Bulbing Around

One cannot fix one's eyes on the commonest natural production without finding food for a rambling fancy.
Jane Austen (1775 - 1817), Mansfield Park
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Let's talk the summer splendor of tender bulbs.

Summer bulbs are just like spring bulbs in that they use a wide assortment of true bulbs, corms, rhizomes, and tubers (remember those?) for energy storage. But unlike spring bulbs they are not frost hardy.

That means you plant them in spring and if you don't want to keep buying new ones each year, you must also dig them up each fall and store them over winter.

Is this a good bet for "weekend gardeners"?

I think not. Our time is so precious that it may be better to have other jobs conducted in the fall than to be pulling up bulbs for storage.

But, my, my - who can do without

cannas,
dahlias,
gladiolus,
and tuberous begonias

and so many others of bright hue and lovely line?

Your garden center can introduce you to many other fantastic varieties, too.

Here's what I do. I plant some summer bulbs I just can't live without and don't worry about saving the bulbs for next year. I know this is an expensive proposition, and may even seem wastful to some. But if my budget can handle it for a particular year I use these magnificent flowers to spark new interest in different sites in my garden.

Just a few do wonders. They are so easy to love and easy to plant and I can't resist. My accountant might rave at my lavish lifestyle---but what the heck, he deals with dry numbers all day---while I have the beauty of nature abounding out there in MY garden!



Victor K. Pryles
"The Weekend Gardener"
http://www.paupertravel.com