The very first to meet the beginning of spring are bulbous. They bloom in April, when perennials are just awakening from hibernation. Therefore, in every flower garden there is at least a couple of bulbous primroses, revitalizing the dull landscape of flower beds and giving spring mood. Of course, I want maximum brightness and abundant flowering for a long time, but it depends on the correct selection of varieties. Some bulbous perennials have a very short flowering phase and quickly disappear. Others do not tolerate the excess of May rains, large inflorescences get wet and break, so that too special aesthetics do 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 care.
Flowering period: the longer the better
Since bulbs are grown solely because of the beauty of inflorescences, I want to extend this phase longer. And this is possible if the plants are planted correctly. Many varieties accelerate the flowering period if they grow on the sunny side and, conversely, slow down the wilting process when in the shade. These properties are especially strong in tulips, crocuses, gladioli and lilies. 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 flowering time. For example, variegated tigridia releases one inflorescence from each bulb in the summer, which lasts 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. True, if you plant a group of tigridium, 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 lasts only 8 hours, after which it instantly fades
Flower arrows at the poultry farmer grow gradually, making their way among thin long leaves, so the plant pleases with beautiful flowers for about a month
The most "long-playing" spring bulbous flowers include:
- anemone (blooms about 3 weeks);
- royal grouse (2-3 weeks of flowering);
- tulip (keeps flowers up to 3 weeks depending on location);
- narcissus (blooms for more than 10 days).
Summer "long-livers" in terms of flowering are poultry farmers, freesia, some varieties of lilies.
When planting freesia, be prepared that they will require careful care: //diz-cafe.com/rastenija/freziya-posadka-i-vyrashhivanie-v-domashnix-usloviyax-i-otkrytom-grunte.html
The best onion flowers for the garden for ease of care
The second criterion for choosing bulbs, which is guided by "lazy" summer residents, is the degree of care for the plants. The less trouble with them, the more profitable it is to grow them.
Many bulbs require annual digging after the dying of the aerial parts. If this is not done, then the bulbs will fade until they come to naught or even freeze out in winter. Such demanding "beauties" include varietal tulips (especially of unusual color, parrots and lilacs), gladioli, freesia, hyacinths. So if there is no desire to dig them out, dry them and create conditions for storage, you will have to do with less demanding varieties.
Hyacinth can be grown in a pot, read about it: //diz-cafe.com/rastenija/giatsint-v-gorshke.html
The unusual beauty of parrot varieties of tulips requires special conditions for their growth: annual digging, proper storage and several top dressings
So, in one place for 3-4 years, lilies, daffodils, crocuses, all kinds of decorative bows, anemones, crocosmia, royal hazel grouse, muscari successfully grow.
Muscari, or mouse peas, is very unpretentious, grows in one place for several years and quickly multiplies by dividing bulbs and seeds
Plants in need of special living conditions
In the pursuit of growing large inflorescences, breeders do not always take into account the degree of thickness of the stem. And many new varieties of onion have huge flowers, but thin stems. This, of course, looks gorgeous in the flowerbed when the weather pleases with warmth and calm. But if during the flowering season the rainy season falls or a strong wind rises, all the beauty will instantly fall to the ground, because the thin stalk will not withstand the swaying or the wet heavy inflorescence. Such an opportunity can occur with many varieties of terry daffodils and freesia.
The more petals in the terry daffodil inflorescence, the faster it gets wet and weighs heavily on a thin flower arrow
Gladioli often break down, but not because the stem is weak. On the contrary, a powerful flower arrow with an abundance of large inflorescences becomes a heavy burden for the bulb. And precisely at the point where the stem begins to grow, breaking out occurs during windy weather. Therefore, many plants with high stems will have to be tied up as soon as peduncles begin to be produced. You can, of course, immediately plant the bulbs near the net or the fence, but not every site has such a place. By the way, a very close "relative" of the gladiolus - the acidifier - is absolutely not afraid of the winds. However, only one flower is produced.
Flowers soloists: who is good at solo plantings?
In the design of flowerbeds, bulbs can act as soloists, due to their high growth and large inflorescences, and as a background. The highest are gladioli, some varieties of lilies, acididerum, crocosmia. But if the lily is good in a single planting, then the rest is best planted in a small group, because their peduncle is narrow and bare before the beginning of the inflorescences.
Not every flower in the garden will argue with the beauty of lilies and their high growth, therefore it is they who are assigned the best places in flower beds
Royal grouse look good in the center of the flower beds. True, picking a background for them is quite difficult. These bulbous ones bloom among the first. But among conifers, creeping perennials, climbing plants and decorative bows, they look really royal. And if you plant in a group with a lily, then, while it gains strength and growth, the grouse will have time to blossom and generally disappear, giving way to their followers.
Article in the topic: Planting bulb flowers in autumn: general rules + review of the best 6 varieties
Decorative bows (alliums): beautiful in group plantings
A large group of bulb plants for the garden are decorative bows. They have been selected over 150 varieties, but for some reason, alliums use much less often tulips or gladioli in the design of flower beds. But in vain! These plants have very compact, tubular leaves forming a bush, and the number of flowers on one plant reaches 60 pieces. Decorative bows have a long growing season, so all spring and summer will be beautiful, even if the flowering period has not yet begun. 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 for these bulbs to draw up the edge of the curb, the lower tiers in multi-stage flower beds, and be included in the mixborders. And, for example, a variety of chives can also be eaten. In the spring, its thin tubes come out of the ground very early, outstripping even the winter onions, so that you get double pleasure - both aesthetic and food.
Schnitt bow, whose feathers you did not have time to eat in early spring, will give out beautiful lilac inflorescences by summer, decorating a garden bed or flower bed
Spectacular and unpretentious news
Bulbous, which inhabit most flower gardens, are known to everyone: tulips, lilies, gladiolus, daffodils, snowdrops. But such names as glamini or montbrecia are known only to lovers of bulb exotic. We do not buy new products, fearing the difficulties of leaving, although there are no particular problems with these plants.
Glamini: an alternative to conventional gladioli
The term "glamor" is called miniature gladioli, the height of which does not exceed half a meter. They bloom much earlier and, unlike the giant "brothers", do not bend or lie down from the wind. Such varieties are grown both in open ground and on balconies. The only negative is the annual digging for the winter and storage in the refrigerator.
Glamina 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 wild habitats to gardens. But in reality, montbrecia was the result of the selection of the 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 harsh climates.
A few montbrecia bulbs planted nearby form a beautiful tall bush that 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 fitness of the plant to the conditions of your garden. Indeed, the same hazel grouse may not bloom at all if the land is too poor and the summer is arid.
