sow it Srows IN my last article I wrote about growing bulbs and the fertilizers they require. This week I would like to provide some help with pur- chasing new bulbs. The three most popular bulbs grown by B.C. garden- ers in order of priority are: tulips, narcissus and hyacinths. ’ ~ Dutch breeders have . hybridized the tulip into a fascinating array of sizes, shapes and colours. Blooming times are generally listed on the bulb as early (March), mid (April) and Jate . . (May).The old rule was that » early blooming types had the shortest flower stalks and late : bloomers had taller stalks but ‘this is no longer the case with many exceptions to the rule. Fosteriana, Greigii and _ Kaufnaniana are all botani- ‘cal or species tulips and are some of the earliest to flower. '* The blooms range in height - from 15 to.35 cm. The mini “. botanicals are a little later to bloom but are much shorter. They range in height from 10 to 25 cm and stand up far better in wet weather. The Bouquet group (35 to 50 cm), Double Early (20 to 45 cm) and Single Early (25 to 30 cm) are also early season tulips. Triumph (30 te -45 cm) ts a mid-season type and Giant Beauty (70 to 75 cm) is a mid- to late-season variety. By far the majority of tulips on the market are clas- sified as late season bloomers. The fower rainfall in late spring means there will be less damage to tall blooming tulips. Unfortunately, howev- er, the late blooming also means that foliage will not mature before it is time to plant annuals. Darwin and Darwin hybrids (50 to 65 cm), Double Peony (25 to 40 cm), . Fringed (35 to 50 cm), Green (30 to 40 cm), Lily (45 to 55 cm), Parrot (40 to 50 cm) and Triumph (30 to 45 cm) are all late-season bulbs. If you like scented tulips, look for Angelique (pink), Apricot Beauty (salmon rose) and Princess Irene (orange with purple veins). Narcissus or daffodils, as most people call them, come in about a dozen different divisions or categories with every imaginable colour and shape of cup. Somehow pink daffodils do not look real to me. Apart from colour and Wednesday, September 27, 2000 — FALL HOME GARDEN SPECIAL SECTION style, the important thing to remember when buying daf- fodils is the height of the flower stalks and when they will bloom. Blooming times tor daffodils can be divided into early (February to March), mid (March to April) and late (April to May). Those with tall statks are much more prone to fall aver in the early season if hit by slushy snow, hail or heavy rain that is so common on the North Shore. Most early-flowering bulbs will be grouped under one of the following categories: King Altred type, trumpet, cupped or dwarf with more than 40 popular varieties available. Mid-season bulbs are list- ed as double, rock garden and miniature. If you have not grown any of the dwart, rock garden or miniature daf- fodils they are well worth try- ing. They are less inclined to go over in the rain and pro- duce good colour in relation to the number of bulbs. They are also much better for natu- ralizing. Most late-scason daffodils are new hybrids and are listed as novelty or poetaz. The novelty types are attractive but quite different. For instance: Modern ‘Art has pale yellow petals with a large heavily fringed red cup and Palmares has white petals and a shell pink split cup. The poetaz group have more tra- ditional colours but are all Choose a paint that will make your house and world ‘fook great for yea years. North Shore News - 21 NEWS photo Terry Peters TULIPS, daffodils and hyacinths are the most popular bulbs grown by B.C. gar- deners. ‘Blooming times are as early as March and as fate as May. multiflowering. Look for Bridal Crown, Cheerfulness and Scarlet Gem. Some of the best scented daffodils are Bridal Crown, Carlton, Geranium and Thalia. Hyacinths are the most highly scented of the spring bulbs and Anne Marie, Blue Jacket and Carnegie are con- sidered the best for perfume. Traditionally, hyacinths came in white, pink and blue but as a result of hybridizing, grow- ers are now producing a much wider range of colours. Amethyst i is bright mauve, City of Haarlem is soft yel-_ low, Gypsy Queen is tanger- ine orange and Jan Bos is deep red. These new colours might give you a chance to change your spring colour scheme or complement what you already have. Growers have not been able to significantly change the blooming times for hyacinths as they have for many other bulbs: They all bloom at roughly the same time in late March and early April, However, many gar- ; deners like to buy a few extra - bulbs for forcing, providing some welcome colour during the dark days of January or February. 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