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It's time to get those bulbs in for spring!
Gardeners in the Western Cape and Overberg are probably feeling rather depressed and downhearted after a very long, hot, dry summer, so I decided to focus on a really positive gardening project to lift everyone’s spirits! It’s also an ideal project for children, as the bulbs are easy to handle, and nothing is more exciting than watching the first sprouts appearing above the earth.
Now is the perfect time to plant the indigenous bulbs and corms. All the following bulbs are ideal pot subjects and can also be fantastic garden plants. As with most bulbs originating from our area, they are dormant during the hot summer and early autumn months, requiring no water at all during their dormant season. This is what makes them such ideal pot subjects in our growing conditions. Plant now, water regularly until the flowers have faded, and then simply move the pots to a dry, unirrigated position for the hot months. You will have to remember to water the pots again next autumn though! If you prefer to include them in the garden landscape, choose a really sunny position, with excellent drainage. The bulbs will need to be dry next summer, so irrigated areas are inappropriate. A well-drained bank or rockery is ideal.
Select from the following species which inspire you: SPARAXIS: very easy, inspiring “child plants” with their wacky colour combinations. Tritonias: it’s important not to overwater these as they rot easily. FREESIAS: fragrant favourites across the globe; pack them densely in pots. IXIAS: delicate and feminine. ORNITHOGALUMS: Chincherinchees are largely ignored as garden subjects in South Africa, perhaps because they grow so freely in the wild. They were a staple cutflower in Victorian households and are still favourite cutflowers in Europe. Excellent potplants and cutflowers, they are also ideal garden subjects. LACHENALIAS: cultivars are more easily available than species. Great “child plants”, easier than the traditional hyacinths, but best grown outdoors until flowering time.
All the above are readily available commercially. The mixtures from commercial growers are usually garden hybrids, and should give you a variety of flower colours and forms.
Even if you can’t think of an area suitable for growing them in the garden, you can still grow a potful or two for a beautiful early spring display. The advantage of growing them in pots is that you can be sure of giving them the required attention, and once they are in flower, you can move the pots to a dull winter corner to brighten things up, even indoors. Some of them have wonderful scents, which cannot fail to inspire miserable winter spirits! (e.g. freesias, some of the lachenalias. The packaging will usually tell you if a particular hybrid or variety is strongly scented.)
Choose an attractive pot, preferably with a depth of more than 15 cm to allow for healthy root development. Good drainage is essential for healthy growth, so make sure there are enough drainage holes in the pot. If you are uncertain, place a 2 cm layer of gravel chips at the bottom of the container.
Now read the planting instructions for the type of bulb you have chosen. The depth at which the bulbs should be planted is always indicated on the packaging. As a general rule, these are small bulbs and should be planted 3–5 cm below the surface.
Fill your container to the appropriate level with a richly composted, well-drained soil medium. (Either buy good quality potting soil or make a mixture of half compost, half coarse sand.) Gently push the base of the bulbs into the soil, spaced more or less according to packaging instructions. These indigenous bulbs don’t usually mind some crowding, so you can squish them up a bit closer than recommended if you want a dense flower display. Gently pour the top layer of soil over the bulbs. Water well. After that, water every 3–5 days, allowing the soil to dry out slightly between waterings. Make sure that the pots are situated in a sunny position to prevent the plants becoming stringy and stretched.
Keep an eye out for slugs, snails and caterpillars when the bulbs have emerged. You can feed once a month with a liquid fertiliser or commercial bulb food, but it’s not essential if you’ve provided a good growing medium. All that’s left to do now is gleefully anticipate your winter blooms!
Other indigenous bulbs which should be planted now may be a little more difficult to obtain. Well worth seeking out are the winter and spring flowering indigenous gladioli, hardy chasmanthes, the beautiful babianas and wonderful watsonias. You may need to get these from a bulb specialist. n
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