Bulbous ones are the very first to meet the beginning of spring. They bloom already in April, when perennials are just awakening from hibernation. Therefore, in every flower garden there is at least a couple of bulbous primroses that revive the dull landscape of flower beds and give a spring mood. Of course, you want maximum brightness and abundant flowering for a long time, but this depends on the correct selection of varieties. Some bulbous perennials have a very short flowering phase and disappear quickly. Others cannot stand the excess of May rains, large inflorescences get wet and break, so that too special aesthetics does not work. Therefore, when buying bulbs, you need to pay attention to the flowering period of the variety, resistance to weather conditions prevailing in your area, and ease of maintenance.
Since bulbs are grown exclusively because of the beauty of the inflorescences, I want to extend this phase a little longer. And this is possible if the plants are planted correctly. Many varieties speed up the flowering period when grown on the sunny side and, conversely, slow down the wilt process when in the shade. Tulips, crocuses, gladioli and lilies show such properties especially strongly. Therefore, they should not be planted in areas where it is sunny all day. It is better that in the first half of the day (when the sun is especially hot) these plants are in partial shade.
In addition, different plants differ in the duration of flowering. For example, a variegated tigridia releases one inflorescence from each bulb in the summer, which lives only 8 hours, after which it immediately fades. So summer residents who come to the site only on weekends may not even see this happy moment at all. True, if you plant a group of tigridia, then they will not bloom all at once, but this does not change the overall picture.
Tigridia in group plantings looks great, but each flower lives only 8 hours, after which it instantly fades
Flower arrows at the poultry farm grow gradually, making their way among thin long leaves, so the plant pleases with beautiful flowers for about a month
The most “long-lasting” spring bulbous flowers include:
- anemone (blooms for about 3 weeks);
- royal hazel grouse (2-3 weeks of flowering);
- tulip (keeps flowers up to 3 weeks, depending on location);
- daffodil (blooms for more than 10 days).
Poultry farms, freesia, and some varieties of lilies are considered summer “long-livers” in terms of flowering.
When planting freesias, be prepared that they will require careful maintenance:
The second criterion for choosing bulbous plants, which is guided by “lazy” summer residents, is the degree of plant care. The less hassle with them, the more profitable it is to grow them.
Many bulbs require annual digging after the aerial part dies off. If this is not done, then the bulbs will shrink until they disappear or even freeze in winter. Such demanding “beauties” include varietal tulips (especially of an unusual color, parrot and lily), gladioli, freesia, hyacinths. So if there is no desire to dig them up, dry them and create conditions for storage, you will have to get by with less demanding varieties.
Hyacinth can also be grown in a pot, read about it:
The unusual beauty of parrot tulip varieties requires special conditions for their growth: annual digging, proper storage and several dressings
So, lilies, daffodils, crocuses, all types of decorative bows, anemones, crocosmias, royal hazel grouses, muscari have been successfully growing in one place for 3-4 years.
Muscari, or mouse peas, is very unpretentious, grows in one place for several years and multiplies quickly by dividing the bulbs and seeds
In pursuit of growing large inflorescences, breeders do not always take into account the degree of stem thickness. And many of the newer bulbous varieties have huge flowers but slender stems. This, of course, looks gorgeous on a flower bed when the weather pleases with warmth and calm. But if the rainy season falls at the time of flowering or a strong wind rises, all beauty will instantly fall to the ground, because the thin stem will not withstand the swinging or the wet, heavy inflorescence. This can happen with many varieties of terry daffodils and freesias.
The more petals in the inflorescence of a terry daffodil, the faster it gets wet and weighs heavily on a thin flower arrow
Gladioli often break, but not because the stem is weak. On the contrary, a powerful flower arrow with an abundance of large inflorescences becomes a heavy burden on the bulb. And it is at the point of the beginning of the growth of the stem that breaking out occurs during windy weather. Therefore, many plants with tall stems will have to be tied up as soon as flower stalks begin to be released. You can, of course, immediately plant the bulbous near the net or fence, but there is not such a place on every site. By the way, a very close “relative” of gladiolus – acidander – is absolutely not afraid of the winds. However, only one flower is released.
When decorating flower beds, bulbs can act both as soloists, due to their high growth and large inflorescences, and as a background. The highest are gladioli, some varieties of lilies, acidantera, crocosmia. But if the lily is good in a single planting, then it is better to plant the rest in a small group, because their peduncle is narrow and bare to the beginning of the inflorescences.
Not every flower in the garden will argue with the beauty of lilies and their high growth, therefore they are given the best places in flower beds
Royal hazel grouses look good in the center of the flower beds. True, it is quite difficult to choose a background for them. These bulbs are among the first to bloom. But among conifers, creeping perennials, climbing plants and ornamental bows, they look really royal. And if planted in a group with a lily, then, while it gains strength and growth, the hazel grouses will have time to bloom and generally disappear, giving way to their followers.
Related article: Planting bulbous flowers in the fall: general rules + an overview of the best 6 varieties
Ornamental bows are a numerous group of bulbous plants for the garden. More than 150 varieties of them have been bred, but for some reason alliums are used much less often in the design of flower beds of tulips or gladioli. But in vain! These plants have very compact tubular leaves forming a bush, and the number of flowers per plant reaches 60 pieces. Ornamental bows have a long growing season, so they will look beautiful all spring and summer, even if the flowering period has not yet arrived. Varieties differ in flowering time. Early onions begin to bloom by mid-May, and later ones – at the end of August, and the duration of flowering is a month or more.
It is good to decorate the edge of the border with these bulbs, the lower tiers in multi-stage flower beds, and include them in mixborders. And, for example, the chives variety can also be eaten. In spring, its thin tubes come out of the ground very early, even outstripping winter onions, so you will get a double pleasure – both aesthetic and nutritional.
Schnitt onions, whose feathers you did not have time to eat in early spring, will give out beautiful lilac inflorescence balls by summer, decorating a garden or flower bed
Bulbous plants that inhabit most flower beds are known to everyone: tulips, lilies, gladioli, daffodils, snowdrops. But names such as glamini or montbrecia are known only to lovers of onion exotic. We do not buy new items, fearing the difficulties of care, although there are no special problems with these plants.
Glamini: an alternative to regular gladioli
The term “glamini” refers to miniature gladioli, the height of which does not exceed half a meter. They bloom much earlier and, unlike their giant “brothers”, do not bend and do not fall from the wind. These varieties are grown both outdoors and on balconies. The only negative is the annual digging for the winter and storage in the refrigerator.
Glamini has no less colors and varieties than ordinary gladioli, and they tolerate windy weather and rains much better
Montbrecia: gladiolus from Japan
Montbrecia is known to most gardeners as crocosmia (or Japanese gladiolus), which was transferred from the wild to the gardens. But in reality, the montbrecia became the result of the selection of crocosmia, so to speak, its cultural form. Her inflorescences are much larger, and red and yellow were added to the orange color. True, the novelty has ceased to be winter-hardy and requires digging for the winter. But her wild-growing sister winters well even in a harsh climate.
Several bulbs of montbrecia, planted side by side, form a beautiful tall bush, which can become the center of any flower garden, because it retains its decorative effect for a long time.
When choosing bulbs for your own garden, focus not only on the beauty and volume of inflorescences, but also on the plant’s adaptability to the conditions of your summer cottage. After all, the same hazel grouses may not bloom at all if the land turns out to be too poor, and the summer is dry.
