UNIVERSITY PARK, (Centre
Co.) —If you would like to have
flowers in your yard as early as
next January, spend an autumn
afternoon planting bulbs.
Spring-flowering bulbs are
available from garden centers and
catalogs during September and
October. “They’re easy to plant
and live for years,” says Dr. J.
Robert Nuss, professor of orna
mental horticulture in Penn
State’s College of Agricultural
Sciences. “Best of all, they start
brightening the landscape while
it’s still late winter.”
For a steady procession of
blooms from late January to late
July, Nuss offers several planting
suggestions:
Galanthus, or snow drops,
bloom the earliest. “If you’ve
wondered what those little white,
bell-shaped flowers are blooming
in people’s yards starting in late
January, they’re probably snow
drop,” says Nuss.
Species crocuses start bloom
ing in late January or early
February, followed by large
flowered Dutch crocuses in
February and March. Also
blooming at this time are winter
aconite, which resemble low -
growing buttercups; chionodoxa,
which have pink, white or blue
star-shaped flowers; and squill,
which have deep-blue flowers.
Anemone blanda bloom in
March and April and have purple,
pink or white flowers that look
like asters. Also blooming at this
time are grape hyacinths, with
grape-like clusters of purple or
white flowers, and iris reticulata,
which looks like other irises but
grow only five inches tall.
Plant Bulbs Now
“Some more familiar flowers
also bloom during these months,
such as hyacinths; double early,
Kaufmanniana and Fosteriana
tulips: and miniature and trumpet
daffodils,” says Nuss.
Darwin hybrid tulips bloom in
April and May, along with
Triumph, Gregii, single-late, dou
ble-late, lily-flowered, Rembrandt
and parrot tulips. They come in an
array of heights, colors and mark
ings. “some interesting smaller
bulbs, such as checkered lilies and
Spanish bluebells, also bloom in
late spring,” says Nuss.
For flowers in June, plant
Dutch irises, which look like
slender bearded irises, and allium
a colorful and sweeter-scented
relative of the onion. Alliums
vary greatly in size and color—
from four-inch stems with clus
ters of yellow flowers, to giant
allium, which can reach three feet
tall and is topped with a sphere of
purple flowers five inches in
diameter.
“You also can plant German
irises in the fall,” says Nuss.
“These are the familiar irises with
the fruity scent and large, bearded
flower. They grow from rhizomes
planted about three inches deep,
;and they extend the blooming
season to the end of July.”
Flowering bulbs can be plant
ed in formal or informal beds,
rock gardens and in established
ground covers. Most prefer par
tial shade, so avoid planting them
where they will receive direct
midday sun. Heated basement
walls can damage bulbs, so plant
them at least five feet away from
foundations.
“Keep in mind that you can fit
a lot of bulbs in one space by
planting large bulbs, covering
them with two inches of soil and
planting small bulbs on top of
them,” says Nuss. “You also can
plant shallow-rooted annuals on
top of bulbs.” Bulbs need good
drainage and a high amount of
organic matter, so if your soil is
mostly sand or clay, mix in peat
moss or compost until organic
matter is about 25 percent of vol
ume.
When planting tulips, daffodils
and other large bulbs, dig out the
entire bed to a depth of about 8
inches. Arrange the bulbs six
inches apart with the pointed ends
up. Smaller bulbs such as crocus
es and grape hyacinths can be
planted three inches apart and
five inches deep.
Before covering the bulbs, add
one rounded tablespoon per
square foot of either a sulfur-coat
ed, slow-release fertilizer, or one
handful per square foot of bone
meal plus one tablespoon per
square foot of 8-8-8 or 10-10-10
fertilizer.
You then can replace half the
soil and water the area thorough
ly, add the remaining soil, and
water again. “A three-inch layer
of wood chips, peat moss or bark
will retain moisture and keep
mud from splashing on the flow
ers next spring,” says Nuss.
Squirrels and chipmunks dig
up bulbs, especially crocuses. “If
you anticipate problem, spread
fine-mesh chicken wire over the
soil and then apply mulch,”says
Nuss.
When shoots start breaking
through the soil in the spring,
sprinkle a second application of
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, September 17,1994-B7
IDA’S NOTEBOOK
There are some jobs that can
be done almost without thinking.
One such job was picking grapes
off the bunches to make juice.
This year I got many more than in
previous years. It is times like this
when one remembers things that
happened long ago.
My mind wandered over
events that happened in the 1940 s
during the war. You see, my sis
ter and I took a bus to New York
City for four days. Even now, I
am amazed that our parents
allowed us to go as they were
very strict.
However, we had a wonderful
time as we purchased a “Visitor’s
fertilizer around them. As flowers
fade, cut them off so they don’t
go to seed and rob nourishment
from the bulbs.
“The foliage gathers nutrients
of the next season’s growth, so
allow it to completely die before
removing it,” says Nuss. “Other
than these few steps, spring-flow
ering bulbs don’t need much
attention. They’ll come back year
after year, just when winter seems
as though it never will end.”
Ida’s
Notebook
:da Rlsser I
•
Guide" for 350 and traveled all
over New York City on buses and
subways. Our room in Times
Square Hotel cost us three dollars
and the subway was a nickel. We
ate meals at Child’s restaurants
for fifty cents.
One day we went to Coney
Island and spent hours on the
beach. Here we saw the parachute
drop which was an amusement
that I had been on at the World’s
Fair in 1939. We visited muse
ums, large cathedrals, and
enjoyed plays on Broadway at
night. The Bronx Zoo was inter
esting as was the experience of
eating for the first time in a
Chinese restaurant. They gave us
so much food but only charged us
for the amount that we ate.
When we got separated on a
subway, it was almost a disaster.
But, we managed to meet again at
the same station —the doors shut
automatically with one of us on
each side. New York City was a
big town full of soldiers and
sailors during the war. It was a
new experience for two country
girls but luckily everything
turned out all right.