Wild Green Yonder: Try bulbs as inexpensive way to add color to garden

Visit the Norfolk Botanical Garden right now and you are likely to see members of our horticulture staff bent over, planting spring-flowering bulbs.

While not the most flattering pose, it is necessary as this year we will be planting nearly 35,000 bulbs, including daffodils, tulips, hyacinths and many others. Planting bulbs requires a little faith that something as homely as a bulb can spend the fall and winter hidden underground, only to emerge from the soil in spring as a beautiful flower.

Bulbs are an easy and relatively inexpensive way to add color to the garden, especially considering there are many that come back each spring, getting bigger and better in the process. Since this is prime bulb-planting season, I’d like to discuss a few bulb basics.

Most garden centers and home improvement stores start offering bulbs for sale in mid- to late September, and while the selection might be good then, it is much too early to plant here in southeastern Virginia. If you can’t resist, bulbs can be stored in the refrigerator until it is time to plant. However, ripening fruit (especially apples) gives off ethylene gas which can damage bulbs. Give them a good squeeze when selecting them. They should be firm, and never squishy. You also want to make sure they are not dried out and desiccated beyond their outer husks. While the selection is good early in the season, patient shoppers can usually find them on sale toward year’s end.

If you purchase your bulbs directly from a reputable grower, they will usually ship them to you at the optimal time to plant in our area, which is from late October until the first of the year. While there are exceptions, most bulbs will perform best in sunny sites with well-drained soil. While the package directions will tell you how deep to plant, it is generally three to four times deeper than the size of the bulb.

The only exception to this are standard tulips, which should be planted 8 inches deep, no matter what the package says. Bulbs come “pre-loaded” with everything they need to bloom for next year, but right after blooming they could benefit from a little bulb fertilizer.

Also let the foliage turn completely yellow or brown before removing it so that it has a chance to store energy for the following year.

Commonly available bulbs include:

• Daffodils (Narcissus) – easy, reliably perennial, pest-free, multiple colors, sizes, and bloom times

• Crocus – diminutive early spring bloomers, look for Crocus tommasinianus (a.k.a. Tommies) varieties

• Oriental Hyacinth – wonderfully fragrant, somewhat perennial, pest-free

• Spanish Bluebells (Hyacinthoides hispanica) – fantastic naturalizers, shade-tolerant

• Grape Hyacinth (Muscari) – fragrant, short, several selections good for naturalizing

• Tulips – With few exceptions, this colorful spring classic should be treated as an annual in our area.

• Ornamental Onions (Allium) – not just for the kitchen anymore, pest-resistant

Speaking of bulbs (light bulbs that is), this weekend is a perfect time to grab your sneakers and stroll over to Norfolk Botanical Garden for the sixth annual Million Bulb Walk. This year, the fun lasts through Nov. 23. From 4-8:30 p.m. each evening, enjoy a leisurely walk through 2 miles of more than a million holiday lights. It’s a delightful way to celebrate the whimsy of winter!

Tickets for the Million Bulb Walk are available through the Garden’s website. Tickets are $12 for members, $15 for not-yet-members, $13 for military (with ID), and $10 for ages 3-17. Children 2 and younger get in free. This event is expected to sell out, so the Garden encourages guests to purchase tickets in advance.