From Bulbs to Blooms

Gardeners enjoy bulbs because of their ease and the stunning colors they bloom. Here are some varieties that will probably catch the consumer’s eye.

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

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Variety Notebook

December 2012
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