For Jiiitp. 1922 



169 



Fall Bulbs 



GEORGE H. PENSON 



NOW that the Spring rush is over and the majority 

 of planting done, the exception possibly being some 

 successions of vegetables, our thoughts are ahead, 

 a.s ever they must be to the requirements of next Fall, 

 Winter and the Spring of 1923. One of the main things 

 to be thought of on many places are bulbs for Fall plant- 

 ing and also for forcing in the green house during the 

 early Spring months, which will herald once again the 

 approach of another Spring. The many varied fonns and 

 colors uf forced bulbs are ever suggestive of youth and 

 Springtime even though the weather on the outside may 

 be part of a dreary Winter or a boisterous windy or 

 stormy day of March. The Pa])er White Narcissi and 

 Roman Hyacinths will be the first to show us Spring 

 flowers, even though Christmas is only days past. These 

 will be followed by narcissi of many varieties, hyacinths, 

 tulips, crocuses, and later, probably one of the last, irises, 



.] disj>lay ilitriii^ May of Daricin, Drccdcr, and t i-'luf^c TiiUps on 

 Onnston, Glen Cove, L. I. {Courtesy of Stuiiipp & 



both Spanish and Dutch. Not only do we have to think 

 of greenhouse requirements but on an ever increasing- 

 number of estates do we find an extensive planting of 

 bulbs made for a gorgeous display of color from earliest 

 Spring when the snowdrop and crocus will herald the 

 way for others of nobler birth, with a continuation of 

 flowery wealth until the last tulip has dropped its petals 

 when the month of May is on the wane. These plantings 

 may be an entire formal garden having a Dutch eiTect 

 when the bulbs are in bloom or massed in the herbaceous 

 border, the wild garden, or edging for shrubbery. The 

 later flowering tulips are not very adaptable for the latter, 

 the other subjects can be planted vo better advantage, ac- 

 cording to the season it is desired to have them in flower. 



The Soil 



A medium heavy soil with plenty of depth having an 

 abundance of available plant food produces the best re- 



sults, but tlo not forget a poor bulb cannot produce a 

 good flower no matter what the soil and conditions are. 

 \\'here the beds have Ijeen planted all Summer to other 

 flowering subjects it is advisable to spade under well 

 rotted farm yard manure when preparing for bulbs. This 

 should be decayed so that it will easily pulverize and 

 readily mix with the soil. With plenty of available plant 

 food we often see good flowers produced on lighter soils, 

 but, as nearly all bulbs like an abundance of moisture a 

 heavier soil is more conducive to this end. 



Planting. — When planting fruit trees and otlier like 

 subjects we study the depth of the roots in relation to the 

 air and food to be api)lied at the needed season. This does 

 not enter into the growing of bulbs to any great extent 

 but the depth of planting is just as important. Another 

 thing to be borne in mind is that tlie bulbs we plant in 

 the Fall have to go through the Winter and while freezing 

 at a good depth will not hurt 

 them it would not be advisable 

 to have them near the surface. 

 I like to see from four to six 

 inches of soil on the top of the 

 bulbs when the bed is finished 

 off. Darwin tulips particularly 

 want to be planted deep. Cro- 

 cuses will be an exception to this 

 rule, one inch being sufficiently 

 deep enough for them, especially 

 if the soil is heavy. They have 

 a tendency to rot if planted deep. 

 When planting, the most satis- 

 factory way that I know of is to 

 make up a rough sketch of the 

 beds at the time of ordering the 

 bulbs ; lay out on this exactly 

 where each variety is intended 

 to be placed and be governed by 

 this at planting time. When the 

 beds are ready to receive the 

 bulbs mark them of? and place 

 each bulb exactly where ii is to 

 be planted as they are removed 

 from the bag or box. Lay your 

 whole bed or beds out in this 

 way before any are planted and 

 this will eliminate much con- 

 fusion. When so placed do not 

 attempt to change or alter them 

 in any way or tlie chances are you will see changes when 

 they flower. Take each bulb and plant it where its im- 

 pression is on the soil. I like to press them into the hole 

 made with an ordinary garden trowel. When planting 

 Spanish or Dutch iris it will be beneficial to drop an inch 

 of sand in the bottom of the hole placing' the bulb on this 

 and covering with soil. 



Where we find a Dutch garden laid out in a number of 

 small beds forming a formal design it will often be the 

 most effective to use one color to a bed, the exception 

 perhaps being an outside edging. A nobler effect will be 

 secured by having a larger block of one color than trying 

 to get too many in a small space. And while speaking 

 of color we have the proverbial "all colors of the rainbow" 

 when we think of tulips' and hyacinths, but narcissi are 

 more limited. The latter are not extensively used for 

 formal bedding. They have a- more natural effect when 

 planted in the wild garden, edging of shrubbery, or even 



tlie estate of J. E. Aldred, 

 Walter Co.) 



