by a white band. Each bulb will produce four to five flowers, so a handf...Read More
The Crocus 'Mixed Colors', 'Crocus vernus', is a fall planted bulb. The bright colors of the Crocus show up as soon as the snow has melted, announcing the coming of spring. These wonderful tiny Crocuses have more, but smaller, flowers than the Giant ...Read More
The Crocus 'Yellow', 'Crocus flavus', a fall planted bulb, is a classic golden-yellow variety that sparkles in the spring sunshine before anything else has begun to grow. They are excellent for naturalizing. Crocus is easy to grow, and it is native ...Read More
The Fritillaria 'Red', 'Crown Imperial Fritillaria', is a fall planted bulb. The impressive Crown Imperial has a bundle of red bell-like flowers all around the stem and a whimsical crown of green leaves. The pendulous flowers make a bold statement in...Read More
The Fritillaria 'Yellow', 'Crown Imperial Fritillaria', is a fall planted bulb. The impressive Crown Imperial has a bundle of yellow bell-like flowers all around the stem and a whimsical crown of green leaves. The pendulous flowers make a bold statem...Read More
The Daffodil 'Butterfly Mixed Colors', 'Narcissi', a fall planted bulb, is a mainstay in the early spring garden. It is beautiful and robust, and you can admire a butterfly image in the ruffled split cups. The colorful mix of these showy daffodils wi...Read More
The Daffodil 'February Gold', 'Narcissi cyclamineus', a fall planted bulb, is a mainstay in the early spring garden. It is beautiful and robust, with a golden yellow trumpet bloom frilled on the edge. February Gold is a good naturalizer. The blossoms...Read More
The Daffodil 'Jack Snipe', 'Narcissi cyclamineus', a fall planted bulb, is a cute little Narcissus with vivid yellow cups contrasting with the pure white petals. They are ideal in clusters in the rock garden, in borders or for naturalizing. The bloom...Read More
The Daffodil 'Jetfire', ' Narcissi cyclamineus', a fall planted bulb, is a unique free-blooming variety with lovely orange-red cups surrounded by backwards curved petals. This strong performer is excellent for naturalizing and it will come back more ...Read More
The Daffodil 'TOte-a-TOte', 'Narcissi cyclamineus', a fall planted bulb, is so named because they flower in profuse pairs facing one another in a most charming fashion. They are extremely popular due to its ease of culture, perfect form, vigor, and p...Read More
The Daffodil 'Acropolis', 'Narcissi double', is a fall planted bulb. The Acroplis is a double daffodil, with fully double blooms, and is an important component in any landscape design. The double flowers do not form a distinct cup, but they produce m...Read More
The Daffodil 'Calgary', 'Narcissi double', a fall planted bulb, has fascinating huge, gardenia-like blooms, up to 5" across, that show up even from a distance. The double blooms open creamy yellow, and turn bright white at maturity. Get plenty of the...Read More
The Daffodil 'Cheerfulness', 'Narcissi double', a fall planted bulb, is a must-have for every garden for a burst of spring color. Each stem bears 4-5 dainty, double flowers growing up from strap-like foliage. Plant in borders, meadows of woodlands in...Read More
The Daffodil 'Delnashaugh', ' Narcissi double', a fall planted bulb, is an exquisite variety that is highly prized for its scarce color combination among Narcissi and the magnificently formed double shape. The fully double pink blooms measure 4" in d...Read More
The Daffodil 'Full Cheer', ' Narcissi double', a fall planted bulb, is a combination of two varieties that is highly prized for its scarce color combination among Narcissi and the magnificently formed double shape. Full Cheer is a combination of Doub...Read More
The Daffodil 'Golden Ducat', ' Narcissi double', a fall planted bulb, will even impress the most experienced gardener with this beautiful textured double golden-yellow variety. It is the very best double yellow Narcissus available and it is an old-ti...Read More
The Daffodil 'Ice King', 'Narcissi double', a fall planted bulb, is a most interesting Daffodil with a cream, white and yellow ruffled, fully double cup. The blooms measure 4" in diameter. 'Ice King' is vigorous and long-lasting. They are stunning in...Read More
The Daffodil 'Mixed Colors', 'Narcissi double', a fall planted bulb, is a most interesting Daffodil that displays assorted colors of ruffled, fully double cup blooms. The blooms measure 4" in diameter. 'Ice King' is vigorous and long-lasting. They ar...Read More
The Daffodil 'Sir Winston Churchill', 'Narcissi double', is a fall planted bulb. This tiny Narcissus, with its unusual aster-like flowers, blooms extremely early in the spring, at the same time as the Crocus. It is a real eye catcher, despite it's sm...Read More
The Daffodil 'Tahiti', 'Narcissi double', a fall planted bulb, is an attention-getting addition to your garden. This showy double Narcissus has large symmetrical flowers of chrome-yellow, with vivid orange-red petaloids in the center. The strong stem...Read More
The Daffodil 'Yellow Cheerfulness', 'Narcissi double', a fall planted bulb, is a must-have for your garden for a burst of spring color. Each stem bears 4-5 dainty, double flowers growing up from strap-like foliage. Plant in borders, meadows of woodla...Read More
The Daffodil 'Bell Song', 'Narcissi jonquilla', a fall planted bulb, is a delicate beauty for the front of the border, in pots or in the rock garden. It is a free-flowering miniature with a salmon-pink cup and an icy-white perianth. The blossoms last...Read More
The Daffodil 'Hillstar', 'Narcissi jonquilla', a fall planted bulb, is a delicate beauty for the front of a border, in pots, or in the rock garden. It is a free-flowering miniature with a pale yellow cup and a white perianth. The blossoms last up to ...Read More
The Daffodil 'Sun Disc', 'Narcissi jonquilla;, a fall planted bulb, is an unusually shaped dwarf with up to three sweetly fragrant, circular flowers per stem. This late bloomer will attract a lot of attention. It is a reliable variety, introduced mor...Read More
The Daffodil 'Suzy', 'Narcissi jonquilla', a fall planted bulb, have 1 to 5 flowers per stem. Most of these cultivars are fragrant and they make splendid displays along walks as well as edgings for beds. The blossoms last up to 4 weeks and appear in ...Read More
The Daffodil 'Accent', 'Narcissi large-cupped', a fall planted bulb, is a cheerful variety that has a ruffled delicate apricot-pink colored cup that is against a background of pure white petals. It will cheer up the border in your garden and will sta...Read More
The Daffodil 'Delibes', 'Narcissi large-cupped', a fall planted bulb, is an attractive variety in yellow and orange. The overlapping petals of golden yellow are large and rounded; the large crown is yellow with a distinctive broad orange rim, and the...Read More
The Daffodil 'Flower Record', 'Narcissi large-cupped', a fall planted bulb, is a well-known, rich flowering Narcissus. It produces fresh white blooms with a striking yellow-orange cup. It is a very good variety for mass display and naturalizing. The ...Read More
The Daffodil 'Fortissimo', 'Narcissi large-cupped', a fall planted bulb, is without a doubt, the largest Daffodil in existence! You will particularly enjoy the huge size of their flowers, as well as, the intense golden-yellow color with its orange ce...Read More
The Daffodil 'Fortune', 'Narcissi large-cupped', a fall planted bulb, is a bright Daffodil that is long-lasting, and produces large yellow flowers with soft orange cups. The blossoms last up to 4 weeks and appear in mid spring. They are great for mas...Read More
The Daffodil 'Hollywood', 'Narcissi large-cupped', a fall planted bulb, is a bright Daffodil that is a long-lasting, vigorous grower. It has a well-overlapping, yellow perianth and a marigold-yellow crown, that is flushed orange at the edges. The blo...Read More
The Daffodil 'Ice Follies', 'Narcissi large-cupped', a fall planted bulb, is a splendid early flowering Narcissus. It starts with a creamy yellow cup, which changes into ivory-white during the flowering period. The long-lasting flowers are among the ...Read More
The Daffodil 'Assorted Colors', 'Narcissi large-cupped', a fall planted bulb, produce large-cupped daffodils that are the same size as the Trumpet daffodils, except the size of the cup is smaller. They have one flower per stem, and will bloom for man...Read More
The Daffodil 'Pink Parasol', 'Narcissi large-cupped', a fall planted bulb, is a magnificent pink-cupped Daffodil. The large cup creates a simple but arresting form. The blossoms last up to 4 weeks and appear in mid spring. They are great for mass pla...Read More
The Daffodil 'Pink Whispers', 'Narcissi large-cupped', a fall planted bulb, is a magnificent pink-cupped Daffodil. The large cup is neatly framed by a white perianth, creating a simple but arresting form. The blossoms last up to 4 weeks and appear in...Read More
The Daffodil 'Salome', 'Narcissi large-cupped', a fall planted bulb, has ivory-white petals that form a flat circle - that's the perfect backdrop for the trumpet-shaped cup, which changes from lovely yellow-apricot to salmon as the flower matures. Th...Read More
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Plant Fall Bulbs for a Spring
Show
Is there
anything more beautiful than a mass of red tulips glowing
in the sun? If you’ve ever seen Angelique tulips, doubles
in frothy pink dancing in a soft spring breeze, you
certainly have witnessed enchantment. If within your
inward eye you waltz with King Alfred daffodils when the
snow is flying, you know what yellow visions they can be.
Add to the imagery the sweet perfume of hyacinths,
adorable crocus clothed in shades of purple, and the first
tiny snowdrop that breaks through its blanket of winter
white, and the excitement builds. Plant bulbs in the fall
and behold autumn’s promise of a colorful spring show when
the world all but erupts into blooming glory.
Begin by designing
your spring bulb garden or bed on graph paper. A location
that provides good drainage and at least six hours of
sunlight each day promotes healthy growth and a good
showing of color and flower form. Spring bulbs bloom
before leaves appear on trees, so planting beneath a tree
can create a very natural look to your yard. If you’re
planning a bed or garden next to a fence, wall, or
building place taller flowers to the back, giving the bed
a graduated cascade effect. Plant the bulbs with smaller,
low growing blossoms in the front. If you’re adding bulbs
to an already existing garden or flower bed, plant bulbs
in threes or fives to produce a look of lushness as if the
blooms have been there for a long time. Grab a garden
catalog that gives the variety of bulbs and their blooming
times. For show that lasts throughout the season, purchase
the same color in different varieties that bloom early
season, mid season, and late season. By planting with
bloom time in mind, you extend the season and have the
opportunity to enjoy the fruits of your fall labor longer.
You’ve made your
bulb decisions. You’re ready to buy. Garden stores,
nurseries, and green houses carry a multitude of bulbs,
but they tend to fly off the shelves early. Purchasing
fall bulbs too early means storing them in a cool, dry
place like a garage until the proper planting time rolls
around. It’s not wise to store bulbs longer than two
weeks. It doesn’t take long for the bulbs to begin to
decay.
A better way to go
may be ordering from a company that will send the bulbs at
the appropriate time to plant. Besides this very important
plus, most mail order companies offer a much wider variety
of bulbs to choose from. Once your precious package of
fall bulbs arrive, check each bulb for disease or rot. If
the bulb is not firm when you press on it, you may want to
give the company a call. Small spots of green or blue mold
may be apparent on the outside, but as long as the bulb is
firm, it’s safe to plant. Plant the bulbs immediately if
possible, and if not, open the package to allow air
circulation, but plant within a day or two.
The time for
planting is at hand. Bulbs or corms should be planted at
the proper time. A quick list of planting times for fall
bulbs and corms follows: In early September plant the fall
blooming crocus and Madonna lilies. By mid September it’s
time to get daffodils, large flowering hyacinths, and
camassia in the ground. When October rolls around, the
rest of the cast can be planted including tulips, crocus,
Muscari also known as grape hyacinths, fritillaria,
alliums, snowdrops, scillia and squill and last, the
spring blooming Iris: Dutch, reticulate, and Danfordiae.
Rather than digging
a hole and sticking a bulb in it, work up the entire bed
if it’s a new bed. Spades usually dig down 18 inches,
which is deep enough to plant the bulbs in. As you spade
up the soil, work in a 10-10-10 soluble fertilizer and 2
cups of bone meal per 10 square feet to give the bulbs a
healthy start. An easy way to keep weeds at bay, come the
next growing season, is to lay a weed barrier on the
prepared soil. Cut a hole into the barrier and plant the
bulb or bulbs.
The actual planting
begins now. The size of hole depends on the bulb. A hole
that is 3 to 4 times the height of the bulb or corm is
adequate. Place the bulb, pointed end up and the bottom
with tiny roots down. Using a ruler to measure helps
assure that the bulb is planted at a depth that gives it
ample space to grow. Follow the directions that came with
your bulbs or use this general rule of thumb; large bulbs
like daffodils and tulips should be planted approximately
8 inches deep. Tiny bulbs like grape hyacinths or
snowdrops need a shallower hole dig a hole 3 to 4 inches
deep. Do not water the hole and then tuck the bulb in.
Water after all bulbs have been planted and the earth
tamped lightly over them. The water will snug the soil up
to the bulb, but rotting bulbs won’t disappoint you when
nothing appears in spring. Toss 2 to 3 inches of mulch
like shredded leaves, straw, or shredded bark over your
little darlings, whisper good night and let them grow.
You’ve found joy in
the wondrous spring season with tulips nodding in the
breezes and daffodils gracing your home. Blooming time has
come and gone and the only thing left is all that foliage:
yellow, dying, and unsightly. Stop! Do not cut the foliage
back. After blooming, the bulb needs that foliage to store
up food before it goes dormant. The leaves provide
nourishment enough to sustain the bulb through dormancy
and it’s time of growth. Perennial plantings and ground
covers will help hide the dying foliage and keep in mind
that a year from now you’ll be once again singing the
praises of the gorgeous spring flowers.
Tulips tend to not
be long lasting bulbs; on the other hand, daffodils can
last for years and years. It’s a good idea to divide
daffodil bulbs and crocus corms every five years.
Eventually the bulbs become packed together, producing
smaller flowers and plants that suffer overall. Mark the
plants that you’re going to divide with a stick or wooden
marker so when the foliage has withered you can still find
them. Wait until the dormancy period has begun and then
dig them up, transplanting as you go.
Planting bulbs in
the fall is an act of faith. Through the autumn season
they establish roots ready to shoot forth enchanting
blooms as soon as the earth warms. With very little effort
you can extend the spring flowering season from fall
planted bulbs. The sheer joy of seeing the first snowdrop
peek up from the cold earth rouses the spirit to muster up
because spring is finally here. Soon an explosion of color
will put on a show all because you planted bulbs in the
fall.
