gardening
The sensory garden
words by
kristee semmler // the barossa nursery
Bulbs are like little garden treasures. They spend much of the year dormant under the ground, only to burst forth and put on a glorious flower show.
There is such a wide variety of colours and forms to suit every garden palette, with many being highly fragranced. There are bulbs to suit every part of a garden, from shaded areas, to full sun, borders, garden beds and pots.
Bulbs truly are a versatile plant.
What is a bulb?
A bulb encompasses any swollen underground food storage organ that enables a plant to survive while dormant.
This definition includes bulbs (eg. Daffodil and Tulip) corms (eg. Gladiolus and Crocus) and tubers (eg. Dahlia and Cyclamen).
Bulbs will generally flower over one season, the most notable and well known are spring flowering bulbs such as tulips, daffodils, hyacinths and ranunculus.
Generally speaking, you plant a bulb in the opposite season that it flowers. For example, for spring flowering bulbs you plant in autumn, for summer flowering bulbs you plant in winter and so on.
Planting bulbs
Most bulbs need plenty of sun to grow and flower (at least six hours of sun). However, there are some varieties that will tolerate some shade such as Snowflakes, Cyclamens and Bluebells.
Bulbs need a well-drained soil to thrive. Soils that are constantly wet and poorly drained can cause a bulb to rot and die.
Just like any other garden plant, soil preparation is important. Forking through plenty of compost or manure before planting will ensure there are plenty of nutrients in the soil for optimum health and growth.
Adding a bulb fertiliser at planting time will also encourage healthy growth and flowers.
If planting bulbs in a pot or container, use a premium potting mix.
In terms of how to plant a bulb, the general rule of thumb is to plant them twice as deep as their size and always have the pointy end facing up, except in the case of Ranunculus which have lots of little ‘fingers’ which need to face down and Anemones which are planted point down. When in doubt, check the packet!
Cyclamen tubers also like to be grown close to the surface, so don’t plant these too deep or they may not flower. Water bulbs well once planted with a Seasol solution to encourage root growth.
There are plenty of bulbs that are ‘plant and forget’ type of bulbs, such as Daffodils, Jonquils, Freesias, Crocus, Snowdrops, Grape Hyacinths and Irises. This means, you basically don’t need to give them any maintenance other than the occasional feed and water in dry growing seasons.
There are a few other bulbs that will grow beautifully if you follow a few tricks and tips as below.
Tulips
Tulips require a cold snap to be able to flower well. The tip here is to buy them early and pop them in the crisper of your fridge for six weeks before planting. This will ensure the best flower display.
Tulips can be left in the ground for a number of years, often indefinitely, however if their flowers become small and stunted or they don’t flower at all, you can lift them once they have died down, store them and start again the following Autumn in the fridge again.
Hyacinths
Like Tulips, the beautifully fragranced Hyacinth bulb needs a cold snap to flower well. Hyacinths respond well to being put in the fridge crisper for four weeks before planting.
Dahlias
Dahlias are a summer flowering bulb/tuber.
With our hot Summers here in SA they can benefit from a bit of afternoon shade so their gorgeous flowers don’t burn.
Because many Dahlia varieties are tall growing, it is also important to keep them sheltered from hot winds and provide a support stake for the tall varieties.
Dahlias are very frost tender and although dormant in winter, if their tubers freeze underground, they can rot and die.
If you live in a frost prone area, lift the tubers once they have died down and store them in a cool (frost free) place over winter and plant again in spring when frosts are over.
Gladiolis are another frost-tender bulb that can be dug up to avoid frosts. At the very least, if you choose not to dig up the bulb/tubers, mulch them with a thick layer of pea straw to help insulate and protect them from freezing.
Extra tip
Always feed your bulbs when the first shoots appear and also again once they have finished flowering and are starting to die back. Avoid cutting off the bulbs at ground level until they have completely died back.
This is the time when they are pulling all the nutrients back into the bulb ready for their next flowering season. If you cut them off too soon, their flowers for the following season may not be as big or prolific.
Bulbs for cut flowers
Flower gardens are certainly very popular at the moment with many bulbs making excellent cut flowers. The best bulbs for cut flowers include: Ranunculus, Anemone, Tulips, Daffodils, Dahlias, Gladiolis, Freesias (highly fragrant) Hyacinth (highly fragrant) Iris and Peonies.
There are ample possibilities with bulbs in the garden. They add a rainbow of colour and interest to any garden, especially spring flowering bulbs which light up the garden after a cold winter.
No matter the size of your garden, bulbs can be a source of brightness and delight.
“Flowers can’t solve all problems, but they’re a great start.” Anonymous
Happy Gardening.
Kristee Semmler
THE BAROSSA NURSERY
If you have any good gardening old wive’s tales, feel free to share them by leaving a comment online on the Barossa Mag’s website.
I do love hearing a good tale!
In the meantime, happy gardening!