General Information...................................................... 

Bulb Winter Hardiness Zones

Winter Hardiness Zones is your guide as to whether or not a bulb will overwinter in your geographic area. If you are in a very cold zone such as zones 0-3, even hardy perennials such as tulips, daffodils or lilies may not survive your winters outside. Talk to your local gardeners or your local Dept. of Agriculture for information on local conditions. To find out which zone your garden is in go to "Hardiness Zone Maps" in the directory.

Our winter hardy bulbs can remain in the ground permanently if they are hardy in your zone. All bulb plantings (especially new ones) benefit greatly from being covered with mulch (shredded cedar, wood chips, evergreen boughs) after the ground freezes in the fall. Prior to planting improve your soil by working in organic matter and bulb fertilizer.

Planting Bulbs

Plant bulbs as soon as possible, after you receive them. If you cannot plant them right away, store them in a cool, dark, well-ventilated place above freezing. Even if it has gotten very cold in your area, as long as you can dig in your garden, you can plant bulbs.

Well-drained Soil  

Well-drained soil is essential for the successful growth of bulbs. If your soil tends to be usually soggy and doesn’t drain well after a rain, improve the drainage by adding organic matter such as peat moss, compost or well rotted manure and/or raising the level of the soil by at least 2” All bulbs require regular watering during dry spells, especially until they get established. The success of repeat flowering the next spring is related to how much watering they received during dry summer weather.

PLANT IN GROUPS (CLUMPS)

We recommend planting bulbs in groups of 10 bulbs for maximum showy colour and effect.

PLANTING DEPTHS

In lighter soil the bulbs can be planted somewhat less deep than in heavier soil. In general it can be stated: twice the bulb height of soil on top of the bulbs with a minimum of 1" (3 cm.). Although many bulb species are hardy, it is recommended to cover the bulbs with a mulch or autumn leaves in the winter period.  Consider a wire mesh over top of the planting to deter Rodents. 

TIPS & IDEAS

Layered planting with bulbs

With the right combination a nice colour effect and a long flowering period can be achieved. Also plants like Winter Pansies, large-flowered Daisies, Forget-Me-Nots etc. go very well with Tulips and Hyacinths.  A nice effect can be achieved when the various bulb species are planted at different depths. Tulips for instance are planted quite deep and small Narcissi, like 'Tête-à- Tête' less deep. Then the various flowering phases succeed each other. It is even possible to add another top layer of very early Crocuses. In this way a flowering period of many weeks can be realized.

 VARIOUS APPLICATIONS 

For naturalize areas

Narcissus February Gold and Hawera.

Very early flowering varieties

Crocus Golden Yellow, Crocus Jeanne d'Arc, Crocus Flower Record, Puschkinia, Crocus Pickwick, Scilla Siberica,  Chionodoxa. 

Narcissus Rijnveld’s Early Sensation

THE earliest flowering yellow trumpet daffodil for borders, parks, gardens and lawns.

This daffodil deserves all attention with a flowering-period that starts when the snow starts

to melt.

Flower bulbs in rock gardens

Rock gardens with an open sunny location and warm, dry soil call for bulbs that show their best side under all conditions. The following species are highly recommended:

Botanical tulip Bakeri Lilac Wonder, Iris Reticulata, Narc Triandus Thalia, Botanical tulip Batalinii                                             

Taller species can also look good here. For instance: Fritillaria Imperialis, Camassia, Allium Globemaster and Narcissi that will ensure striking accents as solitaires and in clumps as well.

Flower bulbs in water gardens

Plants that like a somewhat moist habitat go well with natural and landscaped watercourses and ponds. There is an abundant choice: Fritillaria Meleagris, Botanical Narcissi, Chionodoxa, and Scilla. Besides moisture these species also want a semi-shaded habitat. Camassia species (Leichtlinii) prefer some more sun.

Flower bulbs in borders with perennials

Early spring borders with perennials are rather colourless without flower bulbs. To enjoy these borders over a longer period, bulbs can be planted to flower from April until June. Please take into account that some perennials like Pulmonaria, Geranium and Hosta produce their flowers or foliage at the same time. Late varieties of Tulips, Alliums, Camassias and late Fritillarias are ideal for planting in perennial borders.  They do not interfere with annual planting. 

An added advantage of a combination of spring flower bulbs and perennials is that the perennials will camouflage the dying foliage of the bulbs at a later stage.  If summer flowering bulbs are considered, then the choice of varieties should also be adapted to the perennials that are flowering at that time.       

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Flower bulbs in natural gardens

The aim of natural gardens is to create a situation that is as balanced and natural as possible: you will not find peaks with bright colours or large, striking flowers. The whole point of a natural garden is the subtle simplicity in which all the plant groups form a harmonic complex. 

Bulbs that are suitable for this type of garden are for instance: Camassia, Chionodoxa, Tulipa Species and various small-flowering Narcissi.

 Flower bulbs for mass planting in grass-areas

Scilla Siberica, Crocus, early-flowering Narcissi and Chionodoxa are among the species that are most suitable for planting in grass areas.

The earlier the flowering, the better as we would like to give the plants the time to die off before we start to mow the grass.
Also seed that is formed must get the chance to ripen.  For example the seeds of Chionodoxa and Scilla that fall between the parent plants find a good breeding ground there in which they will germinate quickly. This will result in an increase of the number of bulbs, and therefore, in time, in substantially more flowers. If the soil is also relatively dry during the bulbs’ dormant period, in the early summer and summer, all conditions are there for abundant flowering in a following year.

Mowing

 

As a rule mowing can start, on average, 6 to 8 weeks after the flowering season.

Fertilization

In order to be completely assured of a returning splendour of flowers, it is necessary to enrich the soil with fertilizers once a year.  It is not recommended to feed in the spring because it is better if the grass does not grow too fast at the time when the foliage of the bulbs has not died off yet. Therefore it is preferred to do this in autumn, when both grass and bulbs can benefit optimally. Usually a total of 4.4 pounds (2 kg) 12-10-18 per 100 yd²(m²) is given on 3 occasions. Instead of fertilizers, organic feed (like a mixture of blood meal, bone meal and horn meal or dried manure granules) can be used. The best moment to spread the fertilizer is right before or during a rain shower; then the fertilizers are dissolved immediately. 

Tips on Indoor Bulb Growing

Paperwhites

http://www.news.cornell.edu/pressoffice1/April06/DrunkFlowers

http://www.hort.cornell.edu/miller/No.%209...Alcohol%20and%20Paperwhites.pdf