Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2009

DEBBIE MENCHEK | WATERFORD PLANTATION

Gardening with bulbs

Blooming bulbs add prominent color to a landscape. One flowering bulb, however, does not make a color statement, nor does a sparsely planted row of lone flowers. Flowering bulbs show color best when planted in same-color clumps in a small garden or mass planted by in a pattern of color or drifts in a large garden.

Most if not all of us in Carolina Forest have small gardens. Consequently, we can easily incorporate into our garden a cluster of blooming bulbs this year, and another next year, in a different color. You can integrate bulbs into your garden in more than one way. This is best done with a plan, or at least with some guidelines in mind:

Plant by successive height-taller in the back, shorter in the front.

Combine same or similar colors in a cluster to make a strong color statement.

Plant bulbs in containers. Place a pot by the front door or in the garden where you need a burst of color. This is particularly easy if you buy bulbs that are already in a container from a garden center or the supermarket. You can plant them later in a spot you plan for them in the garden.

Spring blooming bulbs usually bloom early in the spring. Plant clusters of these bulbs next to shrubs and perennials that bloom later in the spring. The flowers on the shrubs and perennials will distract the eye from the bulbs' limp yellowing leaves. Keep in mind that it is critical to allow bulbs' leaves to completely wither before removing them. As leaves wither they feed the bulb for the next year's growth and bloom.

Plant bulbs that bloom in different seasons to maintain a succession of blooms in your garden. Plant spring blooming bulbs in the late fall, summer blooming bulbs in the late spring, and fall blooming bulbs late spring or summer. This takes planning because you must plant your bulbs a season before you see even a leaf in the spot where you planted the bulbs.

It is not too early to consider what summer blooming bulbs you might want to add to your garden this spring. Note: Some of the following bulbs, although actually tubers, rhizomes or corms, are still categorized as bulbs. Common summer blooming bulbs include agapanthus (lily of the Nile), tuberous begonias (grow as annuals), caladium (not winter hardy), calla lilies, canna lilies, crinum lilies, day lilies, dahlias, elephant ears (alocasia and calocasia, not reliably winter hardy), gladiolus and oxalis (shamrocks).

Thinking ahead, you will soon find both green leafed (with white flowers) and burgundy leafed (with pink flowers) shamrocks in grocery stores and garden centers for St. Patrick's Day. Shamrocks grow year round in our shade gardens in Carolina Forest.