Bulb Problems

To make it easy to find and deal with the pests that usually a a problem for flower bulbs, I've listed them each pest with its own control page right here.

Pests that bother our bulbs in the ground

Squirrels are a major predator of both bulbs and flower buds. Here's how to control them for both problems. I note you may not like one of the solutions.

Pests that bother flowers

Red lily beetle is a pest of lily flowers as it will eat an entire plant to the ground if left uncontrolled. Control methods that work are described in this article.

Earwigs are one of the creepy-crawly pests that thrive on decaying organic matter.

Thrips are tiny flies, hard to see but they leave leaf streaks and unopened flowers behind. Here's the control.

Rabbits are eating my crocus! A Question answered in the newsletter.

General Problems Growing Bulbs

Why aren't my bulbs blooming? is the number one problem in the spring.

Growing Daffoldils

information about daffodils  - the planting, growing, collecting, propagation and just about anything else you can think of.  

 
To begin with their scientific name is Narcissus. And yes, they were named after Narcissus, that poor, long-suffering lover of his own image. 

Along with tulips, hyacinths and crocus, these bulbs are the mainstays of the spring-bulb color explosion. 

It is pretty easy to understand why they are so popular: they are hardy, pest free, disease free, naturalize well, live for years with no work, multiply if left alone, and come in a wide variety of flower colors, heights, sizes and flower shapes. 

You can grow them in the garden, in containers or force them indoors. 

Daffodil Pictures

This is a video of the different classes of daffodils you can grow in your garden.  

Starting, Planting and Transplanting

You can even start them yourself from seed. 

You can transplant daffodils if they get "in the wrong place". 


Planting Daffodils - the two main rules to remember about planting these bulbs are described right here. 

Doug's garden and what I'm doing with these bulbs. I'll continue to update this page as the adventure continues. 

Poisonous Bulbs

Squirrels and deer rarely, if ever, bother them and while pests will chew tulips to the ground, this bulb keeps blooming away. (they taste vile which is a good thing because they are poisonous.)

Recommended Varieties

If you're counting, you'll find the experts think there is somewhere around 26 species of wild narcissus. Now that depends of course on which expert you'ree talking to because they don't all agree on the divisions between plants. What we do know is that our garden narcissus have been hybridized for so long their specific parentage is almost impossible to determine. The divisions right now are: 

* Trumpet narcissi  including the old fashioned ‘King Alfred’ 

* Narcissus large-cupped 
* Small cupped narcissi 
* Split-corona narcissi 
* Triandrus narcissi 
* Cyclamineus narcissi 
* Narcissus jonquilla 
* Tazetta narcissi 
* Poeticus narcissi 
* Narcissus bulbocodium 
* Narcissus canaliculatus 
* Narcissus lobularis 
* Narcissus nanus 
* Narcissus odorus 
* Double narcissi 


Daffodil 'Dutch Master'

Growing Tips

And no matter what kind you want to force into early bloom, I'll assume you know how to put it into the pot (pointy end up) cover it with dirt (leave the neck uncovered) but you don't know about pre-chilling requirements. 

Here's the scoop on forcing daffodil bulbs and their requirements. 


Here's two tips on moving bulbs and reblooming care. 

This bulb comes in a wide variety of colors, ranging from the traditional yellow through white, orange-reds, oranges and salmon-pinks. You’ll also see different colors between the corona (the trumpet or cup shape) and the perianth (the petals) 

All are quite hardy, to at least minus 10C, with the exception of the Tazetta species. 


Daffodil 'Bridal Crown' 

Plant according to the size of the bulb and full instructions for planting are here 

This bulb improves every spring in the garden landscape but sometimes you do have to do some maintenance to keep them happy. 

You can plant them in containers, in natural settings, in formal settings, in rock gardens, you can use them as cut flowers if you can stand to take them out of your garden and you can easily force them for really early spring color. 

This is the easiest bulb to grow and succeed with. If you can't grow this bulb, I'd recommend you try silk. (Well, clay soils will kill them because they do need good drainage.) 

Questions and Answers

Plants That Flower

Roses

Roses are a flowering plant, which happens to also be a perennial. A perennial plant is one that lives at least three years, with new growth annually. Most people love roses and think of them as a romantic flower. There are three specific types of roses, with many categories and varieties under each. Wild roses are mainly considered wildflowers and can be spotted on rocky slopes, forests and clearings along the roadway. The Rosa carolina, a wild rose species, has large pink blooms. Old garden rose is a name given to any rose species that is a non-hybrid, cultivated before 1867. The Alba rose, for example, is most reminiscent of castle gardens in the Middle Ages. It is fragrant and found in white and light pink. The last type of rose is the modern garden rose. These are hybrids created after 1867. The hybrid tea rose is an example of a modern garden rose. It is a classic rose cut for vases and arrangements, as it has a long stem with a single flower per stem.

Crepe Myrtle

Most trees produce some sort of flower; this is how they reproduce. However, when you refer to flowering trees, you probably think of the showy blooms of ornamentals.One of the favorites is the crepe myrtle. It prefers a warmer climate of USDA hardiness zone 7 and higher (see Resources). Not only is it a fast growing tree, but surprises its owner with rich, thick blooms of white, red, pink or purple. The hybrid crepe myrtle varieties bloom longer than the heirloom trees. The Muskogee crepe myrtle blooms for 120 days. It grows to a height of up to 25 feet. Plant these in groupings for a spectacular array of lavender blooms. A smaller crepe myrtle variety is the Pink Velour crepe, growing to 10 feet. It has bright pink blossoms. It's one of the easy-to-grow crepe myrtles, and is drought-resistant. For a shock of bright red flowers, choose the Arapaho crepe myrtle. It will grow to a height of 25 feet, blooming spring through fall.

Azaleas

Azaleas are one of the most popular flowering bushes. They are referred to as the "royalty of the garden." There are thousands of varieties, allowing most southeastern locations the opportunity to grow this great beauty. They also grow well along the Pacific coast. Most of the azalea varieties are unable to withstand temperatures below -10 degrees F. There are plants within the azalea family that are evergreen (keeps leaves year-round) and deciduous (loses leaves in winter). Most popular are the evergreens. The funnel-shaped flowers are so full and color-spectacular during blooming, usually spring. Azalea varieties come in white, pink, lavender, red, yellow, apricot, salmon and orange. These flowering bushes can grow from 4 to 6 feet. The hardiest are Gable hybrid varieties. A rarity, the Robin Hill azaleas can withstand temperatures to -30 degrees F and up to 100 degrees

Designing Cutting Gardens

Overview

Designing a cutting garden is a great activity for those long, cold winter nights. As you peruse seed catalogs, it is easy to imagine the colors and textures of beautiful annual flowers, but until you put that plan down on paper and plant the garden, it remains only a dream. Planning a cutting garden isn't difficult, but it does take some research. You'll need to have an idea of what seedlings are typically available in your area, you'll need to order seeds for those plants you wish to include in your cutting garden and you'll need time for the seeds to grow into seedlings.

Step 1

Do your research. Some web sites allow you to look at the flowers and the variety of colors available and will tell you how high the plant grows. (See resources.) Height is important if your cutting garden backs up to a fence or a building because you want the tallest plants in the back where they won't hide the lower flowers in the front. Make lists of what you want.

Step 2

Draw out sections on your graph paper. Cutting gardens look best if they are not grown in perfect rows. Place the taller flowers in the rear, or in the middle if the garden will be viewed from all sides. Use colored pencils to help you "see" what the garden would look like. Your plan can include perennials and bulbs as well. Spring flowering bulbs like daffodils and tulips must be planted in the fall, so factor this into your plan. Keep in mind that perennials can spread each year and take up more and more of your cutting garden.

Step 3

Play around with your design. Will you have blooms all at the same time or are they spread out to give you blooms from spring to fall?

Step 4

Look at your plan and decide which plants you are likely to be able to buy at the local grower and which ones you will need to start yourself from seeds. The information about when you should plant the seeds will be included in the plant description, as well as other important information about the plant. Order your seeds as soon as you can to avoid the dreaded "backorder."

Step 5

Consider using summer bulbs such as dahlias and gladioli. They can make a huge visual impact not only in your cutting garden but in a vase as well.

Step 6

Plan your border, if the area isn't already bordered. Visit to the local home improvement store to check out the right materials for your garden.