| |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
How to Choose the Right Bulbs for Your Spring Flower Garden
Choosing the right bulbs involves more than just selecting colors and cultivars. Timing, bulb size, and most importantly, bulb health are equally significant factors in designing your spring garden. Before purchasing any bulbs, know the differences in bulb types. Along with true bulbs, several types of flowers, sold as bulbs, grow from the underground stem growth of rhizomes, tubers, and corms.
The first part in selecting healthy bulbs is knowing the bulb parts. Healthy bulbs are firm, well rounded, and heavy for their size. Although bulbs come in a range of colors, some even with distinctive patterns, color should be uniform with no dark patches or light splotches. Discard any bulbs with weak spots or spongy area, which are signs of rot caused by disease or other damage. Bulb Size A double-edged tip for selecting bulbs is "the bigger the bulb, the bigger the bloom". First, it helps you select cultivars and decide where to place them in your spring flower garden. For instance, crocus and anemone bulbs are tiny imps that beg a front row or outside border seat, while giant tulip or daffodil bulbs stand tall in back rows or keep watch over the center of your garden. Second, larger bulbs, within a particular cultivar, are generally more robust than smaller bulbs and produce stronger, healthier plants and blooms. Timing When choosing bulbs for a spring flower garden, consider both when they need to be planted as well as when you want them to appear. Most spring bulbs need to be planted in late summer or autumn. However, the reasons for the timing in planting spring bulbs usually aren't relative to when the bulbs sprout in the spring. Rather, bulbs usually need to be planted when it is cool enough to keep them from sprouting, but warm enough to allow roots to become established before winter. All spring bulbs need a cool weather rest period below 50°F in order to sprout successfully. If your climate is warm, you'll need to provide them with a simulated winter before planting them. ? Tulips - 14 weeks Although crocuses and windflowers are tiny, they are brave little imps and often the first heralds of spring. Generally, they'll be followed by smaller tulip cultivars and narcissus. Still, even some of the larger daffodils and giant tulip hybrids may surprise you with an early appearance. The best way to try to synchronize bulb growth with your garden plan is to check the growth patterns of each individual cultivar before purchasing and planting the bulbs. Linda is leading author of the Flower Gardening Section at Gardening Guides.com
MORE RESOURCES:
landscaping gardening - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
The Basics of Growing Roses So you want to grow roses? They are a beautiful choice for your garden and not nearly as difficult to grow as you might think. Choose a rose that is easy to grow. Plastic & Resin Patio Furniture - What You Don't Know What is the first thought that comes through your mind when you hear "resin patio furniture" or "plastic patio furniture"? Is the word cheap or flimsy? You are not alone. But what you may not know is it is the latest trend and spreading fast. No Dig Gardens - How to Build One The no dig garden is exactly what it describes.. Grey Water- Not Drinking Water- For Your Garden The average home can reduce their water consumption by around 30% by re-using grey water on their garden.The figures are compelling. With So Many Choices For Patio Furniture, Finding The Perfect Set To Complement Your Yard Is Easy There is nothing more relaxing than kicking back with a cold drink on a hot summer day. Or unwinding with a big backyard barbeque with all of your neighbors. Durable Wooden Swing - Decorate Your Outdoors with One There is nothing better to do on a hot, lazy afternoon than to lounge in your favorite outdoor swing while reading, napping or just watching the world pass by. And when evening approaches and the breeze gets cooler, an outdoor swing is also the perfect place to sit and unwind after a hard day while you watch the fireflies light up the ever darkening sky. How To Find Cheap Flower Delivery In Your Area As humans, we are always on the lookout for a deal. Deals on flower delivery are no exception. Bottle Gardening or Terrarium - Design and Maintenance Women take pride in home decoration and gardening and want some unique and prized possessions that are not part of the neighboring dwellings. Gardening offers opening as there is no end to creativity, especially in the fields of flower arrangement, bonsai, mini-rock garden etc. Cultivating Plants In Your Garden...What To Watch Out For There are so many plants available for you to choose from that it's hard to know where to start. Are you looking for house plants, tropical plants or some beautiful garden plants? Green plants are not only beautiful to look at they also provide a much needed source of fresh oxygen for our breathing. Orchid Care - What The Leaves Tell Us Orchid Care Leaves Tell Us About Orchid HealthOver the past 20 years the orchid supply has become almost limitless. All in all orchid care leaves is becoming more important to all the orchid lovers. Developing the Perfect Landscaping Idea Using landscaping ideas can be an effective way to attract wildlife, such as birds, to your yard and neighborhood. Thoughtfully placing bird feeders or houses around your yard can make it an inviting environment for different types of bird species. How to Care for Your Outdoor Water Fountains Garden lovers around the world love putting fountains among their flowers, plants, bushes and shrubs. And with the Christmas season upon us in the U. Bird Baths in Your Yard HOOOOOOOOOOOEEEEEEEEEHas summer come in with a bang!Heat waves everywhere.And where is the rain?Yolanda is at camp this week. How To Attract Hummingbirds Yes! You can attract hummingbirds to your home. Even if you live in the middle of the city, and even if you've never had any luck getting them to come in the past. Sleeping Beauties: Porches For Dreaming There's something magical about sleeping outside, drinking in the night sounds of crickets, frogs and wind chimes, watching fireflies and stars, and feeling the cool night breeze. You'll find children giggling long past their bedtime from sheer excitement. Fall is the Time to Get Your Garden Trees and Shrubs Ready for Winter: Heres What to Do Tips for winter care of trees and shrubsWith the garden season drawing to a close, it's awfully tempting to forget about your plants. But you should continue to water all woody plants - especially newly planted trees and shrubs and all evergreens. Wooden Garden Furniture Wooden Garden Furniture can be the ideal solution to various seating problems in your garden. You can add new seating areas to your garden by perhaps turning a path into a destination for a sit down or consider adding a few pieces of wooden garden furniture to less frequented corners of the garden. Hydroponics Gardening - An Introduction To Hydroponics Gardening For Beginners (Part 2) Plant Needs THE BASICS OF HYDROPONICS.What Do Your Plants Need?All plants need the correct conditions in order to grow to their full potential. Invite Spring Early - Grow in Your Basement Now's the time to get ready to grow your own seedlings! It's not really difficult, and can extend your growing season by many weeks. For example, by planting brassica's (cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower) in February in your basement under grow-lights, you can put large, sturdy transplants into your garden by the end of March or early April, and be eating them when others are just seeing them come up! However, remembering that photosynthesis, using light, heat and moisture causes plant growth, you must follow a few key natural principles very carefully, or you will be disappointed. With Outdoor Lighting You Can Enjoy Your Garden Into The Evening Hours It is a beautiful evening and you are relaxing on your patio, enjoying the cool summer air. The flowers are blooming, the lawn is green and lush, everything is perfect, if only you could see! We spend so much time and money on our backyards, decks and patios, and then the sun goes down and we must abandon these beautiful oases.
|
