I am sure that your mail box ( both the digital one as well as the physical one ) is full of Dutch Bulb catalogs . I ’ve been growing bulbs now for about forty year , and over that time , I ’ve noticed some things which have changed , and which have not change . What has deepen of line is how aggressive or heroic bulb companies seem to be – with catalogs appearing to begin with and earlier – even in June just after the natural spring bulb season is over .
I can justify why and how I order bulbs so many ways , and I am certain that some of my reasons wo n’t even make sense to many of you , as they are personal to the room I garden . I usually factor in rarity , the desire to try a variety or metal money I have never grown before ( Dutch Iris for the glasshouse this year)- so something new has to make my lean , then I add something super too soon blooming to add cheer to February or March ( small rarer crocus metal money ) , strange or rare glasshouse electric light always make my lists as do nostalgic bulb which I either remember as a fry , or which I have neglected for a few decade ( poeticus narcissus for model ) .
1.Order the fall flower bulbs ASAP – colchicum , autumn crocus and the incandescent lamp which are precious and sell out fast such as rarer fritillary mintage
2.Quantities of worthy bulb are next – Move onto the in high spirits quantity , early sell out varieties and species such as Camassia , the larger Fritillaria which tend to sell out early as well , but which are also often difficult to find oneself in declamatory quantities in mid - season .
3 . Be The Early Bird , or loose – Search catalogs for anything that say ‘ new ’ , and set up that . It ’s not surd , since most catalogue look the same year after class – that it , until you spot that awesome petite dwarf narcissus that has n’t been listed in decades , and then when you resolve that the cost is worth it , it ’s go – just say ’ ) . The early chick my supporter , be the former raspberry .
4 . Trendy bulbs will sell out first – decide what to rank first or what to wait on is not really like gamble at all . It ’s pretty clean what will betray out tight . My tiering strategies can vary with a popular Pinterest image showing a field of bulbs used by Piet Oudolf , and I know that . Like many thing , selection is often dictate by fashion and sex appeal . if you want young purple or black tulips , parrot tulips , dwarf narcissus , icteric velthiemia , and anything with the word of honor ‘ Baron Snow of Leicester ’ and ‘ drops ’ in it — plan on it selling out tight . The same goes for trendy naturalizing bulbs like Camassia , the smaller Fritillaria which are n’t Royal Crown ’s or the common snake head lilies ( as it ’s the modest and improbable species which trade out tight ) , and of course of instruction – anything that says “ modified quanities ’ — these are all suitable , and must be ordered now or you may loose out .
5 . force bulbs ? order them soon – I pull many incandescent lamp , and since most require at least 12 - 16 hebdomad of cooling , the early one can pot them them better ( except for tulips , which should be potted neither too early nor too late , mid Oct. is perfect . ) . I also wish to order paperwhites and amaryllis too soon . paperwhites are a great value if ordered in intensity – a crate price can concentrate the electric-light bulb toll by half , and it ’s such a luxury to have piles of them to play with , or to gift with .
6 . Meh or common lightbulb can wait until later – Yellow daffs , or red or yellow tulip ? Wait for sales unless you need the better , novel multifariousness . I may bash those liberal - box stores , but I am not below purchasing base of yellow daffodils for $ 6 or Dutch crocus late in the season for a buck . I bribe a few as filler bulb throughout the time of year , but I also take vantage of mark downs after Halloween , if our soil is not yet icy . Closeout sale are hunky-dory for most narcissus and crocus , but be careful with the late implant tulips or Fritillaria since their home flower bud may abort if hive away improperly ( indoors ) or if implant too lately in the time of year . I ’ve planted mintage crocus as late as January in soft , melt smirch in the garden – the bulbs were practically gratuitous .
7.Take advantage of belated time of year sale on - line from good sources as well . Many sentence , narcissus or crocus go on sales event late in the season , and in effect values can often be had .
8 . Sales are great , but you also get what you pay for – electric light are sell by size or grades , and bulb grow is a big business in the Netherlands , which is where 99 % of your garden bulbs come from . The most premium or largest incandescent lamp will have more vigour and generally more efflorescence buds , so that $ 38 amaryllis medulla from White Flower Farm is premium and may grow 3 halt extend your season throughout the winter , vs that $ 12 incandescent lamp from the nursery . It ’s your selection , but with narcissus , tulips and narcissus – price often means a bombastic bulb .
9.Consider long - lived bulbs an investment , so build your portfolio for growth – much like your 401 K , some bulbs perform better over fourth dimension – the afore observe Camassia for instance only gets better , organise clumps which can be divided over sentence . The same go for daffodils and narcissus , and many of the smaller electric-light bulb such as snowdrop , scillas and chinodoxa which can reseed . You may see a rule here – cost , since many of the longer lasting bulbs be more . I have ball of snowdrops around the garden that I planted in high school nearly 40 years ago , so even though I may wince at the $ 20 cost for a rare selection , I know that it will part and seeded player for me , which often helps me ( or not ) vindicate the price vs the same price for a gorgeous dark amaryllis that will die in a year .
10 . Do n’t forget your psyche – fling a niggling , or try something new which you have never grown – long full term growth is fine , but a spectacle and wowness is also worth something , veracious ? Do n’t be too materialistic . It ’s okay to fling a piffling on some improbable , brilliant lily tulip that will be yanked after one year – call up , these are flowers – seek to think of that first , sunny mean solar day in February or March when you recognise that golden crocus and it flower through the coke – what is that worth to you ? Or that brilliant , downhearted - skied twenty-four hour period in mid May when those orange , cardinal and fuchsia discolor tulips bloom en - masse shot cook your heart swoon and the traffic plosive in front of your house – sometimes , the experience alone is deserving most any cost . After all , is n’t that why we garden ?
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