The Art of the Bulb – Flowers that Delight us from Late Winter to Summer

Written by David S.

Common and Oh-so-Beautiful 

Beautiful Surprises 

• Amaryllis belladonna are showy and beautiful, too, and they bloom at different times of the year. For outdoor planting – As tropical plants, they bloom summer and fall.
• Gladiolus – Impressive, tall flower spikes in a wide range of colors. You can stagger planting times to extend flowers over a few months.
• Crocosmia – Tall flowering plants related to Iris. The colors are bright oranges to reds. You can plant them once and they will become a large clump that naturalizes.
• Lily’s – Beautiful, delicate flowers, and some are very fragrant. Colors come in whites, pinks, oranges, yellows, etc. They like the sun and blooms in mid to late summer.
• Dahlia – Stunning, all kinds of colors, shapes, and sizes. The tubers like well drained, moist soil. They will come up and bloom most of the summer.
• Canna Lilies – Beautiful, tropical looking. Indestructible. Colors range from whites, yellows, oranges, reds, pinks, and several different foliage colors and patterns. They form large clumps in most locations.
• Eucomis (Pineapple Lily) – Interesting flower that looks like a pineapple. It’s a small plant that loves some afternoon shade and blooms for weeks every summer.

While fall is the time to plant some bulbs, it is not the only time. With the warmer climate of Southern California plant summer flowering bulbs in January or February for spring and early summer blooms. Most bulbs love well drained soils as it allows their delicate and short roots to stretch out without too much effort. A neutral pH and soil that been amended with planter mix that is rich in organic matter work just fine. For pots, you want to make sure that you add soil each season as needed.

Spotlight on Soil