carefree garden bulbs

Leo A. Martin leo@possi.org
Tue, 29 Apr 2008 18:23:54 PDT
Here in Phoenix, Arizona, we average 8 inches / 20cm rainfall per year,
but this is extremely variable. 40% of the rain falls between November and
March, and 60% between late July and September. Summer temperatures are
routinely far over 100 F / 38C and overnight winter lows are routinely
down to freezing, rarely to the high teens F / -8C. Winter daytime
temperatures are always well over freezing.

I don't have a lot of bulbs in the ground, and I don't have much
experience with them in the ground, but these are bulletproof here:

Several dozen Amaryllis beladonna make lovely foliage every year. I saw
one inflorescence once and I don't know what I did differently that year.
I got seed which is growing slowly.

Dichelostemma pulchellum is of course native here, and it can be almost
weedy in gardens.

An unnamed Freesia hybrid has been blooming each late winter for over 15
years even though it is in a bed that gets summer watering.

Hippeastrum hybrids aren't in the ground here at Castillo San Miguel, but
they form large beds in many parts of Phoenix on the east sides of houses.

Lycoris radiata grows and flowers well most of the time. Sometimes it
skips a year flowering. The other Lycoris don't live past the first
summer.

Paperwhite narcissus bloom and multiply reliably each year for over 20
years, the only Narcissus I've been able to keep very long.

Rhodophiala bifida (sterile) is completely bulletproof even with ample
summer watering.


Leo Martin
Phoenix Arizona USA


More information about the pbs mailing list