For the longest time, bulbs were largely ignored. The one notable exception was, of course, saffron. Saffron comes from the stamen of Crocus sativus. Today it seems to have been reduced to little pricey tubes used in Middle Eastern cooking. But, in its day, saffron was used to dye cloth, to flavor and color food and even as a substitute for gold leaf in illuminated manuscripts. In the 10th century, the Saxon medical books advised using it, mixed with oil, after bathing. It took until the end of the War of the Roses in 1485 before people began noticing the beauty and horticultural benefits of bulb.
Roses have been cultivated for more than 5,000 years. Bulbs are relatively new to the game.
The tulip first made it to the west in 1554 appearing in Vienna and Prague. Twenty years later, they made it across the English Channel.
An interesting historical note: Sixty-five years later, tulips triggered one of the world's first financial crisis in The Netherlands. At its peak, some hapless soul traded 1,000 pounds of cheese, four oxen, eight pigs, a dozen sheep, a bed and, lastly, a suit of clothes for a single Viceroy tulip!
Hyacinthus began appearing in English gardens a few years after tulips in 1576. Daffodils (narcissus), surprisingly didn't arrive until the early 1600s. I say surprisingly since their origins are found in the Pyrenees between France and Spain. I guess no one was looking.
Spring-flowering bulbs are a blessing to the beginning gardener since they are fully self-contained. All the nourishment they need is already in the bulb. When you plant them in the fall, you can pretty much forget about them until they pop up come spring. It is a further reminder that our plants are doing lots of hidden activity throughout fall and winter.
In addition to not needing much care, they are relatively inexpensive and, in many cases, readily naturalize. The one caveat is bulbs don't like to be in heavy, wet soil. Too much water in the ground can cause them to rot.
There are spring bulbs for just about every garden need. They come in an array of shapes and colors. I'm going to share my favorite spring bulb and it is a hard choice but I am expecting a bulb shipment next month of a hundred Tulipa gregiannii and T. Kaufmanniana. This are small, early primitive tulips I've learned to love. They don't grow much taller than 4 or 5 inches with a spectacular bloom some think look a lot like water lilies. You can see pictures if you Google Tulipa kaufmanniana but the pictures don't do them justice!
I think virtually every garden could use some of these. If you do plant them, your visitors will be blown away. Remember, you heard it here!
No comments:
Post a Comment