Bulb Artistry

Horticulturists introduce bulbs for fall planting

By: PATRICIA TAYLOR

Ivory


Queen blossoms feature 3-inch globes of densely packed ivory florets
with soft green eyes. These are long lasting in arrangements.

"Ivory
Photo
courtesy of Brent & Becky’s Bulbs
Many
gardeners in the Central Jersey area will find it’s hard to beat
deer to any tulip, as these animals find tulips particularly tasty
snacks. All is not lost. Merry Go Round is perfect for pots, which
can often be protected from marauders.
   Bulb planting season is in full swing right now and bulb
experts Brent and Becky Heath have some wonderful suggestions for those
who want something new, different and beautiful.
   The Heaths, recent winner of an American Horticultural
Society award for their work in promoting and introducing bulbs, are proprietors
of Brent and Becky’s Bulbs, a mail order flower bulb company based
in eastern Virginia. The two travel frequently, both in this country and
abroad, to search for superb bulbs for gardens.
   They have also done some breeding of their own, working
with a group of daffodils known as triandrus narcissi. These graceful plants
produce several pendant, lightly fragrant flowers per stem. One of their
results bore beautifully formed, long-lasting, white and pink flowers. It
was such a lovely plant they named it "Katie Heath," in honor
of Brent’s mother, and introduced it in 2000.
   They are not alone in their praise of Katie Heath. It
turns out that this plant is not only lovely outdoors but indoors as well.
One of their Dutch growers was so enchanted with the plant that he entered
it in a Dutch indoor bulb show that is the largest of its kind. Katie Heath
wowed the judges and won first prize as the best potted daffodil.
   While on one of their periodic trips to Europe, the Heaths
discovered the Madame Butterfly orchid, which in botanical terms is known
as "Dactylorhiza maculata." This beautiful plant, perfect for
sunny to partly shaded areas, features exquisite dark lavender-pink blossoms
that thickly cluster about 8-16 inch spikes. The leaves, alternating up
the stem, are often spotted with purple, and give the plant an interesting
coloration even when it isn’t in bloom.
   Madame Butterfly is so new to American gardens that its
hardiness has yet to be established. Mr. Heath feels he is being conservative
in saying "zone 7"; it has been found growing wild in the Canadian
province of Ontario (zone 5). Adventuresome gardeners in the greater Trenton
metropolitan area (officially designated zone 6b), may want to try growing
this very special, tuberous plant in a protected spot.
   The Heaths are also fond of a new allium known as "Ivory
Queen." I can write from personal experience in praising this plant,
having placed it in a sunny spot last fall and admiring it in my Princeton
garden for three weeks this past May.
   Ivory Queen is a cultivar of a more widely grown flowering
onion known as "A. karataviense." Faithful readers of Home &
Garden may recall that I wrote about this bulb in the Spring 1992 issue.
I praised it then — and still do now — for its bluish-green hosta-like
leaves that are up to 2 inches wide and for the way the lavender flower
ball nestles among these leaves.
   Ivory Queen is every bit as beautiful and even more so
in my opinion. Its blossoms are 3-inch globes of densely packed ivory florets
with soft green eyes. These are extremely long lasting in arrangements.
The Heaths say this bulb was quite pricey when it was introduced three or
four years ago but is now "quite affordable."
   Spring starflowers (Ipheion species) were introduced to
gardens more than 150 years ago. According to Mr. Heath, the cultivar Rolf
Feidler has only been around for four or five years. He has no idea who
Feidler is or was and guesses that he first discovered the plant.
   It is a 3-6-inch tall charmer, with star-shaped sweetly
fragrant flowers blooming amidst grass-like foliage that smells like garlic.
It is probably the latter attribute that earns this bulb the designation
of being pest resistant. Ms. Heath feels the bright, deep blue flowers on
Rolf Feidler are among the prettiest of the Ipheions. She recommends planting
swathes of this bulb for border edges or lawn art.
   For a fiery, absolutely brilliant red in the spring garden
it’s hard to beat a new tulip called "Merry Go Round." The
Heaths say this 14-16-inch beauty is one of the best multiflowering tulips
to be found. With five to eight blossoms per stem, they call it a virtual
bouquet by itself.
   Of course, many gardeners in the Central Jersey area will
find that it’s hard to beat deer to any tulip, as these animals find
tulips particularly tasty snacks. All is not lost, according to the Heaths.
Merry Go Round is perfect for pots, which can often be protected from marauders.
If that is not feasible, try forcing this bulb indoors for some truly spectacular
late winter color.
    All of the bulbs recommended by the Heaths are available
from their mail order firm: Brent and Becky’s Bulbs, 7463 Heath Trail,
Gloucester, VA 23061; or call (877) 661-2852 or visit: www.brentandbeckysbulbs.com.
In addition, I also find McClure & Zimmerman to be a good source of
bulbs. This mail order company can be reached at: PO Box 368, Friesland,
WI 53935; or call (800) 883-6998 or visit: www.mzbulb.com.
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"Brent
Brent


and Becky Heath worked with daffodils known as "triandrus
narcissi." These plants produce several pendant, lightly
fragrant flowers per stem.

Photo


courtesy of Brent & Becky’s Bulbs

"For
For


a fiery, brilliant red in the spring garden, it’s hard
to beat Merry Go Round.

Photo courtesy of Brent &


Becky’s Bulbs