Time to Plant!
It happens every spring. I spot my neighbors beautiful pink tulips and yellow jonquils and wish I had something blooming in my stark flowerbed.
But then I realize that you can’t get tulips in the spring unless you’ve planted them months before, and I’m never quite sure when to do that. But I just found out that the time to plant is NOW, so I’m passing along the tip to my fellow flower-loving mamas.
I ran across an article in the most recent isssue of Southern Living that says it’s time to plant bulbs for spring flowers. Author Gene Bussell interviewed Chris Wiesinger, founder of The Southern Bulb Company, to pick up some tips about what kinds of bulbs to plant in the South. Here are a few of his picks listed in the article:
Jonquils –blooms in late February. (pictured at right)
Campernelle — grows in clumps and blooms in late February
Grand Primo Daffodil – creamy white petals with a yellow center. Good multiplier. Bloom
s in late February.
Snowflake — Looks like little white bells with a green dot on each pteal. Blooms early March. (pictured at right)
Grape Hyacinth — Blue clusters of bell-shaped blooms. Blooms in mid-March.
Golden Dawn Daffodil — Bears multiple flowers in early April.
Lady Jane Tulip – Pink and white blooms. Best planted in en masse. Blooms late March.
Tinka Tulip — Red and pale yellow. Blooms in late March.
Byzantine Gladiolus – Magenta blooms with swordlike foliage. Blooms mid-April. (pictured at right)
Click HERE to go to the Southern Living website to read more about planting bulbs or check out www.southernbulbs.com for more info on the flowers mentioned here. Pick up a copy of the magazine to see some beautiful photos of all the flowers listed so you can decide which ones are your favorites. Planting them together with the kids might be a fun way to spend the afternoon.
Happy gardening!
