Month: February 2021

Flower bulbs are a thing of beauty and a joy forever. When planted in a garden, they bloom during springtime into a riot of colours. The ideal period to plant some flower bulbs in your garden is the autumn season. The primary step that needs looking into is the feed or fertilizer you put into these bulbs’ soil. The soil ought to allow the water and rainfall to seep through it with ease and stability. In case, the ground has more significant clay content, add some other ingredients into it. 

Bulbs which bloom in Spring and Summer should have phosphorus mixed in well with their soil. Bonemeal is another component which should be added to the mix. For those bulbs that flower in the Spring, five 10-10-10 soluble fertilizer tablespoons should be put into the soil in the autumn season. Once the flower buds start appearing above the green foliage, repeat this process. 

However, those bulbs, which bloom in the Summer and Fall season, ought to have fertilizer or feed added to their soil on a monthly schedule. This time it should be seven tablespoons of 10-10-10 soluble fertilizer. They also must be watered regularly. Don’t let this action occur on a superficial level. Rehydrate the soil of these bulbs so that it is moist to the touch. 

A general rule of thumb to keep in mind is to fertilize the bulbs when they have arisen as stalks from the ground. Also, fertilize them when they are halfway through their full growth cycle. Finally, when the bulbs have reached their apogee, you can repeat the process for the third and last time. Be cognizant that all these bulbs blossom when their feed is taken care of on an intensive basis. So leave no stone unturned to see that the meal is given in the right amount at the right moment. Usually, twice per year is the turnover rate of this complex feed for bulbs. One would be planting season in Autumn, and the other would be when the bulbs flower spontaneously and naturally.  

Among the choice of fertilizer could be animal blood as well as crushed bones. Even manure from various animals serves as an excellent source of fertilizer. A fertilizer which is pretty high in potassium is liquid tomato mixture. Nourish your bulbs with small amounts of this fertilizer every week or so. Miracle-Glo is another good commercial fertilizer for bulbs. Usually, it is advisable to feed fertilizer to the bulbs as soon as possible instead of delaying this decision till the blossoms have gone rotten. This is because the Spring season won’t belong in coming and so time is limited. 

In Daffodils, the bulbs will absorb whatever useful natural energy they need in the soil’s form of nutrients and minerals. By fertilizing the bulbs in the early days of Spring, you set the pace for these tube-shaped flowers to fully reach their height of beauty and grandeur in late Spring. If they are still developing bulbs, they ought to be fertilized in the Fall season. 

Tulip bulbs also require planting in the Fall season. A 10-10-10 or 10-15-10 fertilizer which expresses its concentrated ingredients slowly and steadily is essential. Biannual fertilizing is necessary, and that too should be in the ratio of one pound over 50 square feet of garden terrain. 

Springtime is the ideal season of flowers, greenery and a pleasant climate. It is a time when lovers celebrate their romantic passion for each other. No one is immune to growing some beautiful bulbs of colourful flowers in their garden or backyard. There is a snag however which is troublesome to many an amateur gardener. That is the deer, rabbits and squirrels in the vicinity who disturb the flowers’ pristine beauty. The acronym NIMBY which stands for “Not In My Backyard” says it so well. Yet the animal kingdom exists in a net with us on this planet, and they are not cognisant of our human-made rules. Thus to prevent these otherwise harmless herbivores from disturbing the peace of your garden, it is best to take specific precautionary measures.

Among these prophylactic tactics, many gardeners tend to choose barbed wire or a wooden fence. Others put certain substances among the plants which are poisonous and repel deer, rabbits and squirrels. Yet, truth be told, such methods are not the best approach to this problem. There are other better options which you, the savvy gardener, have at your disposal. Number one among them is the planting of such bulbs in the soil which happen to be naturally resistant to these pesky herbivores. These include in their purview:

Daffodils: This flower species has a whole Greek myth behind it. We get the modern psychological term “narcissism” from these yellow flowers. There are about 12 sub-species all in all. The biggest advantage of planting these species is that they are resistant to encroachment by deer and squirrels. Furthermore, they do not require much in the way of hectic and fancy upkeep. Even rats and mice do not come near daffodils. These flowers don’t cost much and they can easily weather the cold and harsh winter months. Also growing them is a breeze.

Crocus: As far as deer-repellent flowers go, you can’t get anything better than the Crocus. Their pink, purple and lavender hues attract children and adults alike who cannot help but gaze at them in admiration. They attain full maturity between February and March. They can even grow in the shadow of a tree where they will thrive instead of wilting thereby proving that they are a hardy species.

Alliums: Another species that keeps the nimble-footed quadrupeds away, the Alliums include the onion plant among them. They also keep squirrels away. Their flowers are like bells in their physiognomy. They become fully grown by the end of Spring or the start of the scorching days of Summer. There are some which are very small, while others are pretty large in size. They go well in Zen Rock Gardens.

Snowdrop: It best blooms in March. We all know about the term “March Hare” when the lagomorphs go crazy and eccentric in their seasonal antics. Yet plant some Snowdrop seeds in your garden and the rabbits will not be nibbling on or digging beneath these flowers. These are flowers which are tenacious and born tough. The flowers are an offwhite color and they are bent over in their soil beds.  The prominence they show above their green stalks makes them an interesting choice for gardeners.

Grape Hyacinth: Small bunches of dark yet bright blue flowers droop from the branches of this plant. They appear to be minuscule grapes hence the name by which this flowering plant goes in the botanical world. The stalks can be several inches in height. These flowers also have a long garden life which is even more good news for gardeners. That they resist the onslaughts of rabbits and squirrels is always a plus point. Plant some and watch them grow into full-sized beauties right before your very own two eyes in the course of time.