You'd think that after more than ten years of gardening I'd have discovered summer bulbs before now. Well, I'm ashamed to say that until last month, I knew nothing about these little gems. I flipped past the pages of magazine articles extolling their virtues thinking, "It's too much trouble lifting those frost tender bulbs out of the ground each fall - why bother?"
Then, after talking to a few summer bulb junkies, I found a way to satisfy my craving for trying new plants without creating more work for myself - just treat them like annuals! So, this year I plan to plant summer bulbs in my containers, then toss 'em into the composter at the end of the season. Why should I feel guilty about disposable bulbs when I don't think twice about tossing tender perennials? Well, I shouldn't, and I won't. I've decided to adopt the "love 'em and toss 'em" philosophy of gardening with summer bulbs. If you feel the same way, here's a roundup of some of the more tempting summer blooming bulbs that I've discovered:
Gladiolus callianthus 'Murieliae' (previously known as Acidanthera)
The fragrant white blossoms of this elegant summer bulb bloom in late summer, just when many annuals are drooping in the heat. They're pretty easy to grow too. Not fussy about soil, pack them into a container and watch their sword-like leaves develop. The attractive, brown-blotched white flowers are suspended on gracefully arching stems, making these summer bulbs a welcome touch on a deck or near an outdoor seating or dining area.
Tigridia
I first saw Tigridia growing in garden beds when I visited Keukenhof Gardens in Holland a few years ago. Bright and colourful, they looked like exotic daylilies. Of course, as smitten as I was with them, I shuddered at the thought of lifting their tender little bulbs from my southern Ontario garden in the fall, and did nothing but take photos of their irresistible flowers. Now that I'm a "love 'em and toss 'em" gardener, I've bought a mix of oranges, reds, yellows and whites to plant in sunny containers along with Ipomoea "Lady Fingers', a new sweet potato vine with burgundy-veined, deeply lobed green leaves.
Calla lily Zantedeschia
Cool, sophisticated, elegant - calla lilies are to the plant world what Grace Kelly was to the movies in the '50s. (Uh,oh -- showing my age!) All these beauties ask for is moist soil and a little afternoon shade. Growing callas in containers makes it sooo easy to cater to their every whim. Place them in a shady corner, keep the pot well-watered, and stand back to admire those drop-dead gorgeous blooms.
