I know that I should wait a year before planting my new gardens, and I sometimes blog about how gardeners need to have patience, but come on, really, a whole year?
The other day I got my Vessey's and Breck's catalogs and yesterday I went shopping at Costco for the first time and ended up buying some bulbs. While I don't have a definitive plan yet, I have been thinking about the opportunity to plan colours that starting a new garden presents:
- Spring - generally cool purples, blues and whites. Some other colours are bound to creep in and I can't go with only white daffs when there are so many amazing yellow and orange combos, but this will be the focus.
- Summer: hot oranges, reds and yellows and all kinds of mixes thereof.
- Fall: uncertain at this point since there are lots of really great purple Asters and awesome orange Mums; I may have to make fall a combo of the two previous seasons.
- Winter: White (ha ha)
So here is what I bought:
240 Giant Crocus; 3 bags of 80 at $14/bag
works out to only $.18/bulb! Compare to Vessey's Giant Crocus Collection: $14 for 30 bulbs, or $.45/bulb.
- 40 Remembrance + 40 Pickwick mix X 2
- Assorted X 1 (unclear if there are any yellows or just purples and whites)
Since I have been primarily a shade gardener I do not have a lot of experience with Allium, but I love their shape and how they maintain interest even when done blooming.
I am really excited to have them in my new garden.
I bought 4 different packs for $14 each:
I am really excited to have them in my new garden.
I bought 4 different packs for $14 each:
- 6 His Excellency ($2.33/bulb) - close to the price at Bulbs Direct
- 20 Purple Sensation + 10 Mount Everest ($.47/bulb) - Sensation sell for $1/bulb at this site and the Everest sell for $6/bulb at this site
- 3 Globemaster ($4.67/bulb) - compare to $10.5/bulb at Vessey's
- 15 Atropurpureum + 25 Nigrum ($.35/bulb) - Atr..sell for $6/bulb here and the Nigrum for $.72/bulb here
Quality is clearly in question since the prices are so amazing (don't forget you would have to add shipping charges to any of the online stores I linked to above as well!)
BUT
There was a friendly woman at the bulb rack the same time as me and she said she has bought from Costco before and been happy with the results. I am not 100% sure that means she bought "Bulbs to Blooms", if any of you are familiar with this brand, please let me know what your experience has been. They have a good web site including cute videos like his one on Allium.
Wish me luck, and look for a follow up report next June.
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Good luck with your spring bulbs! When spring arrives, I always wish I had planted more tulips and crocus. I do have well over 600 daffodils but not so many of the others. You'll enjoy the fruits of your labor in the spring!
ReplyDelete600 daffs! Awesome. I have not heard back from the current owner of our new house if there are already any bulbs in the yard. My goal will be get up to big numbers like you as well, though it may take a few seasons.
DeleteWe have Purple Sensation and Globemaster and love them. Globemaster really impresses the neighbors, and Purple Sensation does ok in the part shade of our backyard. I also love crocuses, such a cheerful sign of the beginning of spring. Have you looked at species tulips? The bulbs are much smaller than hybrid tulips and they often naturalize.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comments Jason. I've looked up Species Tulips and think I can find something at the front of a garden for them, I tried a few in our Toronto garden last year and liked them. I'd like to order what Vesseys calls their Darwins for naturalizing (http://www.veseys.com/ca/en/store/fallbulbs/tulips/darwintulips) and love to know what you think of the naturalizing quality of Darwins?
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