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YARD AND GARDEN

Bulb catalogs, wholesale prices and other gardening secrets

David Robson

The first one arrived even before the snow had melted. Well, actually before the ground thawed. Truth be told, the ground really didn't freeze this past year, so let's just say before the buds swelled and the robins returned to confound my cats.

I'm not talking about the spring gardening catalogs. I'm talking about the fall bulb catalogs. The ones that pop in your mailbox before the ones do in the yard.

Years ago, that annoyed me. How dare they send me a catalog before I even had the chance to plant my spring vegetables? Now, due to older age or something less tangible, they are welcomed. They're great references as you travel down the street or road and see flowers bloom in someone else's yard. In a matter of seconds, the pages are turned, the flowers and color established, and then marked for later reference. All the while, trying not to drive into the ditch. GARDENING SECRET #1. There are a couple catalogs that advertise wholesale prices and quantities. They are the best. You don't have to be a wholesaler to buy them, and if you feel guilty about a name, just use your last name and add "Gardens" after it. Who cares? Why are they great? Not just the price, but also the fact they force you to order a large quantity.

Two of my biggest gardening peeves involve bulbs. The first is the row of tulips that seem to pop up along someone's driveway, sidewalk or front of the house. Horticulturists call them little tulip soldiers getting ready to march to war. There is nothing natural looking about it. They look exactly like what they are, rows of tulips planted in a straight line.

Second, people like either lots of different colors or a handful of bulbs, or even a combination of lots of different colors but not many of each. My yard is a typical urban yard, albeit little grass. I never ever consider ordering less than 25 of the same tulip. Besides getting the best deal, it forces me to have masses of colors. Color is tricky in the landscape. Come spring, we like the yellows and whites of daffodils; the blues, reds, pinks, and purples of the hyacinths; and the every-color-under-the-sun of tulips. But all the different colors can be jarring to the eye. GARDENING SECRET #2. Bulbs don't all bloom at the same time. Now, this isn't exactly a new idea that will win me a Nobel Prize, or even a free cup of coffee at the local diner. But we often forget this fact. Look through the tulip section of the catalogs. There are all sorts of tulip types early, late, Darwin, species, mid-season, parrot, Rembrandt, lily-flowered and Viridiflora, which means there's a green streak in the flowers. By selecting some of each type, you can almost have a month and a half of blooms.

Daffodils are somewhat similar, though the length of time doesn't seem as long. Coupled with some of the minor bulbs like snowdrops, crocus, grape hyacinths, winter aconites and fritillarias, you can extend bulb bloom from March to May. Okay, this is what you do.

First, don't settle for less than 25 of each bulb color. That's tulips and daffodils. That many hyacinth bulbs may be overwhelming. Or not. Second, don't plant any less than 12 bulbs in a group. Third, space the plants a little closer than recommended. Tulips are supposed to be spaced 4 to 6 inches apart. Mine are 2 inches. This way, I can cut some of the flowers, and the others hide the naked leaves. In fact, by spacing so close, I've cut about half the flowers and the grouping still looks good.

Next, plant the bulbs the correct depth. If the tag says 6 to 8 inches, go that deep. I like to measure from the top of the bulbs to ground level. I also recommend a bulb drill bit attached to an electric drill. It makes planting faster and more fun. Plant as soon as possible. Water the bulbs in and mulch. SOLUTIONS: www.ag.uiuc.edu/~robsond/solutions

David Robson is an Extension Educator, Horticulture, at the Springfield Extension Center, University of Illinois Extension. You can write to Robson in care of Illinois Country Living, P.O. Box 3787, Springfield, IL 62708. Telephone: (217) 782-6515.
E-Mail: robsond@mail.aces.uiuc.edu

16 ILLINOIS COUNTRY LIVING • SEPTEMBER 2001