From page 32 play. For instance, short white tulips will intensify the vivid colors of rock phlox or Japanese azaleas. Dwarf yel- low daffodils behind a carpet of purple aubretia will enhance the appearance of both plants. Remember, blooming dates are critical tor companion planting. Naturalizing bulbs in a rough grassy area or wild- flower garden is becoming more popular. Again, timing is important for two reasons, First, the bulbs have to be up and blooming before the grass or wild flowers start to grow to any height. Second, if you plan to mow the grass, the bulb leaves need time to STARTING SEPT. CHANNEL 30 mature before they are cut. Otherwise, the buibs will not have enough stored energy to bloom the following vear. Any of the early blooming types such as snowdrops (Galanthus), winter aconites (Eranthis), crocus, glory-of- the-snow (Chionodoxa), Puschkinia, dog tooth violet (Erythronium), | Camiassia, grape hyacinth (Muscari) and blue bells (Scilla) will natural- ize under the right condi- tions. With the growth of con- dominiums and apartments, more people are container gardening and bulbs can be used effectively in this setting. However, you must give them a little protection during the coldest period of the winter. 22 IN WHITE ROCK NORTH & WEST VANCOUVER north shore news 4 FOME & GARDEN Bulbs light up your garden Frost will penetrate contain- ers from all sides and some of the larger bulbs such as tulips and daffodils may not survive. Store your bulb containers in a cold but trast free area until they start to show signs of growth in February or March. If you plane only one type of bulb in the container, they can be placed quite “close together to create the full look. When using multiple bulb types or layers of bulbs, allow enough space for the crowded foliage to develop. Each successive layer of bulb flowers that emerge should be higher than the previous ones to clear the older foliage. Be sure to dead head the spent bulbs to keep : iia Thy Nod Shei wan phe fd ct the display at its best. T grow all my daffodils in two gallon pots to avoid the problem of waiting for the leaves to die back before I can plant my annuals. The pots can be brought up on the deck close to the house when they flower and then returned to a storage area to grow and mature. Many people buy potted flowering bulbs in the late winter or early spring but never consider planting their own. Hyacinths respond the best and also create a lovely scent when they come into bloom. Place one to three large bulbs in a 10 to 20 cm por full of any reasonably good garden soil, leaving about one third of the bulb above the soil. Mix in a teaspoon of bulb fertilizer to each pot of Véednesday, Septembe: 10, 1997 -- North Shore News — 33 soil used. When the bulbs have been planted, water the pots and chen bury them in a protected soil area against the house so that the bulbs are about 15 cm below the sur- face. Mark their location with some sticks. As long as they have twelve to fifteen weeks to form a good root struc- ture, they can be dug up and brought into a cool bright area and forced. Bulbs will also develop roots in a frost free unheated room if an outside location is not available. Bring in one pot every second week for a continuous show of color. The conditions for bulb growth are quite simple. Any large, well-developed bulb will grow and flower in almost any medium that it is placed in. The microscopic bloom is already formed when you plant the bulb in the fall. They do, however, need fertilizer and light ener- gy to produce the energy they need for the next season’s bloom. Bone meal (2.14.0) is a slow release form of phospho- rous and will not provide a balanced supply of nutrients to your bulbs. Use some 3.15.6 or other bulb fertilizer with the bone meal. The majority of bulbs do not like poorly drained soit and in particular when they are dormant during the sum- mer. If your beds are heavily irrigated in the summer it is best to dig the bulbs and store them in a dry place. Roy Jonsson works as a hor- ticultural consultant and instructor. 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