You are here:
Bulbs/Bulbs
Advertisement
Question
I live in zip code 78727 and I'm new to the area and don't know what kind of bulbs I could be planting now for next year? Any ideas?
Austin, Texas - USDA Zone 8b, same as Gainesville, Florida. Minimum temp averages 15 to 20 degrees F. Too cold for tender bulbs, delightful for Tulips, most Daffodils, Crocus, Chionodoxa, Scilla, Muscari and dozens of other Spring Bulbs.
Tell me, Kari, when you open up a Bulbs catalog, what 3 look the most delicious to you?
As far as Summer Flowers, You can also grow some pretty spectacular Oriental and Asiatic Lilies down there. Alliums are available for easy perennial interest. Cannas and Callas are a little labor intensive but if you love those, you can grow them too; they just need a little extra care. Ditto, Gladiolus -- you'll have to un-dig them every Autumn and store them thru Winter, then re-plant in Spring; you have to really like some Bulbs to go through all that, year after year.
Tell me what strikes your fancy and I'll tell you what you can grow.
I do want to recommend that you plant in drifts or rows, not in small splashes of 6 here, 6 there. For those quantities, Van Engelen and Brent & Becky's Bulbs are excellent, reliable Bulbs sources. rsvp
Related Articles
- Flowering Bulbs: How To Plant Spring Flowering Bulbs
- How To Plant Miniature Flowering Bulbs - Plant Miniature Spring Bulbs
- When Should I Plant My Spring Blooming Bulbs? And What Should I Do if I Forget to Plant Them?
- Dividing Flowering Bulbs
- Spring Blooming Bulbs - Frequently Asked Questions About Growing and Caring for Spring Flowering Bulbs
Long Island Gardener
Expertise
Growing Tulips? Dahlias? Daffodils? Gladiolus? It doesn't get easier than bulbs and tubers. Once in a while, something goes wrong: The dreaded Narcissus Bulb Fly, which resembles a honeybee. Mosaic virus, which can ignite a field of tulips in a single season. Nematodes, lurking underground. Here on the North Shore of Long Island, the garden is full of surprises. If you live in the Northeast/Atlantic Coast, I can help you pick the right bulb for every season, indoors and out, and help you fertilize, bloom and harvest for home or work. How: I have degrees in related fields, but my best understanding is all learned from trial and error. For most of my 53 years I have been gardening somewhere. No matter what the problem, I've learned the best answers are always Organic -- Earth friendly, less expensive, healthier for people and pets, easier and cleaner than toxic liquids and powders that big chemical companies sell so smoothly.
Experience
Besides degrees in related fields, and a few favorite horticultural societies, I work as a docent at our local botanical gardens -- but it's the years of work in the garden that's the real test.
©2012 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.