Now Is the Time to Buy Spring Bulbs
There are two times of year that bring joy to the hearts of gardeners: when the seed catalogs start arriving in winter, and when the bulb catalogs arrive in late summer. For the past few weeks, I’ve gone to bed clutching rainbow-painted catalogs from my favorite light bulb suppliers and pages of dog earrings as I leaf through them. But at some point you need to stop dreaming and make a plan so that you can get orders. That time has come.
To be clear, we’re not just talking about bulbs—I’m also including corms, roots, and rhizomes (I’ll talk about the differences below). What they all have in common is that they are late winter and spring flowering plants and they tend to bloom profusely. You need to plant them in the ground before winter so they can survive the cold spell, and then when the ground warms up to the temperature the particular plant needs, you’ll see them sprout. All these plants are perennial in most conditions, so even if they die in winter, they will certainly germinate in the same place in the spring.
Be careful with your color choice
It’s hard to look through catalogs and not want absolutely everything, but the strategy is justified. Whether tulips, irises or peonies, each blooms for a limited time and has a very rich color. Think of these plants as an effective way to add very specific color , almost as if with a brush . You can create incredibly powerful color stories in your yard if you plan well, sticking to one color or multiple colors for an ombre effect, or even contrasting colors. If you start throwing random light bulbs into the ground, it will still be impressive, but less powerful.
I divide my yard into zones. In front of my yard, I start with red flowers on the left, orange in the middle, and hot pink on the right. No matter what I plant, as long as it stays in that color story, the ombre will work all spring. I have friends whose yards are decorated with elaborate rainbow designs, and across the street we’ve installed a stunning array of light bulbs that will glow bright pumpkin orange and shocking blue, right across from each other.
Each type of light bulb appears at a specific time in a well-organized series. A chart like this will help you plan. Here’s what you should order now.
Tulips
Everyone loves tulips . These cup-shaped flowers rise almost impossibly above the thin stem. Tulips are versatile because they come in almost every color of the rainbow, and you can also extend your tulip season by planting early, mid, and late blooming tulips. To add even more variety, there are a range of types of tulips, from parrots with ruffled edges, to tulips with double flowers and extra petals, tulips with ruffled edges and Darwin tulips that last longer. longer and generally larger and stronger. In most cases, you will buy tulips in bunches of ten rather than one at a time. Tulips have a teardrop-shaped bulb that is planted with the pointed side up. The general rule is to plant bulbs at a depth of three times the size of the bulb.
Buttercup
Don’t sleep on the ranunculus . Although they lie slightly lower to the ground than tulips, they are characterized by splashes of flowers rather than a single bloom. “Ranunki”, as they are affectionately called by people, look like medium-sized open roses. What I love about ranunculus is that they can be replanted with tulips to continue the color story and they come in fantastically vibrant colors. I especially like the color blends that Eden Brothers makes. Ranunki are corms – small spider roots no larger than a quarter in size. You plant them with the spider legs down, and although the ranuns will come back year after year, I find they are a little less resilient than my tulips, so I lose them every year.
Irises
Irises can be divided into two large groups: Dutch and Siberian irises, which are smaller irises that look like herbaceous shrubs. There are also bearded irises, which have many more flowers, but fewer flowers from much wider, sturdier leaves. With ruffled edges and lots of color variations, bearded irises are a real hit. In any case, you will plant the rhizome. If you’ve ever bought ginger root, you know what the rhizome looks like, and orris roots are very similar. Unlike bulbs, rhizomes are planted just below the soil surface and grow roots from the bottom of the rhizome. While most people think of blue and purple iris, you can also choose warmer colors such as red, orange and yellow.
onion
The drama queen of your garden, alliums are the floral equivalent of fireworks: they look like a giant layered ball balanced on a tall, thin stem. Sometimes bows up to four feet tall look like upside-down exclamation marks in your yard. They come in purple, blue and white colors and vary in size, from small drumsticks to huge foot-wide globular bulbs. Special specimens worth noting include Schubertii Allium and Hair Allium . Onions come in bulb form and the size will depend on how large you want the bloom to be.
Daffodils
If you remember that daffodils are tired, sunny yellow ordinary flowers, then you haven’t seen the newer varieties. Daffodils now run the gamut from white to pink, orange, yellow and green. They have distinctive faces and come in different sizes. To be honest, I found them a little pedestrian until a batch of them in pastel pinks and oranges showed up nearby and I was smitten. Daffodils are bulbs and can be planted close together.
Peonies
Peony is a safe and secure investment in your garden. They will appear as slightly damp, bare roots, which can look scary. But peonies have the ability to grow 30% every year. And every year you will see more flowers. There is nothing better in the world than peony – these are the most delicate flowers, and their aroma is unlike anything else. White and pink peonies are classics, but now there are also red and burgundy peonies.
Poppies
The truth is that many people have success throwing poppy seeds (purchased for planting, not for eating) in their yard. Not me! I’ve thrown millions of them into my yard over the last 10 years and gotten nothing back. If a similar fate befalls you, I recommend purchasing poppy roots . This will allow you to be sure that the poppy will end up where you want it. While there are all kinds of poppies, including annuals like the California poppy, I’m talking about Papaver Orientale, the majestic giant oriental poppy known for producing opiates (by the way, don’t do this). These flowers can reach a height of six feet and look like a soft cupcake wrapper on those thin, arching stems. Poppies come in a variety of colors and patterns, and I think it’s best to plant them in groups to create a field of poppies.