OKAY, IT IS October and that means all the vendors have spring flowering bulbs in stock! Now, today, tomorrow, go out and buy hundreds of bulbs. But why hundreds?
Well, I repeat, our climate and soils here on the Olympic Peninsula are ideally most suited to spring flower bulbs and right now is the time to order with a late October/November planting date.
Bulbs here will bloom from January through June, six months of flowers.
With that said, let’s go through these months.
January
Spring bulbs actually kick off extremely early — early winter to be precise, starting with the lovely, low-growing, spreading aconite. These are followed close on their heels by galanthus, or snowdrops, as we know them. The last days of January end with the flowering of the fluorific crocus (extremely hardy and will easily multiply) and one of my favorites, the surreal, perfect, super miniature-species Iris that looks just like a tiny Dutch iris.
February
Our perfectly mild, ideal spring bulb climate means early-blooming bulbs (those that bloom January through March) with blossoms lasting for 4 to 6 weeks. The magnificent large flowering crocus, just like their small brother in hardiness and with a multitude of flowers per bulb, should always be planted together with species crocus for 7 to 8 weeks of continuous bloom. The end of the month brings on the earliest of the tulips, often known as rock tulips. These are bright, hardy, spreading border tulips, and they add fabulous early color to your yard.
March
Regardless of being a lamb or a lion, March really starts to rock and roll as numerous spring bulbs emerge. Along with the species iris, grandiflora crocus and rock tulips, the miniature daffodils, or “rock daffodils” start to bud out. Great cultivars are jet star, with a very intense yellow and orange, or the lovely Rip Van Winkle, which is a short, fully double-fringed, yellow-flowering rock daffodil. Muscari, or grape hyacinth, is a phenomenal woodland bulb, and is perfect as a border plant. This month ends with the stately blooms of the calla lily, showing off it’s lovely trumpet blossoms.
April
The miniature daffodils finish as the just-as-hardy, mid-season daffodils start to bud. Great varieties like the multi-bloom and yellow minnow, the pure white thalia and the yellow and orange Tahiti are great choices. But there are dozens of mid-season daffodils, so buy at least six different kinds. April is always in full swing with tulips as well. There are beautiful double early peony-flowering tulips along with the early multi-stem variegated foliage of the greigii tulips. April also harkens the heavenly scent of blooming hyacinths, with newly developed colors like salmon and peach. Fritillaria, a unique type of lily, also blooms in April, as do giant snow drops and the pastel star-shaped Chionodoxa.
May
The showers of April bring on the large, trumpet daffodils, along with my favorite split-corona or butterfly daffodils. Tulips grow on into May, and so do the parrot tulips, fringe tulips and the late peony tulips, all bringing up the rear guard. I adore Dutch iris, especially as a cut flower, and they bloom in May along with another wonderful fast spreading woodland bulb scilla, or Siberian squill. Wood hyacinths make their debut in May and form dense clumps of tall, multi-bloom stalks of flowers. May ends with the Asian lilies starting their tall and bright show of color.
June
Allium start to take over the stage. These ornamental onions come in a multitude of sizes and shapes, from the 16- to 20-inch varieties to the fireworks-burst shaped Shubertii, the most unusual, to the huge 4-feet-tall, 10- to 12-inch bloom globemaster, a bulb deserving of this name. Drumstick is a super late 2½-foot-tall, interesting-shaped allium, and Mount Everest is a great pure white beauty. Bearded iris finish off this month and that’s when the dahlias take over through October — five more flowering months.
So start your online or library inquiries, and ask local nurseries about mail-order bulbs. You will definitely be drooling over these darlings.
Clip this article, google the names of these bulb varieties and start stocking up for this fall’s plantings of the spring bulbs.
Do so now, but above all … stay well all!
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Andrew May is a freelance writer and ornamental horticulturist who dreams of having Clallam and Jefferson counties nationally recognized as “Flower Peninsula USA.” Send him questions c/o Peninsula Daily News, P.O. Box 1330, Port Angeles, WA 98362, or email news@peninsuladailynews.com (subject line: Andrew May).
