Sunday, April 15, 2001		Garden Life

Flowers that make your garden bloom
By Satish Narula

GARDENERS are generally at a loss when it come to naming bulbous plants. They have, however, heard of terms like bulbs, tubers, corms, pips, rhizomes and runners etc. In broader terms we can call all such plants bulbous plants.

If you are still interested in knowing the real botanical names of such plants then you can term amaryllis, onion and lilium as bulbs, achimenes and potato as tubers, gladiolus a corm and canna and ginger as rhizomes.

Bulbous plants are valued for their flowers and foliage. Due to wide variations in their height, size of blooms and flowering period, these plants are suitable for use in almost all aspects of landscaping viz. as border plants, as specimen plants or as potted plants. Due to their spectacular blooms and a prolonged vase life they are widely used in vase displays.

Bulbous plants used for mass display include various shades and types of canna (keli). It is not only its bloom that is valued but also its foliage which in some varieties is variegated or deep maroon.

Bulbous plants when used as borders look amazing. You may have noticed amaryllis with varied shades of blooms ranging from sparkling white to deep red, pink or even double shades growing at the edge of berms or beds. Of late gardeners have also started using double dwarf dahlias that do not grow more than 8 to 10 inches in height, for this purpose. Crinum is another bulbous plant that is used in borders.

Have you heard of zephyranthes? The plant is not more than 8 to 10 inches in height but growing them in small patches is rewarding.

Different from caladiums, or gladiolus, hedychium, ordinarily called butterfly lily can also be grown. Every garden has a semi-shady and moist patch. You can utilise it for growing this bulbous beauty that flowers during the rainy season. Do not try to grow it in a pot as the plant has a tendency to grow to a height of one to two metres. In cold weather it dies and grows in summer again. Provide a place which has good amount of moisture and deep and rich soil.

Iris is another attractive bulbous plant. It is a hardy plant. It can be grown in a semi-shady place with a good amount of moisture. Also make sure you plant those varieties that are suited to plains. Hilly types grown in plains give small blooms.

Some adventurous gardeners have successfully tried growing tulips, hyacinths, crocus, kniphofia, montbretia, ranunculus etc with varying degrees of success. You can also try it in the coming season.

This feature was published on March 25, 2001