The Golden State: Where & How to Live, Secure, Visit, Enjoy and Thrive in California

Small Home Landscaping

Crocus, snowdrops and others mentioned are much smaller bulbs. These are set three to four inches deep, three to five inches apart. These and the daffodils can be set among shrubs, under trees, in the foundation planting, anywhere, but not in the lawn. Though pretty, it is not practical. Only through their leaves can bulbs renew
them selves for the following year. Leaves must be allowed to turn yellow naturally, then they may be cut off. Planted in grass, the tops, or leaves, will be cut by the lawn mower before their time. Under this treatment bulbs last a short time. Elsewhere, they'll last for years.

Narcissus is the botanical name for all daffodils. There are several types: the so called daffodils are different types of the trumpet narcissus, the trumpets being funnels protruding from the center of six petals. The trumpets vary in length, the length determining the type.

Jonquils are entirely different. The true jonquil has leaves which look like grass. There are several small dainty flowers on one slender stem and they are fragrant. The bulbs are smaller too; the jonquil of the florist is the large trumpet daffodil.

Tulips differ little in form but they differ in time of flowering. The principal types used are single early, double early; these are short-stemmed flowers but the flower is as large as any tulip. Following these are triumph cottage, May flowering Darwin and Breeder tulips. They flower in approximately that order. There are also lily-flowered, double-flowered parrot and the small botanical tulips.

The other important hardy bulbs are the true lilies. With few exceptions, these are planted very late in autumn, some even in early spring. Lilies flower beginning after the tulips, with varieties flowering throughout the summer into early fall. In the upright-flowering lilies, the flowers are held like wine glasses. In the trumpets, the flowers are held horizontally. The Turk's cap type have the petals folded back in the form of a Turk's cap. There are base-rooting and stem-rooting lilies. The former have roots at the base of the bulb only. These are usually planted late August through September, to flower the following year. The bulbs are covered with just three inches of soil. They grow a cluster of leaves after planting which last until spring. Stem-rooting lilies have roots both at the base of the bulb and from the stem right under the soil surface. These bulbs are set six to ten inches deep to allow for the stem to root. These are planted late in autumn or early spring.