The bulbs beckon (9/29/03)

Everywhere I go lately bulbs, corms and rhizomes are begging to immigrate into my yard. These tiny storehouses of beauty beckon me like the sirens called to Jason and the Argonauts. Unlike these ancient sailors from Greek mythology, I have no desire to escape their allure.

Technically, bulbs are composed of compressed stems, which is the very bottom part or basal plate, and an onion-like structure which consists of modified leaves that store food for the future flower. Non-technically they are miracles waiting to happen.

Tulips and daffodils are most common bulbs in my garden. They are often the first attempt budding horticulturists try.

Corms are also modified stems but the main storage tissue is the modified stem not the leaves.

Corms tend to be ugly little things that give rise to snow-loving crocus and stately gladiolas, among other flowers.

Rhizomes are modified stems that grow sideways close to the surface of the soil. Iris are the main ones I am familiar with. They seem to prefer a bit of air and don’t like to be buried deeply. They look like shriveled potatoes strewn across the flowerbed.

My favorite bulbs and such are the ones I don’t have yet. I am currently coveting bicolor grape hyacinths with baby blue hats covering dark blue bottoms and midnight black fritillarias with their stately columns of upside down bells.

I remember the first time I purchased fritillarias. I had seen an enticing ad for something called crown imperial fritillarias.

The photograph showed something that looked like it could be a tiara for an island queen. It was gorgeous. When the order arrived I opened the box to find bulbs the size of baseballs. I placed the open box on a chair and left for the evening.

When I got back home the house smelled as if a skunk had gotten loose in the crawl space. It wasn’t until the following morning that I discovered the cause of the odor was the bulbs. No wonder they were advertised to keep away burrowing critters. I planted them out by the sidewalk. They may discourage squirrels and chipmunks but the rabbits like to snuggle up next to them in the spring.

I have read about people who use bulbs to create designs or to spell out words. I am not that creative. I simply tuck them into whatever spot I can find. Lately, I have been planting bulbs at my mother’s house in addition to mine. She is not able to do this for herself anymore and it is such a small thing for me but she enjoys watching for the flowers in the spring.

Fall planting gives me something to look forward to all winter. I know the bulbs are nestled snug beneath the frozen ground just waiting for the opportunity to show off their rainbow colors. They need that period of chilling to perform their best. If they don’t experience enough cold weather they may be stunted or perhaps they will sulk and not bloom at all.

I don’t expect that to be a problem for the bulbs I intend to bring home this weekend. They will sneak into my shopping cart then demand to be planted once they arrive at home.

Next spring all the immigrants will intermingle with the current inhabitants of the garden and become a living proof of faith that there will be a tomorrow.[[In-content Ad]]