Post by joyce on Oct 31, 2007 8:43:21 GMT -6
Spring flowering bulbs can be planted or divided from mid-September through October and early November. Some bulbs, like Snowdrops, Winter Aconites and Anemones do best when planted in early fall. Daffodils, Lilies, Hyacinth and Crocus should be planted during September and October, while Tulips can go in the ground as late as November.
Although hardy bulbs don't need a lot of attention once planted, they do require cold temperatures in order to flower in the spring. A general rule is to complete your plantings before the first hard frost is expected in your gardening region.
What you need to plant bulbs
Garden Tools: Spading fork, mini-shovel, garden rake, hand trowel or bulb planter and garden hose.
Bulbs: Select firm, disease-free bulbs from a reputable garden supply store. Look for bulbs with smooth, unblemished surfaces. Plant immediately or store in a cool location until you are ready to put them in the ground.
Organic Material: Use Peat moss or compost made with fallen leaves, lawn clippings and kitchen scraps.
Bulb Fertilizer: Select bone meal or a slow acting formula like 5-10-5 and apply according to the label.
Mulch and Water: Cover finished plantings with 3 or 4 inches of chopped leaves or other organic mulch to protect bulbs. Water thoroughly.
Just follow these steps for planting bulbs:
Select a sunny, well-drained location to plant your spring blooming bulbs.
Prepare the planting area by digging down about 12 inches to loosen soil. If necessary, you can loosen dense or compact soil with sand or pre-moistened peat moss.
After soil is loosened, mix in some organic material - such as compost or peat moss to enrich the planting area and improve its ability to hold moisture. Mix in bone meal or a slow acting special bulb fertilizer before you set in the bulbs.
Create a natural-looking area by planting bulbs all at once rather than one bulb at a time. The best planting distance between bulbs depends on the size of the flower and effect you want to achieve. The depth of the planting hole also depends on bulb size, but digging a hole two or three times the height of the bulb is usually just right.
You can plant bulbs in groups by removing the top several inches of soil or by using a bulb auger to dig individual holes.
Place bulbs in the hole with pointed end up and blunt end down. Replace the soil, water thoroughly and cover with mulch.
Tulips
Tulip (Tulipa) is a genus of about 100 species of flowering plants in the family Liliaceae. Its region includes southern Europe, north Africa, and Asia from Anatolia and Iran in the east to northeast of China and Japan. The centre of diversity of the genus is in the Pamir and Hindu Kush mountains and the steppes of Kazakhstan.
They are perennial bulbous plants growing to 10–70 centimetres (4–27 in) tall, with a small number of strap-shaped, waxy-textured, usually glaucous green leaves and large flowers with six petals. The fruit is a dry capsule containing numerous flat disc-shaped seeds.
hyacinths
A Hyacinth is any plant of genus Hyacinthus, which are bulbous herbs formerly placed in the lily family Liliaceae but now regarded as the type genus of the separate family Hyacinthaceae. Hyacinths are native to the eastern Mediterranean region east to Iran and Turkmenistan. They are named after the Hyacinth from Greek mythology. Hyacinths are sometimes associated with rebirth. The Hyacinth flower is used in the Haftseen table setting for the Persian New Year celebration Norouz held during the Spring Equinox. The prophet Mohammad is reported to have said “If I had but two loaves of bread, I would sell one and buy hyacinths, for they would feed my soul.”
Only three species are currently recognised within the genus Hyacinthus. They are:
Hyacinthus litwinowii
Hyacinthus orientalis - Common, Dutch or Garden Hyacinth
Hyacinthus transcaspicus
Some authorities place H. litwonowii and H. transcaspicus in the related genus Hyacinthella, leaving Hyacinthus as monotypic.
The Dutch, or Common Hyacinth of house and garden culture (H. orientalis, native to southwest Asia) was so popular in the 18th century that over 2,000 cultivars were cultivated in the Netherlands, its chief commercial producer. This hyacinth has a single dense spike of fragrant flowers in shades of red, blue, white, orange, pink, violet, or yellow. A form of the common hyacinth is the less hardy and smaller blue- or white-petalled Roman hyacinth of florists. These flowers should have indirect sunlight and are to be moderately watered.
The related grape hyacinths (Muscari), sometimes called baby's-breath, are very low, mostly blue-flowered plants similar in appearance to hyacinths and are also commonly cultivated.
Several types of brodiea, deathcamas, squill, and other plants that were formerly classified in the lily family and have flower clusters borne along the stalk also have common names with hyacinth in them.
Crocus
Crocus (plural: crocus, crocuses) is a genus of perennial flowering plants, native to a large area from coastal and subalpine areas of central and southern Europe (including the islands of the Aegean), North Africa and the Middle East, across Central Asia to western China.
The genus Crocus is placed botanically in the iris family (Iridaceae). The plants grow from corms and are mainly hardy perennials, and are found a wide range of habitats, including woodland, scrub and meadows.
There are about eighty species of crocus (of which approximately 30 are cultivated). Their cup-shaped, solitary, salverform flowers taper off into a narrow tube. Their color varies enormously, although lilac, mauve, yellow and white are predominant. The grass-like, ensiform leaf shows generally a white central stripe along the leaf axis. The leaf margin is entire. All crocuses typically have three stamens. The spice saffron is obtained from the stigmas of Crocus sativus, an autumn/fall-blooming species.
The name of the genus is derived from the Greek êñüêïò, krokos (attested in Homer's Iliad, Book XIV, verse 347), this in turn being a Semitic loanword (Hebrew karkom, Aramaic kurkama, Persian and Arabic kurkum, all meaning saffron or saffron yellow). In Greek, the word is also used for the similarly colored egg yolk.
daffodils
Narcissus is the botanic name for a genus of mainly hardy, mostly spring-flowering, bulbs in the Amaryllis family native to Europe, North Africa, and Asia. There are also several Narcissus species that bloom in the autumn. Though Hortus Third [1] cites 26 wild species, Daffodils for North American Gardens[2] cites between 50 and 100 excluding species variants and wild hybrids. Through taxonomic and genetic research, it is speculated that over time this number will likely continue to be refined.[3] Daffodil is a common English name, sometimes used now for all varieties, and is the chief common name of horticultural prevalence used by the American Daffodil Society.[4] The range of forms in cultivation has been heavily modified and extended, with new variations available from specialists almost every year.
Although hardy bulbs don't need a lot of attention once planted, they do require cold temperatures in order to flower in the spring. A general rule is to complete your plantings before the first hard frost is expected in your gardening region.
What you need to plant bulbs
Garden Tools: Spading fork, mini-shovel, garden rake, hand trowel or bulb planter and garden hose.
Bulbs: Select firm, disease-free bulbs from a reputable garden supply store. Look for bulbs with smooth, unblemished surfaces. Plant immediately or store in a cool location until you are ready to put them in the ground.
Organic Material: Use Peat moss or compost made with fallen leaves, lawn clippings and kitchen scraps.
Bulb Fertilizer: Select bone meal or a slow acting formula like 5-10-5 and apply according to the label.
Mulch and Water: Cover finished plantings with 3 or 4 inches of chopped leaves or other organic mulch to protect bulbs. Water thoroughly.
Just follow these steps for planting bulbs:
Select a sunny, well-drained location to plant your spring blooming bulbs.
Prepare the planting area by digging down about 12 inches to loosen soil. If necessary, you can loosen dense or compact soil with sand or pre-moistened peat moss.
After soil is loosened, mix in some organic material - such as compost or peat moss to enrich the planting area and improve its ability to hold moisture. Mix in bone meal or a slow acting special bulb fertilizer before you set in the bulbs.
Create a natural-looking area by planting bulbs all at once rather than one bulb at a time. The best planting distance between bulbs depends on the size of the flower and effect you want to achieve. The depth of the planting hole also depends on bulb size, but digging a hole two or three times the height of the bulb is usually just right.
You can plant bulbs in groups by removing the top several inches of soil or by using a bulb auger to dig individual holes.
Place bulbs in the hole with pointed end up and blunt end down. Replace the soil, water thoroughly and cover with mulch.
Tulips
Tulip (Tulipa) is a genus of about 100 species of flowering plants in the family Liliaceae. Its region includes southern Europe, north Africa, and Asia from Anatolia and Iran in the east to northeast of China and Japan. The centre of diversity of the genus is in the Pamir and Hindu Kush mountains and the steppes of Kazakhstan.
They are perennial bulbous plants growing to 10–70 centimetres (4–27 in) tall, with a small number of strap-shaped, waxy-textured, usually glaucous green leaves and large flowers with six petals. The fruit is a dry capsule containing numerous flat disc-shaped seeds.
hyacinths
A Hyacinth is any plant of genus Hyacinthus, which are bulbous herbs formerly placed in the lily family Liliaceae but now regarded as the type genus of the separate family Hyacinthaceae. Hyacinths are native to the eastern Mediterranean region east to Iran and Turkmenistan. They are named after the Hyacinth from Greek mythology. Hyacinths are sometimes associated with rebirth. The Hyacinth flower is used in the Haftseen table setting for the Persian New Year celebration Norouz held during the Spring Equinox. The prophet Mohammad is reported to have said “If I had but two loaves of bread, I would sell one and buy hyacinths, for they would feed my soul.”
Only three species are currently recognised within the genus Hyacinthus. They are:
Hyacinthus litwinowii
Hyacinthus orientalis - Common, Dutch or Garden Hyacinth
Hyacinthus transcaspicus
Some authorities place H. litwonowii and H. transcaspicus in the related genus Hyacinthella, leaving Hyacinthus as monotypic.
The Dutch, or Common Hyacinth of house and garden culture (H. orientalis, native to southwest Asia) was so popular in the 18th century that over 2,000 cultivars were cultivated in the Netherlands, its chief commercial producer. This hyacinth has a single dense spike of fragrant flowers in shades of red, blue, white, orange, pink, violet, or yellow. A form of the common hyacinth is the less hardy and smaller blue- or white-petalled Roman hyacinth of florists. These flowers should have indirect sunlight and are to be moderately watered.
The related grape hyacinths (Muscari), sometimes called baby's-breath, are very low, mostly blue-flowered plants similar in appearance to hyacinths and are also commonly cultivated.
Several types of brodiea, deathcamas, squill, and other plants that were formerly classified in the lily family and have flower clusters borne along the stalk also have common names with hyacinth in them.
Crocus
Crocus (plural: crocus, crocuses) is a genus of perennial flowering plants, native to a large area from coastal and subalpine areas of central and southern Europe (including the islands of the Aegean), North Africa and the Middle East, across Central Asia to western China.
The genus Crocus is placed botanically in the iris family (Iridaceae). The plants grow from corms and are mainly hardy perennials, and are found a wide range of habitats, including woodland, scrub and meadows.
There are about eighty species of crocus (of which approximately 30 are cultivated). Their cup-shaped, solitary, salverform flowers taper off into a narrow tube. Their color varies enormously, although lilac, mauve, yellow and white are predominant. The grass-like, ensiform leaf shows generally a white central stripe along the leaf axis. The leaf margin is entire. All crocuses typically have three stamens. The spice saffron is obtained from the stigmas of Crocus sativus, an autumn/fall-blooming species.
The name of the genus is derived from the Greek êñüêïò, krokos (attested in Homer's Iliad, Book XIV, verse 347), this in turn being a Semitic loanword (Hebrew karkom, Aramaic kurkama, Persian and Arabic kurkum, all meaning saffron or saffron yellow). In Greek, the word is also used for the similarly colored egg yolk.
daffodils
Narcissus is the botanic name for a genus of mainly hardy, mostly spring-flowering, bulbs in the Amaryllis family native to Europe, North Africa, and Asia. There are also several Narcissus species that bloom in the autumn. Though Hortus Third [1] cites 26 wild species, Daffodils for North American Gardens[2] cites between 50 and 100 excluding species variants and wild hybrids. Through taxonomic and genetic research, it is speculated that over time this number will likely continue to be refined.[3] Daffodil is a common English name, sometimes used now for all varieties, and is the chief common name of horticultural prevalence used by the American Daffodil Society.[4] The range of forms in cultivation has been heavily modified and extended, with new variations available from specialists almost every year.
That makes me sooo mad. They sure have been working in the new flower bed in the back yard. I put newspapers down first then the mulch and there are bits of newspaper showing all over the bed. 