Most people know that daffodil bulbs will "naturalize," meaning that they will multiply in the ground, each bulb adding one or two more each year. But there is another way to increase your bulbs--a process called scaling in which you slice the bulb into sections that will then form bulblets. Bulbs produced through scaling will take two or three years to flower, but you can potentially produce more bulbs through scaling than through naturalizing.

reBlogged to propagation bulbs daffodils

Posted by Claire Splan Reblogged by Old Roses to bulbs, daffodils, propagation on 2008-05-01, 06:13:12

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It’s been a beautiful week here in Toronto. The plants in my garden have shown their appreciation of the warm weather by growing and growing and growing some more!

The Chionodoxa, Glory of the Snow, is blooming. One day the plants were just short little green leaves, the next a few tiny buds had appears and then the following day the Chionodoxa had grown several inches and were blooming. I’ve got white ones, bluish ones and pink ones blooming in several clumps throughout the back garden. . . .

reBlogged to bulbs on Apr 19, 2008, 5:43PM

Posted by Tricia Reblogged by Old Roses to bulbs on 2008-04-21, 01:16:01

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Posted by Susan Reblogged by Old Roses to bulbs on 2008-04-18, 06:20:53

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Four from the Farm
Glory-of-the-Snow
Chionodoxa forbesii
(kye-oh-no-DOKS-uh)

Running late again this morning. Here are four photos from the farm’s garden. It is a windy, exposed site on the side of a ridge so spring comes a little later. I did some work in the big perennial border, which is usually cared for by the staff but I helped them divide and move a few things. The roses are cleaned up and ready to grow. . . .

reBlogged to bulbs on Apr 10, 2008, 8:08AM

Posted by Digital Flower Pictures Reblogged by Old Roses to bulbs on 2008-04-11, 06:38:15

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Yesterday afternoon the clouds lifted and I jumped in the car to go look at the Virginia Bluebells at Bull Run Park near Centreville. I fear I won't be able to adequately describe the scene, but I'll try.


As you slog along the muddy trail towards the river, the forest floor looks as if a sudden snow flurry just started to stick. The tiny white and pink Spring Beauties (Claytonia sp.) cover the ground on both sides of the trail. As you approach the Cub Run river, you see a haze of blue. For the full effect, click through the photos to Picasaweb and then click the magnifying glass at the top right of the photo for a larger view. . . .

reBlogged to bulbs

Posted by Entangled Reblogged by Old Roses to bulbs on 2008-04-11, 06:37:19

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It looks like my camera is gone, gone, gone, and what a mental blow it does to my blogging desires. I still have a few pictures left over of some recent bloomers, and I will share those with you. In the meantime, I will be in the market for another Canon EOS 20D...I might need to buy a used one if anyone has any leads, my e-mail is chris@southernbulbs.com I will also let US Airways know about the incident. . . .

reBlogged to tools flowers bulbs

Posted by Bulb Hunter Reblogged by Old Roses to bulbs, flowers, tools on 2008-04-08, 18:08:14

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reBlogged to bulbs on Apr 6, 2008, 12:35PM

Posted by blog@cactusjungle.com (cactusblog) Reblogged by Old Roses to bulbs on 2008-04-08, 07:08:33

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Still no sign of the coveted winter aconites... but my 'Flore Pleno' snowdrops finally decided to make an appearance this week! Here's the first one, a bit shorter than I had expected but still a welcome sight amid beech leaves and browned ajuga foliage:

reBlogged to spring bulbs

Posted by Blackswamp_Girl Reblogged by Old Roses to bulbs, spring on 2008-04-04, 06:48:32

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reBlogged to bulbs

Posted by Elizabeth Reblogged by Old Roses to bulbs on 2008-04-03, 06:25:08

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When I was in high school, my mother handed me a mail order bulb catalog and told me I could pick something out to plant. (I guess I had done all right by the daffodils and she wanted to encourage me...

reBlogged to soil bulbs on Apr 1, 2008, 7:58PM

Posted by Kathy Purdy Reblogged by Old Roses to bulbs, soil on 2008-04-03, 06:24:32

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And so it begins. . .



The crocus and daffodils are up. . .

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Posted by Seedling Reblogged by Old Roses to bulbs, seeds on 2008-04-03, 06:19:21

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Lachenalia aloides var. aloides


Sparaxis elegans

reBlogged to seeds bulbs

Posted by Matt Reblogged by Old Roses to bulbs, seeds on 2008-04-03, 06:18:25

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reBlogged to daffodils bulbs

Posted by Gotta Garden Reblogged by Old Roses to bulbs, daffodils on 2008-04-03, 05:57:47

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Dutch Hyacinth
Hyacinthus orientalis
(hy-uh-SIN-thus) (or-ee-en-TAY-liss)

Almost everyone knows this sweet smelling flower. They aren’t blooming here yet but I did see some of the foliage popped out of the ground the other day. I bought these for Easter and have kept them outside on the front step. It is amazing to me that they really took some cold nights (guessing the mid-teens F) with just a little tinge of damage on the top of one of the stalks, which is hardly noticeable. Hyacinths are very hardy in the ground surviving into USDA Zone 3, but this the first time I could see how hardy the flower was. Gardeners south of Zone 7 should treat them as annuals. . . .

reBlogged to hyacinth bulbs on Mar 31, 2008, 7:12AM

Posted by Digital Flower Pictures Reblogged by Old Roses to bulbs, hyacinth on 2008-04-02, 05:48:31

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Bulbocodium vernum wastes no time in opening its fragile little blooms; with the first kiss of pale, watery sunlight it throws its flowers open. This is a monotypic plant; the only species in its genus. Bulbocodium was comfortably sitting in the genus colchicum, until somebody noticed that its petals are completely separate; they aren't fused at the base into a tube like all the rest of the colchicums... well that was enough for the taxonomists, who banished it all by itself to another genus. You would think that looking like a colchicum, and even being loaded with exactly the same unique toxin as all the rest of the colchicums (colchicine, which is still used to treat gout) would be enough qualifications to stay in the colchicum club, but I guess not.Taxonomists are such exclusionary people; I think too many of them were the last people chosen for dodgerball.

reBlogged to bulbs

Posted by IBOY Reblogged by Old Roses to bulbs on 2008-04-01, 06:48:14

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This bunch of plants had only one flower and several buds showing this past Sunday. Three fairly mild days later there's a bouquet.

The Chionodoxa, "Glory of Snow", is related to Scilla and Hyacinths. I think they compare favorably with Scilla. The name Chinodoxa is a scientific name which translates to "glory of snow". . . .

reBlogged to flowers bulbs on Mar 26, 2008, 8:00PM

Posted by Ki Reblogged by Old Roses to bulbs, flowers on 2008-03-27, 18:10:59

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The temperatures are still dropping into the teens every night (last night’s low: 17.5F or -8C) and even when the high hits 40F (4C) the brisk wind makes it feel chillier. But at least a...

reBlogged to weather bulbs on Mar 24, 2008, 5:22PM

Posted by Kathy Purdy Reblogged by Old Roses to bulbs, weather on 2008-03-25, 05:51:02

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Bob asked: “My all time favorite flower is Lily of the Valley. I live in San Jose, which is part of the San Francisco Bay Area. Despite much effort I...

reBlogged to bulbs on Mar 19, 2008, 9:01PM

Posted by Reblogged by Old Roses to bulbs on 2008-03-21, 06:13:38

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reBlogged to bulbs beneficials

Posted by IBOY Reblogged by Old Roses to beneficials, bulbs on 2008-03-20, 19:08:29

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reBlogged to spring bulbs

Posted by Anthony Reblogged by Old Roses to bulbs, spring on 2008-03-20, 05:55:04

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You tell me: do I have blooms for Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day? These snowdrops are the furtherest along of all that I have. They have “dropped”; that is, their buds are no longer...

reBlogged to flowers bulbs on Mar 16, 2008, 12:42PM

Posted by Kathy Purdy Reblogged by Old Roses to bulbs, flowers on 2008-03-18, 00:09:37

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Such fun to browse through the garden center in the spring. This is what I bought.

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Posted by carletongardener Reblogged by Old Roses to bulbs, tools on 2008-03-18, 00:07:49

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Made it back from Monroe at 2am. Spent the day speaking and bulb hunting! More to come.

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Posted by Bulb Hunter Reblogged by Old Roses to bulbs on 2008-03-15, 00:30:34

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Monroe was a wonderful town and welcomed me with open arms! I even had a daffodil cake which I just could not get over. It tasted delicious, but we did pull the daffodils out. Thank you Mrs. A for making it and giving me a wonderful tour. . .

reBlogged to bulbs

Posted by Bulb Hunter Reblogged by Old Roses to bulbs on 2008-03-15, 00:27:14

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reBlogged to spring bulbs

Posted by Gotta Garden Reblogged by Old Roses to bulbs, spring on 2008-03-07, 06:18:18

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I had a guest every day last week, with about one hour in between each one. The week ended with a trip to Louisiana. Much of the time I did not have internet access, so here is a quick recap. . . .

reBlogged to bulbs

Posted by Bulb Hunter Reblogged by Old Roses to bulbs on 2008-03-04, 05:56:19

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Planting new shrubs and bulbs may be a bit precarious given the rain situation but the time is now if they are going to survive at all. Transition from cold dry winter to a hot humid spring is rather demanding on the new plants meagre resources, and the change is sudden and dramatic. . . .

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Posted by Colin & Carol Reblogged by Old Roses to bulbs on 2008-03-03, 18:16:32

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How long will it take to force my freesia bulbs? (answer).

From The Old Farmer's Almanac.

reBlogged to bulbs on Mar 1, 2008, 11:00PM

Posted by The Old Farmer's Almanac Reblogged by Old Roses to bulbs on 2008-03-03, 00:38:42

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I planted a couple dozen bulbs on Feb 1st. Since, it's been one month, I figured I'd give an update on their progress. Nearly all of them have broken the surface. A few of the tallest ones have a couple long leaves and are close to 12 inches. They are watered once per week for abut 55 minutes with our residential sprinkler system and get full sun for 5 hours per day, then filtered sun the rest of the day. Our temps have fluctuated between 88 and 40, and they have been just fine.

reBlogged to bulbs

Posted by ldybug Reblogged by Old Roses to bulbs on 2008-03-03, 00:28:56

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The daffodils in my front garden are doing great. A few have the beginnings of buds forming. There are at least two crocus that appear to be ready to bloom this weekend. And the tulips out front that have never bloomed for me are starting to poke through.

The back yard is a different story. The established daffodils are right on schedule, a little behind the ones in the front. No tulips are to be seen, although one of the new peonies is starting to poke through. The new daffodils are barely poking through. But somewhere along the line, the mulch covering the bird bath garden disappeared. And that garden has a lot of frost heaves. I took a few minutes to dig some leaves out of the compost pile and spread them around. Hopefully that will help.

reBlogged to bulbs

Posted by millionbells Reblogged by Old Roses to bulbs on 2008-03-01, 19:05:08

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Not sure if it is the long winter, or just me getting older but I have no clue what bulbs we planted last fall. Guess I will find out in a couple weeks.

reBlogged to bulbs

Posted by The Cheap Vegetable Gardener Reblogged by Old Roses to bulbs on 2008-02-29, 18:12:39

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I made it back to the farm late Saturday night. Sunday was a restful day, and today I have been answering customer e-mails. This morning I stepped outside to get a few shots of the farm in the early morning light. The birds are active this morning, making their presence known through their song and color. I already have the doors open for what is to be a beautiful day. . . .

reBlogged to flowers bulbs

Posted by Bulb Hunter Reblogged by Old Roses to bulbs, flowers on 2008-02-26, 18:09:38

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Last Saturday I went shopping because I needed a new pair of trousers. Not finding any I liked in the centre of town, I decided to visit a shopping centre on the outskirts of Milan which I'd never been to before. I didn't find any trousers, but I did find a garden centre ...

A while back, everyone was posting about seed catalogues and how they were choosing things for the year. I wish I was so organised. I'm an impulse buyer - I see things and can't resist. And then regret it. . . .

reBlogged to bulbs

Posted by Sue Swift Reblogged by Old Roses to bulbs on 2008-02-26, 06:24:44

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My garden is still blanketed in a heavy coat of snow. There’s perhaps two or two and a half feet of snow across my whole backyard including the garden beds. I’m actually happy about that. . . .

reBlogged to flowers crocus bulbs on Feb 24, 2008, 12:33AM

Posted by Tricia Reblogged by Old Roses to bulbs, crocus, flowers on 2008-02-25, 18:50:19

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This is my longest blogging hiatus. The truth is the garden and the gardener are dormant right now. Sort of like these amaryllis bulbs before I potted them up three weeks ago. Dormancy can be good. The seasons encourage it. Why fight it. . .

reBlogged to bulbs winter

Posted by Leslie Reblogged by Old Roses to bulbs, winter on 2008-02-25, 06:37:30

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I have successfully made it to Houston, with the trailer and all. In case any body was wondering, the toll for a truck and trailer on Beltway 8 is $3, and if you stay at a hotel in the Galleria area for a wedding, it's best to find a place to park the trailer because the valet guys won't touch it.

Along the way down, there were many bulbs blooming in run down home sites. One of my favorite sites of bulbs, is this patch of jonquils that sits below a billboard in Buffalo, Texas. The jonquils weren't quite in full bloom yet. Since the jonquils set so many seeds, there are populations of different types of species floating around the South, and this grouping always blooms a little later than others. . . .

reBlogged to bulbs

Posted by Bulb Hunter Reblogged by Old Roses to bulbs on 2008-02-25, 06:29:49

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autumnwyndsong posted a question many of us have had to deal with: "Back in Sept when fall bulbs started arriving in stores here in Southeastern PA, I went...

reBlogged to bulbs on Feb 13, 2008, 8:01PM

Posted by Reblogged by Old Roses to bulbs on 2008-02-14, 15:19:41

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I wonder if the Dutch ever get sick of tulips, the way we tire of black-eyed Susans and Hosta? It seems hard to believe, since tulips are such...

reBlogged to bulbs on Feb 11, 2008, 8:01PM

Posted by Reblogged by Old Roses to bulbs on 2008-02-13, 07:17:24

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reBlogged to crocus bulbs

Posted by Carol Reblogged by Old Roses to bulbs, crocus on 2008-02-12, 19:06:20

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Odyssey Bulbs has long been a favorite of mine for unusual bulbs (including unusual varieties of colchicum) that you’re not likely to find elsewhere–not even at Brent and Becky’s. I...

reBlogged to bulbs on Feb 10, 2008, 4:43PM

Posted by Kathy Purdy Reblogged by Old Roses to bulbs on 2008-02-11, 19:24:16

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good morning sunshine!
photos are a view through my windows. . .

reBlogged to bulbs

Posted by Naturegirl Reblogged by Old Roses to bulbs on 2008-02-06, 07:19:03

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Despite this morning's brief snow flurry, Spring is nearly upon us. That means that the 1,000 Daffodils and 400 Crocus which dozens of neighborhood volunteers planted along Cortelyou Road last fall will soon bloom. The crocuses are already up and...

reBlogged to bulbs

Posted by Xris (Flatbush Gardener) Reblogged by Old Roses to bulbs on 2008-02-06, 06:39:40

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This is a big event for me, as it’s the first time I’ve ever kept any of these for myself; last year, I gave them as gifts. Or maybe I did keep some, but they bud blasted, which is what I thought had happened this time. As you can see, the bud tips were somewhat brown and wrinkled (more evident in an earlier image, below), but after what seemed like forever, the blooms came out. I suspect the lights and humidifier in the plant room may have helped. I have a bunch more coming up; most are the double form, though.


What do you call the tissue-y covering of these buds, the part that peels away? I can’t seem to find this info. All daffs have it, including the very uncooperative Obdams I have outside, none of which bloom anymore. I’m finding indoor daff forcing much more rewarding than growing them outside, at least in my garden.

reBlogged to bulbs flowers

Posted by EAL Reblogged by Old Roses to bulbs, flowers on 2008-02-05, 07:01:04

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