Hardy bulbs are a

great asset to the garden, for they provide some of the earliest and

latest blooms, begining with snowdrops and winter aconites and finishing

with autumn cyclamens and autumn crocuses. It's a

fact of life: to enjoy the glorious bulb flowers that bloom in

spring -- such as tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, crocus and others -- you

must plant them in the fall. That's the hard fact. The fun fact is that

nothing is easier to grow or more colorfully rewarding than flower bulbs.

Even the most unskilled gardener can create a breathtaking and beautiful

spring garden with bulbs. Spring-flowering bulbs

must be planted in the fall because they require a sustained

"dormant" period of cold temperatures to stimulate root development.

Groups of bulbs make a much nicer

show than individual "soldiers marching single file." To create

greater color impact in the garden, plant clusters of same-color flowers

together in blocks or "bouquets." Visually, you get more "bang for the

buck." One trick: try positioning similar bulbs in atriangular planting

pattern in the garden, with the point of the triangle towards the front and

the long leg towards the back. The result: it will look as if you planted

more flowers than you did. Generally, larger bulbs should be planted 3 to 6

inches apart, smaller bulbs 1 to 2 inches apart.

After tulip

flowers have faded, "dead-head" them by clipping off the faded

blooms so that they won't go to seed. Narcissi (daffodils) do not require

dead-heading,just leave as is. The main requirement for bulb flowers in the

post-bloom period is to leave the leaves alone so the plant can put its

energy into "recharging" its bulb for next spring's performance. This

"energy charge" is gained through photosynthesis as the plant uses the

sun's energy to turn basic elements such as oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorous

and potassium into food. This food is stored in the bulb's "scales," the

white fleshy part of the bulb, for use next spring. It is necessary to leave the green foliage exposed to the

sun until it turns brown or six weeks have elapsed since blooming. Fight

the urge to trim back or constrain the leaves during their die-back phase

after looming. Don't bunch, tie, braid or cut bulb plant leaves during this

period. Dealing with the fading foliage is basically one of those things

that lovers of spring bulbs must deal with. The only management tip is

camouflage. As far as size of bulb is

concerned: It is true, however, that, as a general rule, the bigger

the tulip bulb the bigger the flower. But bigger does not necessarily mean

better. The bulbs of a species tulip such as Tulipa tarda for example would

appear quite tiny beside, say, a large Darwin Hybrid bulb such as

"Apeldoorn." But these small species tulips are some of the most delicate

and lovely bulb flowers you can grow. They're quite hardy as well. Tulip

bulbs are sold by caliber or size. Within any particular type or variety of

tulip, the larger bulbs will fetch a higher price than the smaller ones.

For big showy displays, the larger caliber bulbs are certainly worth the

price. However, some excellent bargains are to be had by buying lots of

smaller caliber bulbs for brightening up a marginal spot in the spring

yard. 

Tulips are sun as well as

shade lovers. But when planting your tulips this fall, don't be fooled by

the patterns of sun and shade in the fall garden! Remember that come

spring, when tulips bloom, all the deciduous, non-evergreen trees in your

yard will be beautifully leafless. There's a lot of sun in a spring garden!

What is a bulb?

A

flower bulb is really an underground storehouse and flower factory.

Within the bulb is just about everything the plant will need to sprout and

flower at the appropriate time. Split a bulb in half and you will see this

clearly.

In the basal center portion of the

bulb are the leaves cradling a baby bud. (In many species, this bud already

has the appearance of a flower while still in the bulb!) Surrounding the

bud is a white, meaty substance called the scales. In true bulbs, it is

these scales which contain all the food the bulb will need to flower and

thrive. Anchoring the scales and the floral stalk which holds the bud is

the basal plate. This plate at the bottom of the bulb also holds the roots

of the plant. The entire package is protected by a thin outer skin called

the tunic.

All this remarkable organism

needs from humans is to be placed in the ground at the appropriate

season of the year, given a liberal drink of water and then left alone. The

bulb does the rest!

The Difference Between Bulbs,

Corms, Tubers, Roots

Technically speaking, many popular "bulb" flowers are not

produced from true bulbs at all. Crocuses and gladioli, for example, are

really corms, while such favorites as dahlias and begonias are really

tubers. The differences between bulbs and

corms  are slight, and indeed the two look very similar. The main

distinguishing trait is the method of storing food. In corms, most of the

food is stored in an enlarged basal plate rather than the meaty scales,

which in corms are much smaller. Corms generally tend to be flatter in

shape than round, true bulbs.

Tubers and

roots are easily distinguished from bulbs and corms. They have no

protective tunic and are really just enlarged stem tissue. They come in a

variety of shapes, from cylindrical, to flat, to just about any combination

you can imagine. Many come in clusters.

Generally,  however, you are safe using the term "bulb."

Bulb has commonly come to mean any plant which has an underground food

storage capacity. Tulips prefer a sandy to

medium loamy soil with sharp underdrainage but they will grow and bloom (

for a few years) in almost any soil that is not water logged.

Digging the Dirt on Bulbs Most

spring-flowering Dutch bulbs will thrive in either full or partial

sun, but do just fine in almost any location that offers good drainage.

Bulbs will rot in standing water so avoid areas prone to flooding, such as

the bottom of hills or under drainpipes.  

  After choosing the site: Dig

either a trench for a bed planting, or individual holes for

individual bulbs or small cluster of bulbs. (Note that a cluster of flowers

is more striking to the eye than a lone bloomer.)

To determine how deep to plant, consider the caliber or

size of the bulb. Large bulbs (2 inches or more) are usually planted about

8 inches deep; smaller-size bulbs (1 inch) are planted 5 inches deep.

Loosen the soil with a rake to aerate it

and remove any weeds and small stones. Mix in a bit of peat moss to improve

soil drainage. Place -- do not push -- bulbs firmly in the soil with the

pointed side up. Space large bulbs 3-10

inches apart and small bulbs 1-2 inches apart. (If you're not sure

which end is right-side-up, don't worry. Upside-down bulbs usually come up

anyway!) Cover the bulbs with soil and water

generously.  Add 2-3 inches of mulch, pine bark is fine, on top of

the garden bed. This will provide added protection from the cold and keeps

the soil from drying out.