March 09--daffodils in the snow
I like to buy local when ever possible , but for the best selection and price, I always order my bulbs from companies that specialize. I have three favorites and the top one is almost local–
Terra Ceia farms is in Pantego NC (East of Greenville). Their selection is not the largest–but their bulbs are huge, in great condition–not bruised or soft. Their prices are great and so is their customer service. If you have a question, or problem, call. A real person answers the phone. www.terraceiafarms.com
John Scheepers in Bantam Connecticut–Great catalog, 87 pages of full color pictures makes for wonderful browsing. Only problem is–you’ll want to try everything. But if I’m looking for a certain bulb or want to try something new, Scheepers is where I shop. www.johnscheepers.com
Van Engelen is the wholesale arm of Scheepers. www.vanengelen.com
fewer varieties but if you buy in bulk, the prices are better. There’s a 50 dollar minimum, which make a nice segue into my next little list–
Tips for buying bulbs
1) Set a budget. Everything looks so appealing and fresh, it’s really, really easy to get out of control. And once that budget is set, don’t spread it two thinly. Bulbs are small. You need to grow big patches. So if you only want to spend 50 bucks, buy one of two varieties instead of 5. You’ll be happier in the long run.
2) Plan where you’re going to plant you bulbs before you order them. Make a short wish list, then walk around the yard and figure out where your bulbs can go. I like to take winter photos of bare spots that can use bulbs, them reference them in the fall.
3) Pick varieties that do well in the South and will come back year after year. That’s another reason the local company tops my list of suppliers. They are not going to sell me something that isn’t really happy here. And there are lots of bulbs that don’t come back it my garden. I’ve given up on: Snow drops, big globe Allium, double daffodils, Darwin and triumph tulips.
Here’s what I grown instead.
Daffodils–My first is Rijnveld’s Early Sensation. My last Hawera. I grow lots of other varieties in between like February Gold, Ice follies, Actaea and Geranium.
January 25, 2010--I always take a portrait of the season's first daffodil. This is Rijnveld's Early Sensation
Spanish Hyacinth–If you have woods, fill them with Hyacinthoides hispanica or the Spanish bluebell. They are stunning, great cut flowers and multiply.
Summer Snowflake or Leucojum. Lovely arching stems. White and green bell flowers. I plant them in patches at the base of trees and never have enough.
Species tulips. These are the only truly perennial tulips in the South. Small and dainty. Great in a vase.
Ipheion or Star flower. Blooming blue carpets in March. Seeds and spreads.
The list could go on…and on. There are many more bulbs that will work in the South–It’s just that I’m on a budget. So please, share your bulb orders with us. Let us know what works at your house. I always want to try something new.
A note about buying bulbs locally: Dickenson’s in Chapel Hill, and Stone Brothers and Byrd in Durham have the best selection if you want to buy in a store. I also like the Southern States in Carrboro. I would stay away from the big box stores. Their bulbs tend to be small. Bigger bulbs make bigger flowers. Bigger flowers make happier gardeners.
March 2010, Spanish bluebells and lenten rose--
8 comments
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September 20, 2010 at 2:02 am
Melissa Blaisdell
Ooh…this sounds so exciting. So when is the best time to plant these bulb beauties after we go shopping?
And if we have to wait a little, how should we store?
Great insight Chris, as always.
Grow on!
m
September 20, 2010 at 5:03 pm
christineramsey
Usually you can pick a time for shipment to your area–so storage isn’t such a big problem. The company stores them–their business–and you get them near planting time.
But you order now because varieties often get sold out.
I like to plant my bulbs on the Saturday and Sunday after Thanksgiving. I sort of set that day aside and as long as there’s no monsoon, I go for it. It’s peaceful, outdoors and gets me out of the kitchen.
Sometimes I don’t get them all in the ground–but I try to do it before mid Dec.
September 20, 2010 at 12:26 pm
Linda Watson
Inspiring! Also try Brent and Becky’s Bulbs. I know them personally from my days with the Perennial Plant Society. They couldn’t be nicer and more fanatical about bulbs. Brent literally wrote the book on daffodils. Some spring I hope to visit their nursery in Virginia. Must be gorgeous!
They have excellent end-of-season sales, too. One year I spent November on my knees after ordering 500 bulbs!
September 20, 2010 at 5:11 pm
christineramsey
Thanks Linda–I have ordered from Bret and Becky and their products and service were fabulous. Don’t know how I got kicked off their fall mailing list but you have inspired me to look them up on-line and become a customer again.
I think they sold out to White Flower Farms, became disenchanted with big time plant selling and reopend under their own names. They were the Daffodil Mart before.
Many years ago, I called them with a question and Bret answered the phone. Bet that doesn’t happen at White Flower Farm.
And please let me know about the end of season sales. I need to get on that list, too.
PS–Have you planted any fall veggies? I have some but it’s so dry, I haven’t put them out.
September 20, 2010 at 5:59 pm
Linda Watson
Brent and Becky were pretty bitter about White Flower Farms. Don’t remember the details well enough to put them down here, but I stopped buying from WFF as a result. I recall it like this:
> B&B: But you said nothing would change!
> WFF: You’re mine now, my pretties. You and your little bulbs too! Bwa-ha-ha!
No fall veggies here yet, except some lettuce seeds in the kitchen.
September 22, 2010 at 1:36 pm
christineramsey
That’s a sad story. Bret and Becky are obviously people who love plants and love what they do…
I guess White Flower Farm isn’t as pretty as their beautiful catalog–which I like to thumb though but never order from anymore. Their prices!! ouch.
October 14, 2010 at 12:04 am
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