looking for flower bulbs, with ken druse
HAVE YOU DONE your bulb procuring however? It’s ordering time every for fall-blooming treats like Colchicum, which you will solely buy now in case you hurry, and for the ever-wider assortment of fall-planted, spring-into-summer blooming species.
Ken Druse and I every have been making lists of bulbs we as quickly as grew nonetheless not have and must replenish, or of ones now we have now nonetheless want so as to add further to boost the seen affect, and as well as some new-to-us goodies. Plus, we talked about when and the way one can divide these Narcissus that’s maybe blooming a lot much less lustily than they used to after a number of years throughout the flooring.
Ken is a longtime pal and the creator of 20 yard books who gardens in New Jersey, and he’s my co-host various events a 12 months in our Digital Yard Membership assortment of on-line programs. His in depth gardens are loaded with distinctive crops, along with a wide range of bulbs (we every love martagon lilies, as an illustration, like these at Ken’s, above).
Study alongside as you take heed to the Aug. 26, 2024 model of my public-radio current and podcast using the participant below. Chances are you’ll subscribe to all future editions on Apple Podcasts (iTunes) or Spotify (and browse my archive of podcasts proper right here).
bulb procuring and dividing, with ken druse
Ken Druse: Whats up, Margaret. Every time you say, “Oh, let’s talk about bulbs,” I end up doing a little analysis, and I buy all of the items I see.
Margaret Roach: Are you charging me then? Is that what you’re trying to tell me; you’re sending me a bill?
Ken: No, no. That’s a very good suggestion. You talked about making a list, and yearly I think about making a list and I truly don’t ever do it. Nevertheless this 12 months, I took footage significantly to remember I need to buy that, or I would like I had that, or I would love further of that. So I actually had a photographic guidelines.
Margaret: Oh, that’s a unbelievable thought actually, on account of in certain areas, throughout the entrance of beds or borders, I would want a few remaining of some little treasure that I had way more of years previously, nonetheless the mattress’s gotten considerably wider and completely different points in it have gotten bigger, and the bulbs have maybe diminished. If I had taken a picture, I’d know exactly the place [laughter] and what now, yeah.
Ken: Properly, you totally set me up.
Margaret: Oh, sorry.
Ken: There’s a patch of Narcissus pseudonarcissus [above] , which is a species that grows in Europe and it grows in England and in Wales. It’s the subject of, successfully, it’s in William Robinson’s e-book about wild gardening, and it’s in Wordsworth’s poem, “I wandered lonely as a cloud, beside the lake beneath the timber, fluttering and dancing throughout the breeze,” regarding the golden daffodils. It’s a small daffodil and it’s very early, it begins to bloom in March.
This 12 months, we had a cool spring, it went on for over a month. Nevertheless I’ve noticed that this patch, which used to naturalize, develop as if it was pure and obtained larger and greater, hasn’t gotten any larger. It’s doing O.Okay., nonetheless I planted it under a sapling of a weeping Katsura, which is now a giant tree. Although it blooms and can get ripe nearly sooner than the leaves come out, it should be divided to be further healthful and to unfold considerably further. However moreover I wish to maneuver a number of of it to a sunnier spot.
Margaret: Yeah, and even what you had been saying regarding the sapling turned an infinite tree, even root opponents can merely be this unseen one factor that’s outpacing the desires of the bulbs which might be among the many many enormous roots now, with regards to for nutritional vitamins and moisture and irrespective of. Yeah.
Properly, we’re going to discuss dividing for sure. I really feel first, let’s do some digital procuring or lusting after points. When you obtained to your property, if you happen to guys started making the yard there: What variety of years do you possibly can have that house now?
Ken: About 30 years.
Margaret: Yeah. I’m even considerably longer than that the place I am. Had been there bulbs if you happen to obtained there? Had been there any that you just take note throughout the present place?
Ken: It’s humorous, on account of I do know we’re going to discuss some fall blooming points rapidly, nonetheless there have been hardly any bulbs. Then there was a shock [laughter] about this time of 12 months when the Lycoris … On this place, the people who lived proper right here ultimate and sooner than them for years hadn’t carried out one thing. This place was a big quantity, nonetheless Lycoris [below] , generally called naked ladies, or now they’re calling it thriller bulb or one factor, nonetheless they popped up: Shock! Pink flower lily-like flowers on prolonged stems. And we had them for a few years after which they disappeared on account of sooner than we raised the wall considerably bit, as you already know we had floods, and various points didn’t make it through, the crops.
Margaret: So the wall alongside the river or stream subsequent to you?
Ken: Correct, a fast division of the river, this yard’s on an island in a small river, and we used to have various floods twice a 12 months a minimum of. And various crops don’t like that.
Margaret: Correct. Properly, significantly bulbs that they should have usually a dry rest interval all through their dormancy. They don’t must rot all through that time. It’s fascinating that you just say that the shock lilies or irrespective of we’re calling the Lycoris, Lycoris squamigera is the species: That was what I inherited moreover. And there’s a clump throughout the yard on the hillside, and there’s a clump throughout the entrance yard. And yearly they nonetheless shock me on account of I totally neglect on account of they’re a kind of points that has no foliage apart from at a certain second throughout the lifecycle. what I indicate? Numerous the 12 months there’s no foliage, so it’s not akin to you see the clump after which the flower arises from the clump, and then you definitely undoubtedly on a regular basis see the leaves after and also you already know what I indicate? [Photo above by Namazu-tron on Wikimedia Commons.]
Ken: I do.
Margaret: So it is a shock. And they also’re just so strong apparently, apart from as soon as they dwell subsequent to a river that floods [laughter] . So I didn’t plant them. They usually additionally’ve obtained to be a minimum of 35-plus years outdated and who’s conscious of. So it’s unbelievable, and pink should not be one factor I would’ve chosen, nonetheless it makes me joyful. I merely giggle every time: Up they arrive and there they go, and I take pleasure in them. And it’s in August usually, so pleasing. I was merely saying-
Ken: It’s like, sorry, you talked about that you just don’t see them, and in addition you don’t give it some thought, which makes me contemplate the Colchicum, on account of I do see these throughout the spring, on account of they’ve such enormous thick leaves they often’re in the easiest way.
Margaret: Correct. In order that they do. And so Colchicum, although we identify them autumn crocus, they’re not a crocus. They do seem to be an infinite crocus, nonetheless they’re not. Crocus are throughout the iris family, Colchicum are throughout the lily family. In order that they’re completely completely different though they seem the similar, which tells you why we shouldn’t use frequent names, though we’re in a position to’t pronounce the Latin ones as a rule [laughter] . And they also’re every corms, not bulbs, in order that they’re merely confused, apart from they’ve this very completely completely different conduct. You get various enormous low-to-the-ground foliage in spring, nonetheless no flower then that fades away, that withers and also you slim it once more or irrespective of. [Above, ‘Waterlily’ Colchicum.]
After which unexpectedly, any day now at my place, I really feel any day now, subsequent week, month, irrespective of, I’m going to start seeing these purple or white crocus-like flowers, nonetheless the flowers have further petals or whatever the parts are, and there’s further to them. It’s not like an individual flower or two out of each corm. It’s further like groups. And they also’re unbelievable they usually’re, as soon as extra, a shock on account of there’s nothing there marking their place from late spring until bloom time.
Ken: Properly, the huge trick I really feel, or the issue to contemplate horticulturally, is what you plant them subsequent to or with because you want maybe hostas or one factor that comes up late throughout the spring since you must disguise that foliage. It’s not the nicest foliage.
Margaret: Throughout the, yeah. And it is, nonetheless it’s positively various foliage.
Ken: Correct.
Margaret: And that’s one that you’d be capable of solely plant it throughout the early fall. Chances are you’ll solely plant it or get it, get them organized, spherical this time of 12 months. And I observed various places are already selling out. So it’s one factor if you happen to want to get the Colchicum, the so-called autumn crocus, you truly must do it summer season or correct now on the most recent in an effort to profit from their season. They’re not one factor that’s purchased shortly.
Ken: Correct. And I did [laughter] . That’s the issue.
Margaret: Yeah. Oh, so now you’re charging me for that. O.Okay. Put it on my bill.
Ken: I’ve some double white ones coming, I really feel.
Margaret: Oh, good, good, good. Yeah. So we’ve all had successes and failures and so forth, and even as soon as extra, with out flooding and stuff, do you possibly can have one issue that you just’d similar to to shortly title as your best bulb of success, one that you just do very properly with? Is there one thing like that? Mine is Eranthis [above] , the winter aconite.
Ken: Oh, I’ll say.
Margaret: Which was my least worthwhile at first. And I assumed, “What have I carried out? Why isn’t it rising?” And this goes once more a few years. And it was like I had two after which I had three. After which for now I’ve tons of and tons of and tons of and tons of and tons of on account of they prefer to, as quickly as they’re joyful, they self-sow themselves so much higher than if you happen to plant the bulbs. The success cost from these self-sowns is just so so much higher than if you happen to put the bulbs throughout the flooring. So now I’ve these mature swaths of them. So yeah, so I’d say Eranthis is my most worthwhile. I merely questioned in case you had one that you just assume, “Oh, we’ve carried out very properly with these.”
Ken: Properly, you’re going to have to help me with the pronunciation.
Margaret: Oh, good luck with that [laughter] .
Ken: Nectaroscordum.
Margaret: Yeah, to procure it. Nectaroscordum. Correct, correct.
Ken: And it was as soon as Allium bulgaricum.
Margaret: Correct, exactly. And now it’s Nectaroscordum siculum [above] . Certain, certain.
Ken: Correct. Properly, they’re merely joyful all by themselves.
Margaret: They’re. That’s a pleasing one.
Ken: Typically pop up throughout the place you didn’t know, on account of it’s a shady place. They don’t usually have straight stems. They’re humorous like snakes. First they crawl alongside the underside, then they arrive up.
Margaret: Oh yeah. They like further photo voltaic to be erect and preserve up these trusses of flowers. Yeah.
Ken: Nevertheless there’s one different species that is rising proper right here, and it was as soon as truly pricey. I don’t know if it nonetheless is, nonetheless is Nectaroscordum tripedale [below from Ken’s] .
Margaret: I ponder if it’s pronounced tripedale. I don’t know. I’m merely making that up.
Ken: Yeah, see, I suggested you I didn’t perceive it.
Margaret: Yeah, no, it’s O.Okay. It doesn’t matter. It wasn’t a spoken language, botanical Latin, correct?
Ken: These people are ineffective, all these folks. Have you ever ever ever seen that Nectaroscordum?
Margaret: Certain.
Ken: It’s engaging. Oh my gosh.
Margaret: Correct. Beautiful. O.Okay., so that’s one different one. So speaking of successes, failures. I can’t develop crocus as a result of animals. Merely neglect about it. And tulips equally, I’ve given up on, on account of it was merely on a regular basis having to protect them and irrespective of. It was an extreme quantity of of a ache throughout the neck. Nevertheless yeah, crocus I don’t do successfully with on account of they’re similar to candy for the entire animals.
Ken: And there’s various, there’s actually pretty a few fall-blooming crocus.
Margaret: Oh, and do you possibly can have any of those? Are you rising any of those?
Ken: Properly, I do now [laughter] .
Margaret: Uh-oh, he’s procuring folks. Uh-oh.
Ken: I on a regular basis wished to develop Crocus speciosus [above, at Ken’s] , which is bluish and blooms throughout the fall, and I not at all have, nonetheless I’ll probably be this 12 months and I really feel I’m going to aim Sternbergia. Sternbergia lutea. I really feel that’s often called autumn daffodil. It’s an ordinary title I really feel, nonetheless it has yellow flowers. Seems like a crocus. And that’s one different fall-blooming. So that you simply’ve obtained me into this whole fall blooming issue.
Margaret: Oh, fascinating. O.Okay. Blame Margaret. Merely go ahead, blame Margaret. Yeah, like I discussed, I can’t develop crocus and I even tried the tommasinianus, the Tommies, the crocus. They’re alleged to be most likely essentially the most animal-resistant they often had been a disaster moreover, for me. Nevertheless often speaking, these will do greater. I merely have various very determined animals. Even once they don’t eat them exactly, they knock their heads off [laughter] and dig them up and points like that. So I gave up.
Nevertheless speaking of animals, there are points, and I’ve a list of… There are animal-resistant bulbs, and some are even almost truly animal-proof, similar to the Narcissus as an illustration, and the Colchicum that we’re merely talking about. Truly, nobody’s going to mess with these. And I really feel the Eranthis, the winter aconite that I mentioned sooner than. Hyacinths, Galanthus, the ornamental onions; you merely talked about a number of of those and their household.
Ken: The Allium. Properly, I moreover bought, I did this not resulting from you actually, resulting from our dialogue, nonetheless I just like the allium they often’ve been O.Okay. for the last few years coming once more. Nevertheless usually even these don’t on account of they’re crowded out or one factor. And they also have foliage, considerably bit sooner than the flower and the foliage then turns yellow. Nevertheless I don’t even see it on account of I’ve planted them amongst completely different points. And maybe that’s why they diminish in amount on account of they’re considerably crowded. I like the easiest way they pop up. I don’t get the big tall ones. They’re just too outer … Properly, I was going to say they’re outer spacey, nonetheless these low enormous ones are outer spacey. And I like them for that. They’re Star Trek they often dry so successfully.
Margaret: I used to have further of the, which one is it that has the truly fireworks wanting? I’m going to easily clear on the title.
Ken: As am I.
Margaret: And I moreover love karataviense… Oh, schubertii. Allium schubertii, that seems like fireworks. I used to love to dry the flowerheads moreover. They make good dried flowers. And they also peter out lastly. And karataviense, which has pretty glaucous low blue leaves and pale pink globes lowish to the underside. I like every of those, nonetheless I don’t uncover that they ultimate perpetually. So I is maybe altering a number of of those. The little yellow Allium moly [above] , did you ever develop that?
Ken: Yeah, that didn’t come once more successfully each, actually.
Margaret: Yeah, I had it for a number of years, nonetheless then it lastly moreover was misplaced. So that’s one which I’m contemplating, it’s just so cheerful to have one factor similar to the little Narcissus, considerably miniature Narcissus and so forth, that entrance of the border or considerably burst of vibrant yellow when spring’s merely approaching, it’s merely such a cheerful coloration and goes with what’s occurring in springtime. So that’s one different one which I’m contemplating of.
Ken: These are all some points that we love, and maybe need to interchange or have further of on account of they did successfully. And likewise you and I are every crazy for one factor that should be planted throughout the fall, which might be martagon lilies.
Margaret: Correct. Which animals will eat [laughter] . Nevertheless the martagon lilies are pretty, European and further pure wanting. Pendant, drooping; the flowers dangle down. [Below, martagon lily ‘Claude Shride.’]
Ken: Yeah. Little Turk’s cap flowers and prolonged, tall stems.
Margaret: Yeah, truly pretty.
Ken: Very tall, like 3 toes a minimum of.
Margaret: One other points that animals merely don’t eat, if people are , the glory of the snow, the Chionodoxa; the Spanish bluebells, Hyacinthoides; Muscari is supposed to be pretty animal-resistant. Not completely, nonetheless Siberian squill, the Scilla siberica; Camassia; Fritillaria; the Eremurus, the foxtail lilies—have you ever ever ever grown any of those? Some is perhaps 5 toes tall. These are unbelievable. I need to try these, the foxtail lilies.
Ken: I tried these they often didn’t work for me.
Margaret: I would like to aim as soon as extra. I haven’t tried them in a number of years and I merely want to aim as soon as extra. On account of they’re just so dramatic, so pleasing. So we’ll see. I might merely buy a few, like three or 5 or one factor [laughter] . And the trout lilies, Erythronium, they’re animal-resistant and native as successfully. There’s diversified native ones throughout the nation.
Ken: You talked about camassias. I really feel there’s 4 or 5 North American species.
Margaret: Certain. And quite a few them are Western, west of the Cascade Mountains.
Ken: Yeah, Pacific Northwestern.
Margaret: So yeah, I really feel there’s one which’s from California, the Sierra Nevadas, and so forth. And there’s a amount, a number of species a minimum of. Nevertheless there’s one, I really feel it’s scilloides, that’s South Carolina to parts of Texas. And it goes up into western Pennsylvania and even into I really feel Wisconsin and Kansas throughout the Midwest and I really feel into Ontario. So that’s an fascinating one. It’s the one one which’s further Japanese, I really feel among the many many three or 4 or nonetheless many natives there are. So as soon as extra, not native in every single place and by no means considerably the place we’re, nonetheless nonetheless pleasing to take a look at.
Ken: And they also have blue flowers.
Margaret: Certain, I really feel so. I really feel so.
Ken: I really feel all of them have from delicate blue to darkish blue that there is a white one, ‘Sacajawea.’ It’s a alternative of leichtlinii, I really feel. Camassia leichtlinii.
Margaret: Leichtlinii [left] , yeah, that’s a western one. Yeah. We have to save some time for dividing narcissus on the end. Nevertheless speaking of natives, I prefer to look on the net web site of the Pacific Bulb Society, pacificbulbsociety.org. That has good bulb references for any use, nonetheless it moreover talks about natives. So that’s one pleasing reference for people.
And with regards to native bulbs, the Erythronium, the trout lilies that we talked about, there’s a pair species of those, a white-flowered one. They’re truly Japanese part of the nation, Japanese half or two-thirds of the nation. There is a Western species and one even specific to California. So worth wanting into, an Erythronium is, in case you’re into native crops and in addition you must add some minor bulbs to your yard.
And there’s as soon as extra, the Northwest truly seems to have some good ones, some engaging little bulbs. They’re all related to at least one one other, I really feel, like Calochortus and Brodiaea and the Dichelostemma—there’s one which’s often called the firecracker flower that’s crimson and yellow, with yellow lips [below; photo by Dinkum from WIkimedia Commons] . That’s solely a unbelievable… a cut-flower farmer pal of mine grows that as considerably tiny, unbelievable cut-flower addition to smaller bouquets. And it’s merely fabulous. So as soon as extra, not native the place I am, nonetheless native to the USA. So some prospects. Nevertheless I must ask you regarding the dividing.
Ken: I was merely going to say a really highly effective issue is to know the place the bulbs are. Sadly, with that vast patch that I’m going to be engaged on any minute now of the Narcissus pseudonarcissus species, wild species, I do know the place they’re on account of they’re under the tree and there’s an infinite patch. Nevertheless in case you don’t mark these daffodils to dig up and divide now sooner than they really start making various roots, then you definitely undoubtedly’re in problem.
Margaret: Properly, correct now, we couldn’t inform the place that they had been on account of they don’t have any foliage.
Ken: Correct.
Margaret: So now we have now to go on memory or footage, akin to you had been good to take footage.
Ken: Or tags.
Margaret: Correct. And tags and so forth.
Ken: Tags, in case you’re lucky ample that nobody steals them.
Margaret: Nevertheless would this be the time if you happen to would divide them? After they’re-
Ken: Yeah.
Margaret: So at bulb-planting time, so to speak, you’d moreover harvest a number of of your particular person and switch them spherical?
Ken: A number of of them may want some roots, merely fast roots, nonetheless that’s O.Okay. So I’d dig them up, and in case you’ve ever even purchased a daffodil that they usually identify them noses, that has larger than one-
Margaret: Double-nosed?
Ken: Yeah. Which is perhaps hooked as much as each other, you can pry these apart, and if you happen to dig up yours, and in the event that they’ve a few bulbs caught collectively, you can pry these apart. Nevertheless I usually, I’ll dig them up and it seems to be like like one daffodil and it appears it’s six. So I merely dig them up with a yard fork, pry them apart. Chances are you’ll permit them to dry whether it is advisable, or just replant them instantly. And usually, frankly, they may rest a 12 months and by no means give you an infinite current. Nevertheless after that, the second 12 months, they really go gangbusters. And in case your daffodils are slowing down, digging them up and dividing them is one strategy to get them going as soon as extra. And likewise you’ll have… If in case you’ve got 10, you’ll have 100.
Margaret: Yeah. On account of various those who I planted after I first obtained proper right here, they’re in way more shade than that they had been on account of the woody crops adjoining have grown a lot, like what you had been talking about earlier. And so they need to be rescued, or clearly they’re not doing anybody any damage, it’s merely that they’re not performing, truly. They ship up greenery throughout the spring, and I let that completely develop and ripen. And usually spherical July 4th, I rake it off, clear up spherical them as soon as they completely have withered, the foliage has withered. Nevertheless I’m not getting the flowers like I did years previously, to the diploma that I did years previously. So yeah, I positively need to do that. I could do an experimental clump or two and see the way in which it goes.
Ken: It will make them happier.
Margaret: Yeah. And the issue is, you’re going to pierce some bulbs because you’re not going to know the place exactly they’re in case you didn’t mark them as soon as that they had all their foliage. I indicate in case you didn’t mark the perimeter exactly, have you ever learnt what I indicate? And that’s O.Okay.
Ken: It couldn’t kill them actually.
Margaret: Correct. And we merely must be O.Okay. about that, on account of it’s for the upper good, correct? [Laughter.]
Ken: Maybe go gradual. And likewise you talked about cleaning up in July. We’re saying divide them now, nonetheless you can divide them as soon as they’re dormant, truly starting in July, I would say. Nevertheless that’s the tip of the time you can dig them up and divide them, as you talked about, the time to procure dormant bulbs.
Margaret: Correct. So throughout the ultimate minute or so, inform me, is there the remainder in your wishlist that I’m paying for now? [Laughter.] Is there the remainder we didn’t level out or that you just’re getting further of in any other case you haven’t had sooner than?
Ken: Properly, the tripedale, I’m going to get that.
Margaret: You’re going to take care of calling it tripedale?
Ken: It’s such a nice title.
Margaret: Nevertheless I don’t know. You’re correct. Who’s conscious of?
Ken: The truth is you’re correct. Why wouldn’t you identify it tripedale? That seems like a avenue in London or one factor. I can’t contemplate it. That’s crazy. [Laughter.]
Margaret: So that you simply’re going to get further of that. You’re going to get that.
Ken: Oh, just one further maybe. Typically you want … That’s one issue to say, buy ample.
Margaret: Correct. Don’t skimp.
Ken: Nevertheless throughout the case of the tripedale, it’s so spectacular. You’ll have solely a pair. And it’s tall and it’s an infinite current and it’s pretty and it’s even pretty decrease. Nevertheless you talked about Brodiaea, which I really feel modified its title to Triteleia.
Margaret: Yeah. Triteleia, yeah.
Ken: Oh, see I’m mispronouncing points.
Margaret: No, I really feel it each means. It doesn’t matter. As soon as extra, it doesn’t matter.
Ken: Properly, the Brodiaea, I had that for years, and it has blue flowers, blooms considerably late throughout the spring, and it’s merely easy and reliable until you place a paving stone on excessive of it, which is anyone who shall keep nameless, on account of we’re doing-
Margaret: Paved it.
Ken: … considerably improvement, it obtained a paving stone. And it might come once more subsequent 12 months, nonetheless I really feel I should get further of those, on account of they did very properly. That’s one issue, in case you obtained one factor that’s carried out truly well-
Margaret: Repeat, repeat, repeat.
Ken: … maybe get some further repeat.
Margaret: Yeah. All correct, successfully no paving stones in your bulbs, everybody, nonetheless go order some bulbs, everybody. So that’s our message proper now, our twin message [laughter] . Thanks Ken for making time. And I’ve a way I’m having a procuring binge considerably later after we dangle up.
Ken: Dangerous.
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MY WEEKLY public-radio current, rated a “top-5 yard podcast” by “The Guardian” newspaper throughout the UK, began its fifteenth 12 months in March 2024. It’s produced at Robin Hood Radio, the smallest NPR station throughout the nation. Hear domestically throughout the Hudson Valley (NY)-Berkshires (MA)-Litchfield Hills (CT) Mondays at 8:30 AM Japanese, rerun at 8:30 Saturdays. Or play the Aug. 26, 2024 current using the participant near the very best of this transcript. Chances are you’ll subscribe to all future editions on iTunes/Apple Podcasts or Spotify (and browse my archive of podcasts proper right here).
HAVE YOU DONE your bulb procuring however? It’s ordering time every for fall-blooming treats like Colchicum, which you will solely buy now in case you hurry, and for the ever-wider assortment of fall-planted, spring-into-summer blooming species. Ken Druse and I every have been making lists of bulbs we as quickly…