From Bulbs to Blooms

Calla Lily Picasso
Picasso is an appropriate name for this calla lily, with its bi-colored purple and white blooms. It has a good flower production, and its strong stems produce heavily spotted foliage. It takes nine to 10 weeks to grow and has a bloom time of April to December. In need of full sun or partial shade, Picasso can be produced in 6- to 8-inch containers, and its planting season is the first, second and third quarters.

For more: Flamingo Holland Inc., www.flamingoholland.com

Calla Lily Parfait
From Golden State Bulb Growers’ series of Callafornia Callas, Parfait is a variety that offers rosy-red shades, ranging from a creamy, soft pink color to a true red. Its flowers grow between 2 and 3 inches in diameter and its flower stems resist drooping. With a good disease tolerance, it is ideal for large pots and cut flower programs. Parfait grows between 15 and 21inches tall.

For more: Golden State Bulb Growers, www.goldenstatebulbgrowers.com

Oriental Lily Love Story
A variety that can be planted during any season, Love Story is a hardy, easy-to-grow oriental lily. Its growing time is 115 days and has a bloom time of February to December. It likes full sun and partial shade, and its hardiness Zone ranges from 4 to 9. Offering a pleasant fragrance, Love Story grows between 21 and 22 inches tall and needs a container size of 1 or 2 gallons.

For more: Flamingo Holland Inc., www.flamingoholland.com

Tulip Florette
This May-blooming tulip has red petals with yellow strokes that become more pronounced as it ages. Florette can be placed in full or partial sun, is hardy to Zones 4 to 8, and is ideal for beds, borders, containers or as a cut flower. It grows between 16 and 18 inches tall, and has a spread of 5 to 6 inches.

For more: Burpee Home Gardens, www.burpee.com

Begonia OnTop Sunset
This tuberous picotee begonia is part of the OnTop series, making it heat-tolerant, tough and early. Its floriferous petals are yellow with orange along the edges. Sunset is well-branched, has a long bloom period, and its compact, mounding habit makes it ideal for hanging baskets and containers.

For more: Golden State Bulb Growers, www.goldenstatebulbgrowers.com

Eucomis Aloha Lily Leia
Floriferous, fragrant and easy to grow, Leia is a naturally dwarf eucomis hybrid. In addition to its original hot pink, Leia also comes in colors such as soft pink, white and even a dark burgundy. Hardy and heat tolerant, it has a fast bench time, finishing in 14 weeks. Deer resistant, it can be used in both gardens and pots.

For more: Golden State Bulb Growers, www.goldenstatebulbgrowers.com

Tulip Ice Cream
Burpee Home Gardens calls it “the most interesting tulip we have ever seen” and suggests planting it in a high traffic area so it can be enjoyed often. It blooms purple petals with a protruding white center, giving it the appearance of a bowl of ice cream. A late spring-bloomer, Ice Cream reaches 12 to 16 inches tall. It needs full or partial sun, is hardy to Zones 4 to 8, and can be used for beds, borders, containers or as a cut flower.

For more: Burpee Home Gardens, www.burpee.com
Burpee Home Garden photos courtesy of W. Atlee Burpee & Co.

Freesia Delta River
Suitable for pot production, Delta River is an easy-to-grow, fragrant freesia that naturalizes well. It grows to 16 inches tall and has a hardiness Zone of 8 to 11. With a grow time of 120 days, Delta River’s planting season is the first quarter and it requires only partial sunlight. Delta River can be produced for 1- and 2-gallon containers.

For more: Flamingo Holland Inc., www.flamingoholland.com

Daffodil Chromacolor
Producing one large flower per stem, Chromacolor is a large corona daffodil that has white blooms with salmon-colored coronas. Hardy to Zones 3 to 8, it is easy to naturalize and can be planted in full or partial sun. Reaching 12 to 16 inches in height and 4 to 5 inches in spread, Chromacolor is ideal for beds, borders or as a cut flower, and is often used in containers. This daffodil is easy to naturalize and is also ideal for forcing.

For more: Burpee Home Gardens, www.burpee.com

Asiatic Lily Matrix
A fast-growing Asiatic lily, Matrix’s high bud count results in true red blooms that pop out from their dark green foliage. Part of the Jive Series, it’s an easy grower with a grow time of 65 to 70 days. Matrix is hardy to Zones 4 to 9 and can be planted during any season. Blooming from February to December, it reaches 16 inches in height and requires full or partial sunlight. Martix’s container size is 1 or 2 gallons.

For more: Flamingo Holland Inc., www.flamingoholland.com