first Spring Flowers

Garden Week Three 4/10/2018

Daffodil Deadhead: Snip of YouTube video by Gardening at 58 North. Clearly shows the nodule below the seed pod of a Daffodil.

First Spring Flowers

Tulips are my favorite flower. To my delight the house I moved into has many bulb naturalized spring plants, including, you guessed it Tulips!

Unlike annuals, bulbs are perennial which can return year after year and can produce loads of color with little work. So, what do your bulb plants need to produce those flowers every year?

We think of planting flower and plants in the spring, however, bulb plants need to be overwintered. This means they should be planted before the ground freezes. Be sure and check the hardiness of your bulbs prior to planting. Bulbs, in general, have a top and a bottom. When planting, place the bulb pointed side up, roots side down, in a hole twice as deep as the bulb is long. For example, if the bulb is two inches long, place the bulb four inches deep; three inches long, place the bulb six inches deep. Bulbs can be placed in the same hole or planted individually. A rule of thumb for planting multiple bulbs in the same location; place bulbs no closer than eggs are in a carton. Be aware that some bulbs can cause skin irritation. You may consider wearing protective clothing when planting. Bulbs like an onion have a husk. Leave the husk intact when planting.

Most spring bulbs last days to about two weeks and come in early bloom, mid-season bloom and late bloom varieties. Consider planting some of each and enjoy spring flowers from early April through Mid to late May. Now that winter is over, we are can enjoy Spring’s colorful bounty.

To ensure next year’s bounty, we want to put the plants energy back into the bulb, rather than the seed pod. Once the flowers petals start to wilt, turn brown or drop off, the plant will start putting energy into seed production. At this time, we want to deadhead the flowers. Deadheading consists of cutting the flower head off below the nodule just beneath the seed pod. Do not cut anything else, yet. You can place the cuttings back into the ground adding biomass and nutrients for the bulbs.

Over the next six or so weeks, the green foliage of the plants will photosynthesize energy which will be directed into the bulbs. This energy will be apparent in next years blooms. Once the foliage begins to brown, go ahead and remove. Consider breaking foliage down a bit before composting to speed up the decomposition process.

About every 3-5 years your bulbs will need to be thinned. When you are cleaning up the foliage is a perfect time to thin your bulbs. Clear dirt and debris from the bulbs. Throw away any bulbs which are soft. The new smaller bulbs may not bloom the first year. Keep this in mind when replanting. Place the bulbs in the ground as described above.

Happy Gardening!

A little more about spring bulbs

Daffodils (Narcissus) of the Narcisseae family: A six-petal flower with a horn or trumpet, varies in color from the traditional yellow or orange.  I am surprised to learn that there are thousands of highbred varieties with configurations of yellow, orange, white and many shades of pink.  *note that wild daffodils can come in 5 or even 4 petals. 

Tulips (Tulipa) of the Liliaceae family: We often think of the flower which looks a cup on a stem, with soft rounded petals.  Most commonly found to be red, white, yellow and orange. But, there are many highbred variations with colors ranging from deep purple to light pink, some wilder colors have stripes or spots.  The flowers vary from a simple cup variation to frilled petal and can even resemble a small Peony, to more pointed petals resembling stars.   

Crocus (Crocus sativus), of the Iridaceae family: The small, vividly colored flower will be found close to the ground and can come in colors from bright orange, to purple or white.  Variations of the Crocus also flower in the fall.  The word Crocus is believed to derive from the Arabic word for saffron “Saffron Yellow”.  Keep an eye out for the bright yellow/orange crocus, and you will see how appropriate this name is. 

Puschkinia (Scilloideae) of the Asparagaceae family: These spears or spikes of tiny, 2 cm, mostly white flowers can be found with blues, purple and pink hints of color.  While the flower bundles can resemble Hyacinth prior to blooming, they are distinctly different and far more delicate in appearance.