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With the rest the country bracing for a cold snap, we’re basking in the warm California sun.
The soil in Michigan, and even sultry South Carolina, may be as hard as Arctic tundra, but ours is ready for some great winter planting …California style.
January is the right time to plant bulbs like tulips, daffodils, begonias, lilies and iris.
Everyone’s favorite is tulip.
When most of think of the tulip, we conjure images of wooden shoes and Dutch cocoa. But that’s only part of the story.
[img]289|left|||no_popup[/img]The tulip was originally a wild flower, growing in Central Asia. It was first cultivated by the Turks as early as 1000 A.D. Tulips didn’t even make it to Holland until the 16th century.
It was first cultivated in 1590, by Carolus Clusius, a famous Vienna biologist. He was hired by the University of Leiden to research medicinal plants. In doing so, he received some bulbs from his friend Ogier de Busbecq, the Ambassador to Constantinople, present-day Istanbul.
Tulips first can be traced to the ancient Persian Empire. The Turks referred to them as the lâleh. References to the tulip, which is indigenous to Afghanistan and Iran, can be found throughout Persian lore. Because of its bright colors and form, it was thought to resemble a cup holding the nectar of Zoroastrian purity.
Just the Right Medicine?
When the flower was brought to Western Europe, it became known as the tülbend or turban flower because its shape roughly approximated the gauze headdress that was common throughout the Ottoman domain. Although tulips were thought to possess medicinal properties, they quickly became more prized for their unique flowers.
The commercial history of the tulip is even more astonishing.
[img]290|left|||no_popup[/img]When tulipmania erupted in Europe, and particular Holland, the Turks pounced on the opportunity. In 1574, Selim II of Turkey sent an order to the Sherriff of Aziz for 50,000 bulbs. Demand for the tulip drove the prices to wild heights. Fortunes were made (and lost) overnight speculating on the bulbs.
[img]291|left|||no_popup[/img]Dutch botanists began to hybridize the flower. They soon found ways of making the tulip even more decorative and tempting. Hybrids and mutations of the flower were seen as rarities and a sign of high status. Modern descendants of these first flowers can be found in Amsterdam’s dazzling Keukenhof, the world’s largest flower garden, and center of the tulip universe.
Today, tulips can be found throughout North America. Each spring, as the tulips burst into bloom, festivals celebrating this historic bulb are held from the Eastern Seaboard to the coastal plains of the Northwest.
The Preferred Growing Grounds
Daffodils, like tulips, have a long and multihued history. Ancient travelers reported seeing fields of flame-colored daffodils in their journeys throughout the Mediterranean regions of Spain and Portugal, and Black Sea portions of Turkey.
Bulb flowers, like daffodils, tulips, lilies, begonia and iris, bring cheer to the spring garden with abundant flowers in hues of red, purple, yellow, white, pink, and salmon. Several bulbs, like the begonia, will bloom well into summer.
Varieties are available in a range of sizes and forms. Flowers may be single or double, grow singly on a stem or with multiple flowers per stem, and height varies from 6 to 20 inches.
These flowers grow well in areas with cold winters, cool springs and cool summers. Even though our winters cannot match the frigid cold of Northern Europe, these bulbs flourish in our Southern California climate.
Properly preparing the soil for bulb planting is important. Good soil drainage is essential. If you have a soil with a high clay content, it can be improved by adding compost, peat moss or some other source of organic material. The organic material should be worked in the top 12 inches of soil.
Investing in bulbs is time and money well-spent. If you do it right with the loving care they deserve, you will harvest their beautiful benefits for years to come.
To learn more about any of the plants described in this article, visit our website at www.thejungle.biz or email me at carlos@thejungle.biz.
Carlos Saez is the owner of The Jungle Nursery, a leading designer garden center specializing in unique sculptural plants, tropicals, succulents, bamboo and a wide selection of indoor foliage including orchids. The Jungle, 1900 Sawtelle Blvd., West Los Angeles. 310. 235.2875.
Mr. Saez’ gardening column appears on Wednesdays.
