Bulbs are the easiest plants to grow. This is because a bulb is really a plant’s underground pantry – a place where nutrients and water can be stored.
This means that all the bulbs that are now available in garden centres already have a beautiful bloom waiting inside. In addition, each bulb comes complete with its stored initial food supply.
Choose the right spot
Now is the best time to plant spring-flowering bulbs as the soil has cooled down. Bulbs that do best in full sun include babiana, ixia, ornithogalum, sparaxis, tritonia and ranunculus. Allium, hyacinth, freesia and leucojum (snowflakes) need a shady spot, but thrive if they have a few hours of sun early in the morning or late in the afternoon.
The Cape’s wet, cool winters mean that if the bulbs are planted in a position that does not receive enough light, the leaves and stems will want to grow towards the light, and will become weak and fall over. Make sure that bulbs are planted in full sun as the strength of the sun from the end of May until late September is weaker than it is from October to late March.
Planting plan
Find out the height of the bulbs when in flower – the packaging on the bulbs will give you this information. The general rule is to plant the shorter blooms at the front of the border and the medium to tall ones behind them.
Prepare your bulb beds or containers at least a week before planting to allow fertilisers time to dissolve, otherwise they may burn the bulbs. Before planting, dig the soil over to about the depth of a spade and add a generous amount of compost – bulbs do best in cool, well-drained soil.
Dig in a handful of planting fertiliser or bonemeal per square metre to a depth of 30cm and water well.
Different bulbs need to be planted at different depths and spaced accordingly, so read the planting instructions on the pack carefully. Usually, bulbs should be planted at a depth of three times the actual height of the bulb.
Space large bulbs 10-15cm apart and small bulbs 3-5cm apart. Never press the base of the bulb hard into the soil because it will compact. If you have it, place a tablespoon of river sand under the bulb to ensure a secure but not too tight base.
Watering
Water is the key to the success of your spring garden and in the Western Cape, the winter rainfall provides flowering bulbs with virtually all the moisture they require throughout their winter growing period. But keep them moist during the odd dry spell – if they dry out, they will abort their flower embryo and there will be no colour in spring.
Design
For the best effect, plant bulbs in large groups and drifts and intersperse them with spring-flowering annuals such as pansies and primulas. Only plant the annuals once the green foliage tips of the bulbs are showing, so that you do not damage the bulbs under the soil. Consider these ideas:
* Formal plantings: Ribbon planting in solid blocks of colour can be very effective, particularly in large gardens, or alongside paths or driveways.
* Informal plantings: For a more natural look plant bulbs in drifts and clumps.
* In a rock garden: The bulbs of indigenous plants are the most suitable for a rockery as they will grow under warmer conditions.
Try freesia, sparaxis, ixia and tritonia. However, they like to have cool roots, so plant them well tucked between rocks.
* In containers: Fill 100 percent of the container with potting soil and make sure that the neck of the bulb is just below the surface.
For container plantings, make sure the pot has the right depth for the chosen bulbs.
A depth of about 10-15cm will suit most bulbs, but ranunculi, ixias, daffodils and tulips need a deeper container.
For success when planting bulbs in pots, make sure the pot has adequate drainage but never allow the bulb roots to dry out.
See www.lifeisagarden.co.za
Gardening tips
* Forget-me-nots and primulas self-sow generously, and should be welcomed in wilder parts of the garden, and as groundcovers in shady areas.
* The prettiest plants are not always the biggest. Plant thyme, alyssum and dwarf verbena that grow no more than a few centimetres in height to edge a path. Individual flowers can be as tiny as those of the fairy snapdragon, linaria, which are perfect as fillers in a border.
* Bark mulch is suitable for paths in woodland and informal gardens, and between stepping-stones in flowerbeds. It allows water to penetrate, looks neat, and if of sufficient depth, will smother most weeds.
* Edge sunny pathways with waterwise bulbine, a clump-forming indigenous perennial with grass-like succulent foliage and yellow or orange flowers. This also is an excellent groundcover for hot dry areas.
* Repeat flower colour in the garden in pots on patios, and paint arches and benches to blend with a colour scheme.
* Plant sweet peas, linaria, Virginian stocks or viscaria. Mix fine seed with a little hoof and hornmeal. This will help you to sow seed evenly and avoid clumps of smothered little plants all struggling for survival. - Weekend Argus