16 - Friday, October 14, 1988 - North Shore News

A ‘WILD’ garden is one that looks more or less as if mother nature had
a eated it for you.

In reality, this casual garden setting is one that you prepare yourself,
using a variety of flowers that bloom year after year, and multiply over
time. This process is called naturalizing and many hardy bulbs perform
this function well.

Galanthus, Leucojum, Muscari, Corydalis, Trillium, Erythronium and
many others are eminently suitable for this setting. Complementing any
or all of them are Narcissi, the common daffodil, especially the miniature
varieties and hardy botanicals. By choosing carefully among them you
can have daffodils in bloom over a two month (or so) span.

The earliest is a species (or botanical) daffodil called N. minimus
asturiensis, a mini-trumpet variety, only 8 cm high. Also early to arrive is
the N. cyclamineus, February Gold, approximately 25 cm tall. Don’t ex-
pect to see it quite that early in most of Canada. However, by late March
it should be well on its way.

Following rapidly after that are quite a number of hardy daffodils,
which naturalize well. Look for the trumpet, large- and small-cupped
varieties which are the traditional harbingers of spring, praised by
generations of poets.

Very special are the fragrant daffodils, jonquils, such as Geranium
(multi-flowering, white petals with orange-red cup) and Cragford
(multi-flowering, white petals with scarlet-orange crown) — each approx-
imately 45 cm high — and Minnow (up to eight blooms on each 30 cm
stem; creamy petals with yellow cups).

About the same time you’ll see N. triandrus, the cluster-flowering daf-
fodil called ‘angel’s tears’, about 25 cm tall. The cultivar Thalia has sev-
eral, snowy white flowers per stern and also is fragrant.

Among the very last to flower is the multi-flowering double daffodil
Cheerfulness. If, however, the elegant appearance of this one seems out
of place in a ‘wild’ garden, there are still a few other later bloomers to
choose from, such as the small-cupped Actaea, which often lasts until
mid-May and naturalizes well.

Despite the casual appearance of your wild garden, don’t leave all of
its care to the elements. Since these bulbs are intended to be left on their
own for at least several years to come, plant them all about 20 cm dep.
This wili afford some extra protection against freezing.

Then, remember to cover them up with a rich layer of muich — natural
material such as peat moss, evergreen boughs or leaves to hold the soil
temperature as constant as possible through the Canadian winter.

THE KIDS ARE THERE.
DRIVE WITH CARE!

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