Nothing like a self-reliant bulb

KAREN WIGHT

In my garden, bulbs are usually one-hit wonders. I plant them, they

do their job and they’re done.

Ranunculuses are the best example. I love their multi-petaled

heads and their vibrant colors, but frankly, getting them to bloom

again is more work than I want to invest. Sure, you can dig them up,

dry them, replant them, fertilize them mercilessly, and they might

perform again: emphasis on the “might.”

On the other end of the spectrum are naturalizing bulbs -- bulbs

planted once and left alone that reward you annually with stunning

flowers. Just when you’ve forgotten all about them, they spring up

and produce buckets of blooms. These are my kind of bulbs.

I learned about naturalizing bulbs out of neglect. One year I ran

amok and planted waves of bulbs -- all kinds of bulbs. At some point,

I gave up tending and left them in the ground. The tulips never came

back, the hyacinths disappeared, and most of the ranunculus were

never heard from again.

A few bulbs came back year after year and got bigger and better

each year -- without any help from me. Can I tell you how much I love

these self-reliant beauties? Bulbs that stay underground all year

long and continue to grow and produce without intervention. It’s a

wonderful thing.

If you are inclined to use naturalizing bulbs in your garden and

want your planting to look like it’s been there forever, throw a

handful of pebbles in the area you want flowers. Plant a bulb where

each pebble lands. Don’t forget to plant next to rocks and tree

roots. If you want to get more organized with your planting, maximum

impact requires at least five large bulbs planted together, 10 for

small bulbs.

Bulbs that naturalize and provide year after year of blooms

include calla lilies. Traditional white lilies like Albo Maculata

will bloom in waves all year long. Lilies come in pink Dark Eyes,

yellow Elliottiana, red and yellow Fireglow and orange and yellow

Flame. Another naturalizing standout are gladiolus. Planting glads

now will give you blooms in 10 weeks and they come in every color

imaginable: lavender, orange, pink, purple, red, white, yellow and

chartreuse.

If you want to plan for next spring, plant bulbs this fall for a

spectacular display next February, March and April. Irises are great

naturalizers. The traditional blue-purple with yellow markings are

Blue Magic. Casa Blanca is white with a thin yellow strip and Apollo

has yellow falls with white standards.

Daffodils are the perfect companions to irises. The big yellow

blooms are King Alfred types like Dutch Master. Mount Hood is a white

daffodil that is pale yellow when it blooms and fades to pure white

as it matures. If you want something a little more exotic, plant

Salome white has a white perianth (face) with a salmon cup in the

middle. If you can’t find these bulbs in the quantities you need,

look online at sites like Touch of Nature

(https://www.touchofnature.com). Prices on large quantities are

surprisingly reasonable.

Bulbs are very adaptable and will be tolerant in many conditions.

Most need sun to partial shade and a dose of fertilizer when they

start to pop out of ground. Otherwise, naturalizing bulbs are a great

investment -- a little time and energy to get them in the ground and

then pure enjoyment for years to come.

* KAREN WIGHT is a Newport Beach resident. Her column runs

Thursdays.