BULB RULES
I was wandering around the local big box store the other day and in my enthusiasm over the cheapness of the chrysanthemums, I walked right into an enormous crate loaded with bags of daffodil bulbs. That painful jolt made me recall that I put “order bulbs” on my to-do list back in August, but never got around to it. Now that I have a big bruise on my shin to remind me, I’m sure I’ll get it done.
Over the years I have come up with a few rules for bulb buying. I arrived at them by combining close observation with lots of mistakes. In fact, there is no mistake I haven’t completed successfully–ordering too late, spending too much, forgetting about bags of bulbs in the back of the garage and overestimating the amount of time available for installation. Since there may be other gardeners out there who haven’t yet made all of the above mistakes, I offer my rules for bulb buying.
“¢ You can never have enough tulips: Always buy more tulips than you think you will need. Most of the big, showy varieties do not return reliably from year to year, so purchase as if you are planting tulips on your property for the first time. If a few of last year’s picks come up, count yourself lucky.
“¢ Buy fragrant genera, species and varieties for high traffic areas: Come spring you will be tired of indoor smells and long for the scent of flowers. Buy hyacinths and fragrant varieties of tulips and daffodils to plant along walkways or in beds under windows that you open frequently. I love ‘Mount Tacoma’, a big, white, peony-flowering variety that is also fragrant. The well-loved ‘Angelique’ is another fragrant peony-flowering type. There are many fragrant daffodils, but I am making an investment this year in Narcissus albus plenus odoratus, the “Double Pheasant Eye” daffodil, which is mostly white with a wonderful fragrance.
“¢ Don’t forget the little bulbs: Crocuses, grape hyacinths, anemones, scilla and snowdrops are generally at the back of the bulb catalogs and store display racks, so it is easy to forget them. However, they are cheap and easy, especially if you plant them in trenches or large holes instead of installing them one by one. Every spring I am struck dumb by the inspiring appearance of the first crocus and wish I had invested that extra $15.00 or so to buy an additional hundred of them.
“¢ Be smart if you have deer problems: Most people know that deer and various other garden varmints do not like daffodils. Tulips, on the other hand, seem to make them salivate from two miles away. Since you probably want more than just daffodils in your garden, consider two genera that deer and varmints find unappealing–Fritillaria and Allium. Fritillaria includes the well-known crown imperial or Fritillaria imperialis, but there are other, daintier species as well. I am partial to Fritillaria meleagris, sometimes known as the “guinea hen flower,” for its checkered, somewhat tulip-shaped blooms. Its sibling, Fritillaria meleagris alba, the white form, is pretty as well. If you like big, eye-catching globes in the garden, invest in Allium ‘Globemaster’ or ‘Gladiator’. Both sport giant, round purple flowerheads on stems that grow between 24 to 36 inches tall. They make a real statement in the back of the border. For something more delicate, try Allium pulchellum, with its flowerheads of tiny rose-pink bells.
“¢ Don’t forget the lilies: Most of us think of daffodils and tulips for fall planting, but now is the time to install lilies as well. Don’t confuse these true lilies with daylilies, which are equally wonderful, but can be planted any time. True lilies range from the ultra-fragrant Oriental types like ‘Casablanca’ and ‘Stargazer’, to species, like the beautiful Lilium cerneum, with its reflexed pink, “Turk’s cap” flowers. I am especially partial to Lilium auratum ‘Gold Band’, an heirloom whose freckled white petals are marked with vertical bands of golden yellow. It is stunning planted in masses. When deciding where to put your lilies, make sure that the planting area has good drainage. Lilies are fussy about wet feet.
It behooves us gardeners to support both our favorite local nurseries and our preferred catalog vendors. I suggest using catalogs for large quantities or unusual varieties and patronizing local merchants for smaller quantities and more familiar varieties. If you are like me, you will also indulge in a bit of impulse purchasing from all purveyors. For good selection and prices on large quantities, try Van Engelen, Inc., 23 Tulip Drive, P.O. Box 638, Bantam, Connecticut 06750, (860) 567-8734, www.vanengelen.com. Free catalog. Heirloom varieties are the domain of Old House Gardens, 536 Third Street, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48103, (734) 995-1486, www.oldhousegardens.com. Catalog $2.00.