What’s Blooming: Bulb Displays
by Rita Jokerst, Horticulturist, Gardens on Spring Creek
Spring bulbs are a much-needed blast of color after a long
winter, and we can’t wait to see our newest bulb installation pop in the Color
Walk. Last fall Gardens staff, along with cohorts from the City of Fort Collins
Parks department, installed 2,760 bulbs including a variety of crocus, daffodils,
tulips and more. This year we will be rewarded for our fall toil with botanical
treats in shades of pink, yellow and cream.
Crocuses are usually the earliest signifier of warming
weather, and we could not resist giving ourselves that treat. Installed in the
Café Grove, Crocus
tommasinianus ‘Roseus’ may
be the closest there is to a pink crocus. These plants are sometimes lovingly
called “Tommies” and typically pop above ground even earlier than Dutch crocus
varieties.
In addition to crocus, many gardeners’ early go-to bulbs
are daffodils, and we agree they hold a fundamental place in the landscape.
Daffodils, or Narcissus cultivars, are classified into divisions, which are based on flower
form – particularly the ratio between the corona and perianth segments. Or, in
other words, the ratio of “cup” to the non-“cup” parts. Other considerations
for divisions include number of flowers per stem, flowering period and genetic
background. There are 13 divisions provided by the Royal Horticulture Society,
but buyers may see a “Division 14” daffodil for sale. This division is
sometimes used to describe miniature narcissus cultivars.
A couple
interesting daffodils slated for display this year are Narcissus romieuxii ‘Julia
Jane’ and Narcissus ‘Sir Winston Churchill.’ The former is a
Division 10 miniature daffodil with large, light yellow cups, skinny petals and
extremely thin foliage. These were the Color Walk’s first bulbs to bloom this
spring, aided by the warmth and protection of the stage, and one of the first
honeybees on the site this year paid a visit to their delicate blooms in early
March. ‘Sir Winston Churchill’ on the other hand is a Division 4
double daffodil with creamy flowers, flecked with orange. We hope the dense, fragrant
blooms will add a romance and softness to the bulb blocks.
In addition to daffodils and crocuses, a variety of tulips is
a must-have for a screaming display, but smarter picks for tulips are essential
in creating a display that lasts longer than one year. Darwin hybrids, Fosteriana tulips and
botanical tulips all are touted as more persistent options in the landscape. Darwin
hybrid tulips are typically reliable performers, undeterred by frigid winters
or vacillating weather conditions. They are sometimes called “perennial tulips”
as they will likely give you multiple years of sizeable blooms. ‘Apricot Pride’ is one of the Darwin
hybrid tulips we installed last fall, and we’re excited to see its
peachy-apricot hue grace our Shade Terrace beds this spring.
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Tulipa fosteriana 'Exotic Emperor' |
Commercially available Fosteriana tulips, or Tulipa fosteriana, are derived from a wild strain of tulips from the mountains of Central Asia. Cultivated types typically have reliable early blooms, sturdy stems and large flowers, and they can naturalize to come back year after year. The one we chose for our site is ‘Exotic Emperor,’ and once in bloom it just might remind you of a peony with its fluffy white flowers, accented by greens and creams.
Botanical tulips too
have potential for naturalizing, and they are also quite early blooming. Two
types we opted for at the Gardens were Tulipa clusiana ‘Cynthia’ and Tulipa
turkestanica. ‘Cynthia’ is a classic of botanical tulips; this
bicolor bloom proudly displays its petals on sunny days only to close on cloudy
days and at night. Tulipa turkestanica is a fragrant, award-winning and
deserving-of-a-second-look tulip. In a patch of these flowers you can find up
to seven different colors, depending on which part of the flower you examine.
There is so much
more in the bulb display that can’t be mentioned here which means just one
thing for our readers – come see the Color Walk for yourself and enjoy your
first blast of spring color!