WHO TO CALL: Community Editor Home and Garden Editor Andrew McCredie Layne Christensen 985-2131 (147) 985-2131 (118) Bury bulbs new for bounty of beautiful spring buds _-MANY PEOPLE think this ‘time of year is the time to wind down the outdoor activities and prepare the garden for the winter. Roy Jonsson sow it grows While this is true for most plants, it is not for spring fower- ing bulbs. If you want to see a _ blaze of continuous spring color in ~ your beds, planters, rockeries and fad land gardens, now is the time to plant bulbs. Rather than relying on a few common families of bulbs such as . crocus, daffodils, hyacinths, snow- drops and tulips, try some of the lesser-known bulbs. There are many such bulbs that are very rewarding and are now. readily available from local nurseries. . The range of flowering times , for bulbs allows you to have color from late January to early July. With the variety of colors and stalk heights, the choices of combina- tion and location are endless. - Allium is the latin name for the , often neglected onion family, _ whose many decorative members produce ball-like flowers on thin _Stalks in late May, June or early “July. Lock for A. oreophilum (30 ‘em/12 in., pink), A, neopolitanan . a eee Se eee ele eel ele ae eel eile eleretere fl SPECIAL FALL DISCOUHTS SHORE’S . FINEST ONE STOP SHOP. FOR KITCHEN ¢ ee BATHROOM RENOVATIONS (15 cnv/6 in, white and scented). or A. christophit (NO cri/3 1 in, violet). The largest of the allium is A. gigantown, with a mauve flower standing 100 to 150 em tall (9 to 58 in.). Another well-known mem- ber of the allium family is gartic and this is the time to plant your cloves. If you want the garlic to form a series of large cloves to harvest, do not let it flower and go to seed. Bradiea laxa ‘Queen Fabiola’ is about 30 cm tall with a blue Mower and can be used in mass plantings or tucked into isolated spots ina rockery. They are best punted in well drained soil where they won't be subjected to too much summer moisture. They will bloom in mid- spring in most locativns. Chionadoxa luciiea.or C. giganted are often called ‘Glory of the Snow’ and have been over- looked as an early-spring bulb, They bloom ‘ight after the crocus and have an attractive star-shaped blue flower with a white centre, Start a few. bulbs and let them spread and naturalize. The seed germinates readily and can be used to start new colonies in other areas of the garden, Eranthis cilicica or Winter Aconite will make « delightful addition to your garden because it is one of the first plants to bloom. My aconites are often poking through the last skiff of snow to catch a little winter sunshine. The blooms are not unlike butter cups ’ with short stems so they need to be planted close to the walk or house where they can be seen: Again, they seed quite readily, coming up through low ground covers and rock ery plants. - Eremurus is a new bulb on the market that is better known as “Fox Tail Lily’. The two varieties are E. | bungei and E. “Shelford Hybrids’. Both grow 1.340 1.6 m (4 to 5 fy with a long tapered flower head similar in shape to # Foxglove. The traditional colar is yellow, but hybrids range from white through orange. This is a good plant for the back of a border or an accent. Frittelaria bulbs have always been more commonly grown in parks than home gardens and this may be a reflection of the cost. imperialis rubra (wed) or & lutea maxinia (yellow) can ran $6 to $8 per bulb, Three to five bulbs with a height of 65 cav/25 in, can create quite a show in the centre of a bulb bed during April. Ornithogalun wnbellation or ‘Star af Bethlehens’ is a short, white-flowered bulb that is not unlike a snow drop but has a flawer that faces up rather than down, It is an ideal bulb for patu- ralizing ina woodland garden as it spreads quite quickly. The bloom- ing Gime is late March to early: April or before most deciduous trees leaf out. Puschkinia labanotica is closely related to the seilla but has a bluish-white flower with a distinet fine on the petal. This small bulb prefers full sum and should be planted in a damp but well drained area, Check. your local nursery or gurden store and see what is new for fall bulbs. . NEWS photo. Terry Patera TO ENSURE a ‘blaze of continuous spring color in your beds, planters, rockeries and wood land gardens naxt yaar, now Is the time to plant bulbs. Garden columnist Roy Jonssen reminds gerdeners ‘that the wide rangs.of. flowering times for bulbs allows you to have color from late January to early July. LUMBER COMPANY Will be opening for one day only to clear out all remaining inventory. EDGEMONT VILLAGE LOCATION ONLY! 3147 WOODBINE DRIVE SATURDAY OCTOBER 7, 1995 Plus... 10am - 5pm only! We are still open at the following locations. “ Sf 460 Hanes Ave. y North Vancouve: 980-3484/9380-4571 ' Engineered Wood Products 108 Bowser Ave. North Vancouver 980-2302 12627 - 80th Ave. ‘Surrey Hot De % So0-2244 TO THANK ALL OF OUR CUSTOMERS!