ComputerHunter.org

 

Fall Flowering Bulbs


Deciduous trees dazzle us with the brilliance of the golds, oranges and reds they display before dropping their leaves in the autumn. However, you don't have to be satisfied with autumn leaf color alone. Consider planting fall flower bulbs.

Spring-flowering bulbs are universal symbols of spring. Many of us wait to see the cheerful little crocus as it pops through the last of the winter snows. The delicate narcissus, the colorful tulip, and the sunny daffodil are all spring flowering bulbs that bring out smiles after long, colorless winters. Just as spring-flowering bulbs bring a welcome burst of color as they usher in the season, fall flower bulbs offer you a last blast of vibrancy to keep in memory through a long, colorless winter.

There are two main differences between spring flower bulbs and fall flower bulbs. Spring flower bulbs are planted in the fall and need a cold period of winter dormancy to flower. Fall flower bulbs are typically planted in the spring or summer. Most fall flower bulbs aren't winter hardy and need to be lifted in the autumn and stored until time for the next spring planting.

When selecting fall flower bulbs, always choose those that are firm and blemish-free. A good rule of thumb to remember is "the larger the bulb, the larger the bloom." The bulb is actually a tiny womb for a flower. In fact, if you split a bulb in half, you frequently can see the bud and in some cases, even see the flower. Everything the flower needs to grow, except water, is contained inside a bulb. Although the differences between them are slight, many of these flower storehouses that we commonly call bulbs are actually rhizomes, corms and tubers. Look for these labels in addition to "bulbs" when purchasing fall-flower bulbs.

The dahlia, which grows from a tuber, is a beautiful late-summer flower that blooms until the first frost. Blooms can range from button to dinner-plate size in virtually every color except solid blue. As all fall flower bulbs, they are easy to plant and easy to care for, requiring only that you lift them in the fall for winter storage.

Colchicums are perhaps the best known but least planted fall flower bulbs. They are unique in that they only need sunlight to grow and will bloom sitting on your potting bench or even on your kitchen table! Large flowers, resembling the crocus, are typically pink. Although they need soil to make roots and foliage, because the bulb must be planted partly exposed, colchicums are a target for snails and slugs, which will peel the bulbs like an onion.

The saffron crocus is a fall flower bulb that does double duty in your flower garden. Lilac flowers display the burnt orange-red stigmas that are the source of the spice, saffron. The flowers only last for two days. Pick the stigmas on the second day, air dry them and you have just harvested flower and fruit gardening guides homegrown saffron to season your dishes.

Tulip Flower and Bulb Flowers section of Gardening-Guides.com







Google News - Top Stories

Washington Post

What rescue means for mortgage rates
CNNMoney.com - 58 minutes ago
Bailout of mortgage giants should result in lower mortgage costs and make credit more available. But lending standards will stay tight and risky borrowers will still pay extra fees.
Video: Feds Take Over Mortgage Giants AssociatedPress
S&P cuts Freddie, Fannie stock ratings to junk MarketWatch
Bloomberg - International Herald Tribune - Forbes - Reuters
all 3,662 news articles


New York Daily News

Hurricane, at Category 4, Heads Toward Cuba
New York Times - 3 hours ago
By MARIA NEWMAN Hurricane Ike grew into a bigger threat to Florida and the Gulf Coast Sunday as it roared through the Bahamas mid-morning, with forecasters expecting it to gain in strength as it approaches Cuba.
Video: Raw Video: Ike Pounds Turks and Caicos AssociatedPress
Powerful Hurricane Ike looms as trouble for Gulf The Associated Press
AFP - Forbes - Los Angeles Times - Reiten Television KXMB Bismarck
all 4,088 news articles


Sydney Morning Herald

McCain: Obama Never Took On His Own Party
CBS News - 2 hours ago
John McCain outlines his presidential plan for change, including hopes for a bipartisan cabinet. Then, McCain talks about how the GOP needs diversity.
McCain targets GOP and Bush along with Obama The Associated Press
NY man has McCain's name, Obama's looks United Press International
Christian Science Monitor - FOXNews - Washington Post - USA Today
all 2,117 news articles


Christian Science Monitor

India a step closer to nuclear trade
Christian Science Monitor - 3 hours ago
The Nuclear Suppliers Group agreed Saturday to lift a 34-year ban on selling nuclear technology to India, even though it hasn't signed the Non-Proliferation Treaty.
India secures controversial access to nuclear technology Telegraph.co.uk
US Congress signals it will clear N-deal Times of India
Hindu - Reuters South Africa - Washington Post - New York Times
all 2,323 news articles


Canada.com

Zardari’s stress on progress
Hindu - 38 minutes ago
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Election Commission on Sunday formally notified Asif Ali Zardari as the winner of the presidential elections, and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader is to be sworn into office on Tuesday.
Suicide blast kills 35 in Pakistan; Zardari set to take power International Herald Tribune
Pakistan's Zardari prepares for presidency AFP
Reuters - Xinhua - Los Angeles Times - New York Times
all 3,714 news articles

Google
 

Copyright © 2006 Computer Hunter - A Division of Arthur´s Job Base