To have a beautiful spring one must plant spring flowering bulbs in the fall. If you have been to a garden center lately, you have found boxes and bags of ugly, brown, lumpy bulbs, which magically promise a colorful spring garden. A local garden club once had as its motto, "If you think a bulb is an ugly thing -- plant it in the fall and apologize to it in the spring." (We've written that before.)
Much has been written about tulips, daffodils and hyacinths, but many of the other so-called lesser bulbs do no get the publicity of their larger relatives. They will do their magic in the spring only if their dry, unimpressive, onion-like bulbs are put into the ground now.
With the exception of tulips that may be buried under the ice as late as January, all spring flowering bulbs need to be planted a few weeks before they begin their long winter sleep.
Unlike seeds that contain few nutrients and often do not sprout into plants, bulbs are an efficient storehouse of nutrients that seldom fail to send up and maintain a plant. For a beginning gardener, bulbs are the best investment for their money.
Both the major bulbs and the minors have basically the same requirements: They both require fairly good soil and excellent drainage.
Seasoned gardeners know that bigger is not always better, although King Alfred is generally the choice of jonquils for many because of its large trumpet. However, minor bulbs offer numerous advantages over their big brothers.
First, many little bulbs begin flowering in winter, a time when most gardens are still asleep. They also multiply freely and are great for naturalization. Their foliage, often thin and grass-like, doesn't create an eyesore when it dies down in late spring.
Also, purchasing minor bulbs will not threaten your budget. Large, flowering daffodils can cost as much as several dollars each for the first introductions, while 50 starflowers can be bought for about $5.
For the most effective landscape, these are not bulbs to be strung out in a row (in fact, no bulbs should be planted in a row like soldiers.) They should be planted in irregular masses, or in groups of one color that will blend well with other colors. Generally, at least a dozen of the major bulbs and about 25 of the minors should be planted together.
The location of flowering bulbs can influence the time of bloom, especially when trying for that extra-early flower. A south-facing bed near the south foundation of our old house seemed to bring out the first flowers about a week before those in other more exposed locations.
Among the first flowers to appear during a warm spell in February are crocus species known as winter flowering crocus. Flowers of these varieties are smaller than the Dutch crocus that follow in about two weeks. Their bright color so early in the season makes even the smallest planting noticeable. All crocus should be planted where they are left undisturbed for several years.
Snowdrops should be planted where you can notice its drooping white flowers through the snow. The white, three-petaled flowers droop on the stems, which rise above the new, short leaves.
Masses of buttercup-like golden flowers often appear above fallen snow and bright green foliage. These are called winter aconite, or eranthus. One of my favorites is glory of the snow, or chionodoxa. We have scattered their little seeds in one area of lawn and a side flower bed, so there will be a bed of truly-blue little ground-hugging flowers there.
A garden can never have too much blue in it and fortunately among the minor bulbs blue flowers abound. Spanish blue bells or scilla and wood hyacinths will quickly form little colonies.
Striped squill or puschkinia is a pale-blue and white-striped flower that stands erect on a straight stem. Once established, puschkinia should be left undisturbed. It will develop into a pleasant pale-blue carpet in March.
Siberian squill grow about 6 inches tall with small spikes of drooping flowers. Colors are primarily delphinium blue, pink or white. Time of flowering depends on location and weather.
Dwarf narcissus are a favorite of mine. They are so easy to grow and blend so well with all of these minor bulbs. Tete-a-tete, featuring buttercup yellow with two blooms per 6-inch stem, Baby Moon and Hoop Petticoat are also three favorites.
Muscari or grape hyacinths are classic bulbs for massing despite the fact they are only 6 inches in height. They are distinctive because their narrow foliage comes up in the fall, and in spring the blue spike comes up alone.
If daises are your favorite, Grecian windflower or anemone blanda in white and shades of blue and pink will charm you as they hug the ground on their fern-like foliage.
Almost forgot our very favorite -- a small plant which is becoming more popular -- the miniature iris, Danfordiae, a bright yellow, and reticulata, bright blue, both only about 2 inches above the ground, blooming along with February Gold in early March.
Give a little attention and space to minor bulbs now for special interest to your spring garden.
~Mary Blue is a resident of Cape Girardeau and is an avid gardener.
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