PerennialsIn this article you can get an answer to; where can I find
information about planting bulbs, and perennials together?
Perennials are the basic flowers of any garden. Each year they
die and renew themselves for the next growing season. They are
long-lived and last for many seasons. Perennials are also,
historically, among our oldest plants.
They have been cultivated for centuries and often, as a result of
breeding and crossbreeding, bear no resemblance to their wild
forebears. In some of the perennials, the blossoms have become so
specialized through centuries of cultivation that they no longer
grow 'seeds.
Other perennials are continually being developed by amateur
botanists and gardeners. As a result of this cultivation and
inbreeding, perennials as a rule are not as hardy as other
varieties. Another disadvantage is the tendency of certain
perennials to die down after flowering, thereby leaving gaps in
the garden.
There are a number of ways to solve the problems of
short-flowering periods and the resultant unsightly spaces. One
way is to intersperse them by planting bulbs and perennials along
with annuals and flowering plants whose bloom occurs either later
or earlier than that of the perennials.
Some perennials are easy to transplant: chrysanthemums, for
example, can be moved from one place to another with no
noticeable effect on their vigor. This is another way to keep
color and bloom throughout the growing season.
A garden of perennials, either by themselves or mixed with
annuals and other bulbs, should be placed along a path, or as a
border, with a background of trees, shrubs, a wall or fence. The
background shows the brilliant coloring to best advantage. Some
varieties can flourish in the shade, such as anemone, lily of the
valley, day lilies, sweet pea, primrose, hollyhock, harebell and
peonies, but these flowers must be chosen carefully and faced so
that some sun reaches them every day.
Popular orange flower perennials include
- Butterfly Weed
- Golden Glow
- Olympic Poppy
and popular white and purple flower perennials include
- Alpine Rock Cress
- Baby's Breath
- Canyon Poppy
- Shasta Daisy
and
- Dragon's Head
- Foxglove Penstemon
- Joe-Pye Weed
respectively.
Bulbs, tubers and cormsBulbs are the fleshy underground protuberances of leaves, stems
or roots. Actually, "bulb" is a generic term, and some of these
underground protuberances, all of which will grow into full
plants, are more correctly called "corms" or "tubers." Tubers are
thickened stem sections, covered with modified buds; corms are
also underground stem sections, but without the bud.
Some of the loveliest flowers are bulbs, and gardeners rely on
them heavily because they bloom in such profusion with little
care or cultivation. They are among the first blooms of early
spring, with the diminutive snowdrop, for example, appearing in
early March.
Planting BulbsHere is the answer to; where can I find information about
planting bulbs? Bulbs should be planted from 3 to 6 inches deep,
and, as a rule of thumb, the larger the bulb, the deeper it
should be planted. (Both tubers and corms are treated similar to
bulbs.) Using a spade, a slice is dug in the soil to the required
depth, the bulbs placed in the hole and the sod replaced. If the
soil is poor, a sprinkling of bone meal is added and mixed with
the soil at the bottom of the hole.
Each spring, flowering bulbs should be well-fertilized. (Use
manure and chemical fertilizer.) Care must be taken to keep fresh
manure away from the roots or the bulb or tuber itself. The
fertilizer should be worked well into the soil. The soil itself
should be cultivated to a depth of 3 to 4 inches each week.
During the blooming season, it is a good idea to cut off most of
the buds to get bigger and showier flowers. Watering regularly is
essential, and when the soil gets too dry, punching a few holes
in it around the plant will help get the much-needed moisture
down near the roots.
About the Author
Paul Curran is CEO of Cuzcom Internet Publishing Group and
webmaster at Trees-and-Bushes.com, providing access to their
nursery supplier for a range of quality plants, trees, bushes,
shrubs, seeds and garden products.Visit
their perennials section to find a great selection for your
garden