LADY BUG: BOOK PROVIDES IN-DEPTH LOOK AT BULBS FOR ALL SEASONS

Bulbs for All Seasons is a new book, just off the press in time for Christmas giving. It is both a tribute and guide to gardening favorite for those who dream of having flowers all year long with bulbs. Now those dreams can come true as nothing matches the spectacular display of flowering bulbs for color, beauty and performance year-round.

The past two weeks this column has concentrated on the merits of daffodils and then the minor bulbs. With this publication of Bulbs for All Seasons from Better Homes and Gardens, gardeners can fill their yards and homes with blooming bulbs spring, summer, fall and winter, as well as the periods in between.

Crocus are the familiar harbingers of spring, pushing their cheerful blooms though the winter's snow. In succeeding weeks vivid narcissus and tulips in every shape, size and hue remind us that spring is finally a reality. Every gardener is charmed by the allure and satisfaction of a yard full of spring bulbs in bloom.

Why stop with spring? Bulbs enhance every season from summer's glorious gladiolus and dahlias to fall blooming lilies and hardy cyclamen and through the winter with blooming paperwhite narcissus and amaryllis.

"Bulbs have always interested me -- probably because they are so easy to grow and so beautiful," said Doug Jimerson, editor of this beautiful book, an 18-year veteran of Better Homes and Garden's editorial staff. In this book there is complete information for every region of the country for each season.

This is the first time everything gardeners need to know about planting, growing and enjoying the beauty of bulbs every month of the year is available in one large, easy-to-use book.

There are 18 flowering spring bulbs (with details of 12 species of tulips), 27 flowering summer bulbs, six fall and eight winter ones, in alphabetical order, and details on each one.

There are pages after pages of outstanding color photos, many full pages and more than 200 in all. (How beautiful some would be for framing.)

The book contains detailed history, planting times, cut flower information, uses in a border as accent, in a perennial garden or as a house plant.

Dahlias, lilies, tuberous begonias, caladiums, calla lilies, gladolus and cannas are some of the bulbs planted in summer after frost and dug before frost again.

When the luster of summer bulbs has waned and the perennial border is fading, gardeners can look to lycoris and colchium (fall crocus) to rise and shine.

One way to chase away winter blues is with containers of forced bulbs. Number one is the spectacular amaryllis in its many lush colors. Hyacinths, daffodils, tulips, hyacinths and other spring flowering bulbs are easily forced, with special instructions to follow in the book.

Gloxinia is capable of blooming inside anytime during the year, and after resting for awhile, will return in its bright color of reds, pinks and purple.

The author has designed several borders for mixing spring flowering bulbs in the landscape for shady, sunny, woodland and mixed borders.

There is a complete list of gardening tools and catalogs. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced gardener, Bulbs for All Seasons will help nurture these beautiful bloomers all year long, available at bookstores for $24.95, and published by Meredith Corp. of Des Moines, Iowa.

Forcing Paperwhites

Paperwhites bloom four to eight weeks after they have been planted. Requiring neither cold storage nor soil, paperwhites perform equally well for first-time gardeners or for those who have been forcing bulbs for years.

Although paperwhites do not require a period of cold and darkness to bloom, it is still a good idea to start them in a cool, dark place. As they sprout, they can be moved to a more prominent spot. If the bulbs are started in a warm spot, the flower stalks have a tendency to get leggy and flop over.

Cool temperatures help promote stocky growth. If the plants get tall stake them with lightweight stakes.

To grow paperwhite in soil, place about a dozen bulbs in a 12-inch pot three-quarters filled with soil. When the bulbs are in place, add more soil until only the shoulder of the bulbs are visible. Water thoroughly.

Place the pot in a bright, cool room. When the stems are 2 inches tall, move the pot to a warmer place.

Because these bulbs flower only once, discard the bulbs once they have completed their show.

~Mary Blue is a resident of Cape Girardeau and an avid gardener.