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MINOR SPRING FLOWERING BULBS

By The Old House Web

MINOR SPRING FLOWERING BULBS


By careful selection, it is possible to have a continuous sequence of bloom from March until June, with the use of spring flowering bulbs. There are many different uses for these, including naturalising, use as an accent or border and as bedding, rock gardens or containers. Some well known spring bulbs include: the crocus, the hyacinth, the narcissus and tulips.

Some less known spring bulbs include the Anemone, one of the brightest of spring flowers. There are many different varieties of anemone, from a low growing variety with small, delicate flowers to large blossomed florist's types.

The Chionodoxa, often called Glory of Snow, boasts sky blue flowers with white center, and stands no taller than six inches.

The Eranthis, also called Winter Aconite, has brilliant yellow flowers, bursting out of 3 to 4 inch stems. The Eranthis blooms as early as January.

The Galanthus, also called Snowdrop, has small, white bell shaped flowers and can be found as small as four inches and as tall as ten.

Muscari blossoms in early to mid April, with fresh lttle blue and white blossoms.

The Scilla, known for its deep blue blossoms, which grow as many as six to a stem, blooms in early March.

Other bulbs worth mentioning include: Alliums, which sport tiny flowers massed into a large ball and are often called ornamental onions. Fritillarias are drooping, cup-shaped flowers. The variety Fritillaria imperialis have orange, yellow or red flowers topped with a knot of green leaves.

During planting, bulbs should be placed in holes two to three times as deep as their diameters. The soil at bottom should be loosened and fertilized and the bulbs planted firmly with pointed end up, sometime in the late fall. The bed should be filled halfway with soil, water, then filled with soil, mulch and water again. The bulbs should then be fertilized with high nitrogen and potassium fertilizer. The foliage should be allowed to die naturally when the blooming period is over.

SEQUENCE OF BLOOM, PLANTING DEPTH, COLOR AND HEIGHT OF MINOR BULBS

======================================================== INCHES TO PLANT KIND TIME OF BLOOM DEEP APART COLOR HEIGHT

Eranthis early March 2" 3" yellow 4"

Galanthus early March 3" 3" white 4"

Iris early March 4" 3" yellow 4-6" (reticulata) blue violet Chionodoxa mid-March 3-4" 3-4" blue 3-6" till April

Scilla mid-March 4" 4" blue 4-6"

Anemone mid-April 4" 4" white, 4-6" pink blue red Muscari mid-April 3" 3" blue 3-4"

Fritillari late April 4" or 6" checked 9"-3' early May white, yellow orange Allium June-July 6" 6-18" yellow, 6"-5' laven- der

SOURCE

LONG ISLAND GARDENING SEPTEMBER 1986 Minor Spring-Flowering Bulbs by Caroline T. Kiang COOPERATIVE EXTENSION AGENT, SUFFOLK COUNTY

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