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Dutch Bulbs are now at a Store Near You!

© Mary Lou Gripshover

Have you seen the ads? Labor Day brings ads for Dutch bulbs, which are now available at local garden stores and discount stores. And bulbs ordered from catalog sources will begin to arrive soon as well. I'll be watching for the mailman, to see if he has any little boxes for me. It's always exciting to open the box to see what little "goodie" has been added as a "thank you" to my order. Most specialist growers do this, and it's fun to see what they've included.

But if you haven't ordered from catalogs, and it's almost too late to do that now, check out the local garden stores. While the number of cultivars will not be as large as that in a catalog, you can still find some nice bulbs to add to your garden. It's also possible to order bulbs online, and you can still do that, but do it soon. Many of the mail order people can be reached online.

The September 2000 issue of Consumer Reports had an article on bulb quality. Master Gardeners around the country planted nearly 6500 bulbs, comparing the performance of the same cultivar from various sources. The daffodils they tested were 'Dutch Master,' a big, bold, yellow trumpet daffodil; and 'Salome,' a white and pale pink large-cupped daffodil. 'Salome' is an American Daffodil Society Wister Award Winner (for garden excellence), and should do well in all parts of the United States. It sometimes has a bit of yellow around the edge of the cup. They tested daffodil bulbs from 15 catalog sources and seven retail sources. In overall ratings, for tulips, crocus, and daffodils tested, John Scheepers mail order catalog got the highest rating; for daffodils, Dutch Gardens got the top rating.

When selecting bulbs for your garden, choose a variety of cultivars. Read the information provided regarding blooming time, and make selections to give you a longer blooming season. Generally the yellow trumpets bloom ahead of the pink and white large-cupped ones, and those in Division 3, short-cupped daffodils, bloom even later. These are more closely related to N. poeticus, or Pheasant Eye daffodils. And don't forget to add a few miniatures as well. 'Hawera' or 'April Tears' (pictured) are sometimes offered locally. These have 3 to 5 dainty bell-shaped, yellow, flowers on a stem, and bloom late in daffodil season. They are very similar in appearance, and often bulbs marked 'April Tears' turn out to be 'Hawera,' but they're equally delightful in the garden. They like a dry location over the summer, though.

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