SURPRISE!!!!!

The plant world is so stinking fascinating to me. Some plants pop out of the ground for a shot period and hide most of the year, yet others stay green January to December. There are creeping and climbing plants and 60’ tall plants. The majority of them have green foliage, but they also come in yellow, red, purple, blue and variegated. They range in scent from decaying flesh to the sweetest smelling thing this side of heaven.  Many display elaborate flowers (Passion Flower is my favorite) while a lot of them have tiny inconspicuous blooms.  Plants that only like the cold, and ones that thrive in heat. Aquatic and drought tolerant; fibrous, tap, rhizomes, and storage structures root systems.  Do I need to continue? You know I can…but I really want to blog about bulbs. NO, not light bulbs, but the storage structures that produce lovely flowers! Such delightful subjects.

I am a cold natured creature by design, making me dread October through April, however; February is an exception. The long dreary cold days of February lose their sting when I see the first Crocus popping up, as if they are saying SURPRISE, SURPRISE, SURPRISE!!! Spring is just around the corner! Somehow I forget about my bulbs until they reveal themselves every spring. It’s either because they are extremely low maintenance or old age forgetfulness, screaming is way towards me!

Now is the best time to plant spring bulbs. We current have yellow Daffodils, red Tulips, purple Hyacinths and mixed crocus, for sale at the nursery.  Bulbs, unlike onions, need to be planted 3 times as deep as the size of the bulb. Bone meal needs to be added to the hole at planting time. The deep planting will allow you to plant annuals on top of them after they are spent. Don’t cut the foliage off until it has withered and dried on its own. This process stores nutrients in the bulb for the next blooming cycle. It’s a good idea to incorporate blood meal in the soil as your bulbs are playing out. Don’t forget, your landscape needs watering during the winter month.

If you’re looking for a little spring excitement, plant some bulbs now!

Tom’s Horticulturist, Vronka