Earlier this week, I got a reprieve from the daily questioning of when are we going to buy a horse. The owner of Tony, the horse my daughter loves, decided not to sell. Now I’m back to happily shopping for spring flowering bulbs. A purchase that will give me lots of enjoyment for a little bit of money.
After nine years of working long hours in the spring at a nursery with little time to enjoy my gardens at home, I have finally decided to plant spring flowering bulbs in the front yard where I can see them as I come and go. Along the front porch there will be species tulips. The bed by the front walkway will be filled with a mix of colorful crocus. The area at the far end of the porch gardens may be just the spot for the alliums that my husband loves so much. In an area on the side garden, I’ll grow tulips for cut flowers.
How do you decide what kind of bulbs are right for your garden? John Scheepers’ Beauty From Bulbs catalog has about 25 pages of tulips to pick from. 84 pages of bulbs. Here’s what I’m thinking for my gardens:
Cut flower garden – I’m making the selection for the cut flower garden based on height, color, and flowering time. I know these will be tulip bulbs that I’ll plant every year. The cut flowers will end up on the entry hall table where the walls are painted a yellow beige. I want a bright color that will really stand out and need one that is 20″ or taller. Later blooming Blushing Lady, Dreamland and Elizabeth Arden tulips are in the running for this garden.
Front porch garden – The backdrop for the tulips in this garden is a low hedge of Green Velvet Boxwoods. The bulbs of species tulips will be left in the ground year after year to naturalize. Generally, they are much smaller tulips, 4-10″, and will work well in this spot. Here, I may go with a lighter flower color that will contrast with the dark green foliage of the boxwoods. Lilac Wonder is my current favorite.
Entry garden – This year I had just a few crocus and decided that I really want to have lots of flowers next year. A mix of flower colors will go great with the stained glass storm door on the front of the house. The fading foliage of the crocus will be covered up by the emerging foliage of Plumbago, a late blooming perennial, in this garden.
And, I can’t forget the Alliums. These ornamental onions will be at the far end of the porch where I don’t have to worry about the onion scent. The round flower heads will peek through the section of ornamental iron in this part of the garden. Since I want the flowers to be visible from the street and contrast with the rusted iron, I may be brave and go with White Giant Alliums. Although the bulbs are a little bit more expensive, just a handful should make quite a statement.
If it would make my daughter feel better about not getting a horse, I would let her pick out the bulbs. But, I’m pretty sure it won’t help. Besides, I haven’t let her help shop for bulbs since she was a toddler and I saw her switching around the bulbs in the boxes at the garden center. If you ever buy yellow tulip bulbs and they flower red, there was probably some little kid at the store wreaking havoc.