Enjoy the spring after bulb planting in the fall

By Cathie Draine, Special to the Journal | Tuesday, April 04, 2006

Previous Page

Share

• del.icio.us
• Digg
• NewsVine
• Fark

Print

Email

We know it’s spring because last week, the bluebirds were checking out nest boxes, and the robins were working the lawn for insects, and this week we have 12 inches of snow. Somebody else gets the fields of daffodils, the buzz of active insects and perfumed breezes. We tend to get snowblowers and shovels.

Just last week, in the midst of racing through the yard calling “Bluebird Alert! Bluebird Alert!” I noticed that some of our tiniest crocuses are blooming. These little guys have foliage that is no higher than an inch and a half. The flowers — pale yellow, bright yellow and orange — are the size of thimbles. You have to work hard to notice them. And that is the greatest pleasure they deliver. To discover them blooming in the grimness of late winter, one must prowl the garden, prepared at any moment to drop, kneel and admire them.

Why they insist on blooming at a time of uncertain weather is beyond me. It must be related to the hours of cold that keeps them dormant. I don’t know. But they seem to understand the system, and that delights me greatly.

Fortunately, the beds of taller daffodils and tulips are just beginning to wake, so this most welcome snow can’t do anything but please them. The shorter species tulips and daffodils are equipped with remarkably pliable stems and foliage that can be laid flat by snow and then rise slowly, appearing unharmed.

Gardening, by anyone’s definition, is a commitment to compromise. Our compromise with spring bulbs is simple: We search for and plant primarily species bulbs — that means the bulbs that have been cultivated (originally) from true wild plants. It’s worth mentioning that reputable bulb brokers will always state that their species bulbs are cultivated domestically and not collected in the wild. The species plants tend to flower a bit earlier than the hybrids, be smaller plants — both in height and the size of flower — multiply in the garden and be remarkably hardy.

We love them because it is a joyful event to find flowers far earlier than you had expected. Their small size protects them from being damaged by snow load and gives plenty of room for later blooming bulbs to come up around them. They multiply with vigor, and this gives us a chance to add them in new sites in the gardens as well as share them.

Possibly the best news is that many of these species bulbs that were previously rather hard to find are now being seen more often in our local greenhouses in the fall. Some of the daffodils that are species varieties are labeled very early blooming or rock-garden varieties. Some are named varieties: look for “Tete-a-tete” and “Minnow.” Look for tulips that belong in the Kaufmanniana, Fosteriana and Gregii groups. The true species are often listed in a catalog in a category identified as species or miscellaneous. These are all short, bloom early to mid-season and multiply nicely. There are also some very small, artistic, tiny tulips that do well here. Those must be gotten from specialty bulb brokers for fall planting.

I know that these are all bulbs that need to be planted in the fall. Seeing some of the small early bulbs emerge and bloom now is a good reminder to make a note on the calendar and be certain that a selection of these little spring treasures has a chance to poke through the snow in your garden next year.

Learn about them now. Ask your local greenhouse if they plan to carry species tulips and daffodils this fall. Express your interest and intent to purchase. Check the following Web sites: McClure and Zimmerman at www.mzbulb.com. Their site lists bulbs for this fall’s planting and has a link to order a catalog as well as to order a selection of species tulips for this area. Their toll free phone number is 1-800-374-6120.

Another reputable bulb broker is Brent and Becky’s Bulbs. Their site is www.brentandbeckysbulbs.com. They do not have a fall catalog online yet. To request a catalog, call 1-804-693-3966.

Spring here is anything but predictable. Because we have no control over the weather, perhaps the compromise is to tuck some of these hardy, early blooming bulbs into the garden this fall. We won’t have carpets of daffodils, but by wandering purposefully in the garden next spring, we might discover pockets of flowers to delight us. That’s a great plan.

Cathie Draine is a member of the Garden Writers Association and a SDSU/Pennington County Extension Service Master Gardener. She lives and gardens in Black Hawk. Readers may send comments or questions to her in care of The Rapid City Journal, Box 450, Rapid City SD 57709.