Plantwise
Now's the Time to Buy Spring Bulbs. (Who'da Thunk It?)
What? Plan your spring flowering bulb garden in June, you say?
Well, if you’re thinking about saving a little money on your spring bulb order (that means spring flowering bulbs like narcissus, tulips, crocus, alliums, iris, and more), now is the time to act. Some catalogues offer discounts if you order early in the season (eg, prior to July 1st – that’s the day after tomorrow!). And when shipping rates are so high (15% or more, for example), it’s well worth being extra-organized and ordering early.
I used to place bulb orders in late summer but I found the bulbs I needed (like Queen of Night tulip) would run out and I’d have to go searching the web and running all over town to find what I needed. Sometimes, the quality was less than ideal.
Then I realized the benefits of not only ordering early but of ordering everything from one, high-quality bulb company. I tried several major on-line bulb retailers in an effort to save a little money or to get just the quantities I needed but my experience over 12 years of ordering bulbs has led me to the following conclusion: order from Brent & Becky’s Bulbs.
In addition to the good catalogue photographs, their descriptions provide such useful information as plant height, flowering time, USDA hardiness zone, amenable companion plants, and bulb size (which helps determine how many bulbs you can fit in a specific container size when you’re really packing them in!) Brent & Becky’s selection is diverse and they offer a number of unique hybrids, too.
Some favorite discoveries in recent years:
Only when I started photographing my spring bulb plantings while they were in flower was I able to appreciate what worked and what didn’t. It’s a wonderful way to focus on your schemes so that you can replicate what you love and skip the choices that didn’t work out so well – or just remember where they are so you can transplant those garish orange tulips from near your pink rhododendron!
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By betty-anne on Saturday, July 04, 2009 at 06:21PM PDT
Lovely photos- the q.of the n. tulips look good with what ever the chartreuse fluffy mound to the left is- and i love the muscari. what do you do with the yellowing leaves as they die back? tuck them away? tie into a macrame style knot? And how many years do you keep your tulps going? Any tips for improving longevity?
By kate on Sunday, July 05, 2009 at 12:52PM PDT
Hi Betty-Anne,
Thanks, I liked Queen of Night paired with golden Lysimachia nummularia, too, but I had to remove the Lysimachia – it spread too fast in my garden! As for spring bulbs’ yellowing foliage, it is not recommended to twist it into cute, decorative knots and bow-ties, as breaking the foliage limits the energy that can return to the bulb, which forms next year’s flowers. So plant early spring-rising perennials around bulb plantings so they are simply devoured by prettier foliage as the season progresses. Once the leaves wither completely, snip ‘em off. And for long-lasting tulips, just plant them in their native habitat. Just kidding – sort of. The closer your garden is to replicating their native habitat, the happier they’ll be. Hot, dry summers and good drainage are key. Just improve your drainage and plant them where they get no/minimal summer water. Finally, pick types of tulips that perennialize better (like Fosteriana and Darwin tulips). The gorgeous, colorful Triumph tulips are some of the shortest-lived, as they’re bred for cutting and pot culture.