Bulbs: 2017 Fall Bulbs, 2 by DonnaMack

DonnaMack wrote:
Certain types of tulips definitely perennialize better - tulips other than Darwins (which I think are a yawn).

Most species tulips do very well. So do Greigiis and Kaufmanns, which are near species. And I learned from experience (although I read it later) about single lates because I couldn\'t get a Maureen (white single late) out of the ground and it came back for years.

And, generally any given tulip will last longer if you put it in an area that never gets water.

Lilies have two seasons of planting. We had a lily sale in October because most lilies are planted in the fall. There are a few planted in the spring but they are not common. Our lily sale was in October, and that is the second one of the year. The first is generally around April. I am planting the last of the bulbs I got last month. Lily bulbs go on sale now because you have to get them into the ground pronto. Lily bulbs never go dormant, unlike most bulbs. They are always \"alive\".

But most important is the reason your Orientals are not coming back. Originally, when I grew them, I got nothing - and I mean nothing. Then I tried Sorbonne, which is gorgeous and incredibly easy, and it did bloom. Orientals require acid soil. With some ironite, Sorbonnes that had grown 12 inches grew two feet. Anastasias that had grown 2 feet grew 6. Nobody bothers to tell you, but the reason asiatics do so well is that they are very tolerant. But orientals need acid soil. I do not understand why lily providers, other than Old House Gardens, don\'t tell you this. It\'s so easy. And check it out. The first piicture is from many years ago - 3 Sorbonne bulbs in soil with no acidification. See how short? See the second? Same number of bulbs with a little ironite. Just get a bag of the granular type and throw it on top of the planting bed.

I just renewed. If you don\'t renew you can\'t post. I have been here, but frankly there are a lot of threads in which people just talk about what they have, and I could easily do that but which I really don\'t care for. If you have a billion plants, that\'s nice, but its daunting for the beginner. I always respond to your threads, wherever they are, because you are a serious, polite (hey, charming) gardener who always seems to thirst for knowledge, and I find that trait very appealing. And you are very specific in expressing the difficulties you are having - I had them all too, which makes it easy to address them.

If you are looking for lilies, I Strongly encourage you to visit Hallson Gardens:

[HYPERLINK@davesgarden.com]

I discovered them a perhaps three years ago. Their lily bulbs are outstanding , and dirt cheap. A ton of them are on sale, but this company does something amazing - they sell lilies for 3 to 4 dollars each, unless you buy 3 or more, in which case I often ended up buying lilies for $2.00 each. They are shipping NOW - get over there and have a look. That\'s why I have so many lilies. I could get three for the price I normally paid for 1. I have directed my lily society to them. I probably have 20 of their bulbs.

Evelyn\'s here, but she\'s on different threads.

I just function like the daughter of two academics. I do lots of research and keep lots of notes. I experiment a lot - right now I am growing a bunch of lilies from seed, which takes three years to bloom but also allows you to grow lilies that aren\'t in commerce anymore. I really like it when I see people like you who really want knowledge but don\'t have the time to do my endless research. I love helping people jump over the usual mistakes - ALL of which I have made. What a shame to give up on the glory of orientals because the dodos who sell them fail to give you a basic piece of knowledge so you feel like an expensive failure.

People like you are why I will always be on this website. Please resubscribe. I for one will miss you. You are the only person, I think, to whose inquiries I always respond, because I think you are terrific.

Donna