Photos courtesy of Netherlands Flower Bulb Information Center
Crocuses planted now will bloom as early as February.

Narcissus "Gigantic Star" combined with Narcissus "Tete-a-Tete" (foreground) display brilliant yellow in a container with (background) white Narcissus "Winston Churchill."

The popular Gudoshnik Tulip originated in Russia.

Plant now, enjoy later

Bulb novices will find the effort worthwhile come spring

SARAH JACKSON, THE OLYMPIAN

Originally published September22, 2001

OLYMPIA -- Bulbs -- a seemingly complex group of plants including "true bulbs," "corms," "tubers," "rhizomes" and other tuberous roots -- might scare off the amateur gardener.

Certainly, it's hard to believe those onion-esque lumps that rear their homely heads every fall could, after months in the South Sound ground, create the glorious, Technicolor blooms seen in store display pictures.

But fear not, bulb-leery gardeners. Fall plantings require no so-called "forcing" of blooms (unless you're growing bulbs indoors).

With a few right moves now, novices can enjoy brilliant blooms all on their own come spring.

Even yardless apartment dwellers with somewhat sunny balconies or patios can delve into the hundreds of varieties of bulbs by growing them in containers outdoors.

Bulbs planted now can bloom throughout the spring, with crocuses as early as February, daffodils by March, tulips in April and irises in May -- weather permitting.

Who can resist varieties with names such as Gay Parasol (a bearded iris) and multicolored tulips such as Black Velvet, Flaming Parrot, Zombie, Queen of Sheba and Swan Wings?

Containers, soils

Karel Smith, co-owner of Satsop Bulb Farm near Satsop in Mason County, said beginners will likely have the best luck with spring-blooming bulbs in pots or containers.

Because bulbs need rich soil and good drainage, containers filled with potting soil create a natural bulb haven.

"You just have to have a liking for the flower. Give it a try -- because I don't think you'd be disappointed," Smith said. "The first year you'll get color."

Jen Campbell, a longtime bulb enthusiast who teaches bulb-planting workshops at Home Depot in Olympia, said gardeners planting in the ground or in garden beds can enhance drainage-challenged soils by adding perlite -- a light volcanic material that improves drainage.

Peat moss mixed into soils, Campbell said, also can help prevent bulb rot while simultaneously keeping the soil moist.

Better yet, gardeners don't need to buy huge tubs for bulbs.

Even a 6-inch-diameter pot can hold five tulip or daffodil bulbs for a burst of spring color, Smith said.

Container-grown bulbs -- if in a pot light enough to move easily -- can be entirely portable.

Gardeners can put gorgeous blooms at the fore and pull them back as they fade, then replace them with a pot of late-blooming arrivals.

Wooden, concrete, aggregate, plastic, paper pulp and terra cotta pots (unglazed as well as glazed) can all accommodate bulbs successfully.

Dave Olszyk, an associate at the Bark and Garden Center in Olympia, said most bulbs don't need more than a half-dozen inches of soil below or above them.

Sunset's Western Garden book recommends anemones at 1 inch deep, grape hyacinths at 2 inches, crocuses at 3 inches, Dutch irises at 4 inches, daffodils, callas and tulips at 5 inches and hyacinths at 6 inches.

Choosing bulbs

Smith said bulb shoppers should know they get what they pay for.

Generally speaking, the larger the bulb, the larger and more numerous the blooms will be come spring. Choose the larger bulbs in each variety, for best results.

Beginners, Smith said, might find miniature daffodils -- often called Tete-a-Tete -- a great place to start for an adorable burst of yellow in the spring.

"It's great for containers. It's great for borders. It's so short," Smith said. "March is usually such a windy, rainy month. Being on the shorter side, it holds up very well to that crappy weather -- even in a container."

Deer usually stay away from daffodil varieties, too.

Color-wise, Smith said Red Parade and Golden Parade tulips remain classic favorites for gardeners.

"We always get comments on them," Smith said. "It can get to be 24 to 30 inches tall. It just gets huge, and it multiplies like crazy. It's just wonderful for color."

Most bulbs -- which should go in the ground anytime between now and the first time the ground freezes -- prefer spots with partial to full sun.

Almost all bulb packages indicate sun requirements, planting depths and projected bloom times.

Design

While gardeners' inspiration may be waning as South Sound days become cooler and cloudier, now's the time to imagine not only spring garden layouts, but where new perennials, additional annuals -- along with summer- and fall-blooming bulbs -- will go as days warm.

Many South Sound gardeners are already motivated.

Tom and Jeana Starkweather of Yelm rummaged through the selections at Home Depot, where they found bulbs to line their 80-foot driveway.

They chose a mixed packet of purple, yellow and white crocuses and an array of tulips for middle- to late-spring blooming.

"I'm looking for a variation of colors," Jeana said. "We're just going to stagger the colors. They all come up at different times, so there's flowers there the whole time."

Debbie Drebis of Olympia experimented with bulbs last fall and was delighted this past spring.

Drebis planted miniature yellow daffodils in the center of a container and surrounded those with small, purple irises.

"I was so excited when my stuff started coming up," Drebis said. "Everything turned out right."

Olszyk said novice bulb gardeners should group similar color varieties together for maximum visual impact.

"Tulips should be planted in clumps so you get a mass color of them."

Angela Mitchell, garden supervisor at Home Depot, said layering bulbs is a popular approach, too.

Gardeners can time the blooms so they explode into a natural bouquet.

"That's actually an age-old practice," Mitchell said. "It's basically planting the same as you would in the ground as the instructions on the packages. It's completely easy."

Olympia Master Gardener Paula Allison -- a firm believer in low-maintenance bulbs -- said spring bloomers such as crocuses can't be beat after a season of gray.

"When you live in a place where you have five months of winter -- and snow and cold -- you get very anxious for spring."

Sarah Jackson writes for The Olympian and can be reached at 360-704-6871 or olyjax@yahoo.com.

Resources

- Check out the bulb-planting classes at 1 p.m. today and Sunday at Home Depot at 1325 Fones Road S.E., Olympia. Call 412-1900.

- "Bulb sense" from Home and Garden Television: www.hgtv.com/HGTV/project/0,1158,GALA_project_17411,FF.html.

- Check out Tulip World complete with a bulb adviser engine and style guides at www.tulipworld.com.

- DeGoede Bulb Farm: landru.i-link-2.net/shnyves/DeGoede_ Bulb_Farm.html or call 360-983-3775.

- Satsop Bulb Farm: www.satsopbulbfarm.com or 360-482-5566.

- "Growing Bulbs in Containers" article from Suite 101 Web site: www.i5ive.com/article.cfm/3748/16834.

- Combinations of bulbs: www.pasquesi.com/html/sec02/content01_e_e.htm.

The Olympian Copyright 2001

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