Bulbs: Has anyone ever planted their bulbs late?, 4 by DonnaMack

DonnaMack wrote:
This year I ordered almost exclusively fro Brent and Becky\'s Bulbs. It\'s partially because I met Brent at a conference (what a lovely man!) but also because they have everything I want, you can get very small quantities if you like (as in 5 of an allium), there is no minimum order, you can get a 5-10% discount - and the quality is excellent. My yard is getting fuller and I am having trouble accommodating the larger orders I used to get from Scheepers ($35 minimum) or Van Engelen ($50 minimum) both of which I was very happy utilizing.

I get a number of things from Old House Gardens. There are a few things that they have that no one else has, like Mrs. Backhouse daffodils. It\'s the very first pink - really apricot, not orange like a lot of \"pinks\". And their bulbs are huge. These are first year lilium auratum platyphyllums in the first picture - I mean, wow! They are fairly expensive, so for really expensive stuff I will wait until the end of the season when they start discounting. The quality is always first rate and they are guaranteed. They do have a $30 minimum, and it is for spring and fall, separately, so it\'s good to maneuver.

And I always order something from Faraway Flowers. I was blown away by her lilium auratums - again, first year bulbs - I mean, come on! It\'s the second picture.

My problem is actually created by the lilies. They are much less expensive, and now that I know how to grow them properly, they multiply like crazy. The longiflorum Asiatic Red Alert got scary this year. I knew it when I saw the emerging stems (third picture) and then the second year lilies. OK, I purchased three, but I was afraid to get too close lest they wrestle me to the ground (the source was B&D Lilies).

I find that bulbs in even first rate garden centers are inferior to the ones I order, undoubted because they are sitting at room temperature for heaven knows how long.

I am thrilled to bits to find that spinosad zaps the lily leaf beetle. It has never made it here, but I\'m ready. The viburnum beetle turned up here, quite unexpectedly, and using spinosad on the larvae (one application!) wiped them out. They are finding it also works on the lily leaf beetle, but like the viburnum beetle you have to be on the lookout and get them in the larval stage. So nice to find something organic that really works - its a fermented bacterium. And so nice to grow without fear.