Victoria County Master         Gardener Association



PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY FLOWERPHOTO .ORG

Several varieties of Tulips known to do well in this climate include the Angelique, Apricot Impression and Red Emperor.  Acquire them at the sale and then pre-chill for at least eight weeks before planting in blooming stages to extend their beauty in your yard.

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY SHUTTERSTOCK. COM

This simple, but striking bed of Narcissus (Daffodil) and Muscari bulbs provides color and dimension to most any garden setting.  Both of these bulbs will be available for sale October 17-18 at the Victoria Women's Clubhouse. 

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY CHARLA BORCHERS LEON/VICTORIA COUNTY MASTER GARDENER

Five varieties of Amaryllis will be available at the upcoming Beauty of the Bulb sale benefiting the Victoria Women's Club House.  They are red, white and salmon colors.  When planted outside, place the Amaryllis with its shoulders clear of the soil and its nose at a higher point than the rim of the planter in bright light.

FOR MORE INFORMATION
•  Ogden, S. "Garden Bulbs for the South," Timber Press, 2013.

•  Welch, William C. "Perennial Garden Color," Taylor Press, 1989.

•  Bulb Basics, University of Illinois Extension Service, online 2007.

•  Aggie Horticulture and various other Internet site.

BULBS AVAILABLE AT SALE

Amaryllis

• Varieties available in red, white and salmon; single/double blooms

•  Grows 10-24 inches tall; have two to six blooms per stem depending on type

Good for holiday blooming and as gifts

Anemone

•  Colorful red, pink, white and purple blooms

•  Should be planted in fall; grows 6 to 18 inches tall and wide

•  Fragrant; great cut flowers

Daffodil

•  Also known as narcissus

•  Several yellow and white blooms

Large trumpet-shaped flower; slightly fragrant

Paperwhite 'Ziva'

•  Small cluster of white flowers

• Fragrant, white daffodil

Grow in bowl culture; good for forcing

Muscari

•  Blue grape hyacinth

•  Grows 4 to 6 inches tall

Several shades of blue; fragrant

Tulip (varieties that do well here)

•  Tulip Angelique - peony pale rose with rose flush

•  Apricot Impression - tangerine orange bloom with pink

•  Red Emperor - fiery red with mustard base

First Beauty of the Bulb Sale

•  Benefiting Victoria Women's Club House

•  Oct. 17-18

•  1408 N. Moody St.

•  9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Cooler weather with changes in seasons - and before we know it, the holidays will be upon us as will the time for planting garden bulbs and giving them as gifts.

Bulb-growing season

The first gift my friend, Grace Margaret, gave me was a bag of bulbs complete with planting advice. It was November and Grace Margaret insisted these bulbs had to be planted in a sunny place as soon as possible. She followed this gift with a December amaryllis that bloomed into February.

These gifts provided beautiful reminders of her with the colorful anemones in early spring and iris a week or so later. And I thought bulbs didn't grow in this area of Texas.

Bulb characteristics

A bulb is defined as any plant that stores its complete life cycle in an underground storage structure. Being able to store food and water helps plants survive droughts and freezing weather conditions. Bulbs have a period of growth and flowering followed by dormancy when they die back to ground level.

Planted and/or forced; then planted

Apparently with the right bulb planted in the right place, it can become a garden perennial and offer seasonal color. Bulbs can also be forced indoors and then planted in the garden or outside in containers.

According to author Scott Ogden, "Bulbs have a bewitching quality that sets them apart from ordinary flowers. They resurrect gardens from drab dormancy and appear suddenly, heralding the season of growth and bloom. With only modest encouragement, these flowers succeed famously."

Right bulbs for right climate.

Selecting appropriate bulbs for this climate is critical. The following bulbs do well in the Coastal Bend area of Texas.

• Anemones

Known as "wind flowers" in Greek, anemones are classified as cool-season annuals or perennials. Anemone tubers are brown and misshapen. They grow into 6- to 12-inch stems with flowers that are 11/2 to 2 inches across. They need well-drained soil and to be planted in full sun. Anemones make great cut flowers.

• Amaryllis

In growing zones 9-10, amaryllis is best planted in well-drained soil or a raised bed with filtered sunlight and can be left in the ground. They tend to be 10 inches to 24 inches tall and have two to six blooms per stem depending on the type.

• Narcissus family

About 14,000 cultivars, daffodils, narcissus and paperwhites are three popular choices for zones 9-10.

These three bulbs bloom from December to May depending on the variety and where planted. Many daffodils will naturalize in South Texas. They need a sunny location with good drainage. Bulbs should be kept in the lower part of refrigerator until soil temperature reaches 55 degrees, usually November in this area.

After flowers have faded, it is important and necessary to leave foliage at least six weeks or until it turns brown. Cutting foliage back right after blooming can cause the bulb to die.

• Paperwhites 'Ziva'

Paperwhites work well in a bowl culture and are great gifts. Start with a large bowl and fill it with pebbles. Place bulbs in the pebbles so they are supported and fill the bowl with water to the bulb's basal plate, the bottom of the bulb from which roots grow. Place this bowl in a sunny window and never let it dry out. Flowers will appear in three to six weeks.

• Tulips

Perhaps the oldest and most popular bulbs worldwide, there are more than 3,000 tulip varieties named and categorized in 16 groups.

In South Texas tulip bulbs should be treated as annuals and need pre-chilling for eight or more weeks. Refrigerate bulbs away from fruit and keep dry. Plant in light shade or morning sun area in well-drained, enriched sandy soil with pH 6-6.5.

Remove blooms immediately after they fade to prevent seed formation. Allow leaves to yellow before cutting back. Fertilize in fall and early spring with bulb fertilizer.

Bulb planting suggestions

Planting several bulb varieties will assure a longer blooming season and show of color.

Interplant tulip varieties with easy growing perennials such as lambs ear, geranium and forget-me-nots to form a textured tapestry underneath the tulips.

My friend, Linda, advises to plant bulbs in clusters or groupings to avoid regimented rows. Another friend, Pat, a Master Gardener who assisted with the research for this article, prefers those like the Oxbloods Lilies that go completely dormant and pop up for a short but showy several weeks.

Carole, an avid gardener who plants from 750 to 1,500 bulbs each year, recommends planting them in stages over a few weeks to extend the blooming season in your yard.

Join me and other Victoria gardeners and beautify your garden with new bulbs. Next spring you'll be glad you did.

The Gardeners' Dirt is written by members of the Victoria County Master Gardener Association, an educational outreach of Texas AgriLife Extension - Victoria County. Mail your questions in care of the Advocate, P.O. Box 1518, Victoria, TX 77901; or vcmga@vicad.com, or comment on this column at www.VictoriaAdvocate.com.