Karen described how she and her husband had purchased Linnels Farm eleven years ago as a very run down property, but which they have since gradually repaired, restored and converted. It is now their home with farm buildings used as a venue for a variety of courses, and cottages to let. They have also developed the surrounding land into beautiful gardens, including an orchard and apiary.
The
theme of the presentation was divided into what types of bulbs will
naturalise easily, what bulbs are good for tubs and container
displays, and which bulbs are best for picking and favoured by
florists. She also gave tips on propagation, care and the best ways
to plant bulbs.
Report by Jude Jansen
Other Top Tips from Karen:
1. Cut scented narcissi bunched & held together around their heads by raffia make for a stunning table decoration. Their turgid stems & tied raffia keep the arrangement upright within a saucer of water. The arrangement looks & smells great for at least 2-3 days
2. Remember bulbs can not ‘polar navigate’ so do plant them in their correct growth orientation; viz. roots down.
3. Fritillaries – their bulbs don’t have a ‘nose’ and instead the stem head is inverted.
This is fine for their climate of origin (Asia & Middle East) but not for the soggy UK. Instead plant the bulb on it’s side to prevent rotting. For a startling late spring show why not try Fritillaria persica (the Persian Lily) at 90cm and which naturalises readily.
“As
you can imagine, the quality standard you should apply to various
flower bulbs depends on species, but it also depends on the variety
you choose. Here are a few basic guidelines that you can
apply:
Tulips
‘Landscape’
grade, or smaller bulbs should be at least 10cm in circumference.
They produce relatively small blooms that are a bit bigger than a
golf ball. If you choose smaller bulbs, be sure to mass plant them.
For
really good flowers, your tulip bulbs should be 12cm or more.
[Karen is clear that the tulip needs to have a minimal
circumferential diameter of 9.5cm to flower]
The
larger bulb circumference produces an astounding difference. The
blooms are at least as big as tennis balls and usually even larger
(depending on the variety). The species type tulips are an exception
to the rule and have naturally smaller bulbs and smaller
blooms.
Daffodils
and Narcissus
There’s
a lot of variation in this group of plants. As a rule, the dwarf
varieties have smaller bulbs and the big trumpet varieties are
larger. Bigger is always better regardless of variety, and in
general, top-grade bulbs will be 14-16cm.
Amaryllis
Amaryllis
are magnificent in bloom – but only when the bulbs are big enough!
You’ll get a fabulous show, bigger flowers and more blooms with
bulbs 34cm or more in diameter.
Hyacinths
These
scented beauties should be at least 16m, but for pot forcing 17-19cm
is better.”
https://www.dutchgrown.com/blogs/planting-tips/how-flower-bulbs-are-measured
Complied by Trish Rodgers
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