In order to have a good display of bulbs in your garden, you first have to make sure that the bulbs you are going to rely on for that display are healthy.
Buy only dormant bulbs that show little if any, root development and no top growth other than a pale fat bud. (Lilies, however, are never really dormant; their bulbs often have fleshy roots attached.)
Look for bulbs that have their papery skins (called tunics) intact. These contain natural compounds that inhibit disease and premature sprouting. Choose bulbs that are packaged in materials that permit air to enter, the package should have some kind of ventilation to achieve this. If the bulbs are packed in plastic bags, then they will often rot.
Select bulbs that are firm with few wrinkles and no soft spots. You may find that healthy bulbs seem heavier than their size suggests. Avoid bulbs with cuts, dark or water-soaked spots, or colored or scabby areas.
Tips for Planting Bulbs to Create a Beautiful, Healthy Display
Try planting your bulbs in drifts. A drift is a thin, longish line of plants, drawn diagonally across a straight border or placed in a slender bow in a long bed. It spreads the flowers in such a way that even the sparest bloom will seem abundant. Twelve to eighteen plants make a sustaining drift that gives continuity to a border. Fifty to a hundred bulbs make a wonderful drift, but you can also attain a similar look with fewer bulbs. A drift is inclined to draw the eye from one end of it to another, and works really well when one type of flower is featured.
Handle bulbs well when planting to avoid injuries that provide access to diseases, and remove problem plants quickly to keep pests and disease from spreading. Always let bulb foliage die back naturally to allow food production for growth and flowering in subsequent years. Clean up flower beds in fall to remove plant debris that often shelters pests and diseases.
Healthy bulbs and good culture go a long way toward successful plantings. Happy gardening!
{this article was originally published in 2008}
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