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FLOWERING BULBS
Bulbs are very easy to grow and are good indoors plants. They are perfect plants for lazy gardeners and most of them are fragrant. Somehow, their fragrance remind me of Chinese New Year and I will feel very relax as I immerse myself in their sweet fragrance. Aromatherapy anyone? With advances in technology and horticultural practices, nurseries are able to force them to bloom at any time of the year like Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and of course, Chinese New Year though most of them flower in spring. After forcing, buds will form within the bulbs and will burst into blooms very quickly when the temperature rises. Personally, I find that you should not buy Iris and Crocus as they are too cool-growing to bloom in Singapore.
When to purchase them It is best to purchase them 3-5 days before Chinese New Year so that they will be in full bloom on the actual day itself. Flowering period Their flowers last for about five days in our tropical climate though longer in cooler conditions. Care (Rating: 3) Do not subject them to sun. Bright diffuse light is the maximum that you can give them. Fertilisation is not required. Just water once a day will be sufficed. Be extremely careful not to wet the crown during watering or rots will set in around the bulb. After flowering (Rating: 1) They are usually discarded in the tropics after flowering. In temperate regions, they are planted outdoors after flowering and demand lots of water and fertiliser so that they can store enough food before they go into dormancy. A cold winter is needed if they are to flower again. In winterless climates like Singapore, the bulbs can be tricked into flowering by giving them an artificial winter in the fridge for a few weeks before planting. Anyone game to try?
Most of the hyacinths available in the market are cultivars derived from Hyacinthus orientalis or commonly known as the Dutch Hyacinths since the Dutch have had a virtual monopoly on developing them. Hyacinths are perhaps the easiest of all spring flowers to force them to bloom during mid-winters. The Dutch growers are able to grow them like a fine art - chill the bulb for so many days, plant on such and such a date, grow in such and such a temperature (according to variety) and you can time the flowers to within a couple of days. Hyacinth is named after a beautiful youth of the same name who died young and was given immortality by Apollo, the Greek god of the Sun, to transform into the sweetly scented flowers that we love today. Of all the bulbs, I like hyacinths best. They are more heat tolerant and will bloom quite reliably for me. Bud blasts are rare. Their flowers are so strongly fragrant that they can easily fill a living room.
How to select plants Some bulbs have two spikes instead of one and the only way to find out is to pry open the leaves that are enclosing the buds. Select bulbs that have not been wet by the watering made by the nursery workers as sometimes the bulb will rot unknowingly when you bring it back. Shake the bulb a little to ensure the buds are intact. Price range $4.80
onwards per bulb.
There are about 9 varieties of narcissi available in the local market. They are
Bridal Crown is the most commonly available narcissus available in our market during Chinese New Year. It is the most fragrant of all but is very susceptible to bud blasts once the temperatures are warm. Flowers are produced in succession and are white. There can be as many as 5-6 flowers per bulb measuring 5 cm across on tall spikes which looks very elegant when a pot of about 6-8 bulbs are blooming at the same time. I prefer the other more heat tolerant solitary-flowered varieties like Yellow Dwarf or Carlton. Both of them look identical to me. Tete a Tete on the other hand has smaller flowers but are produced in succession. There are about 4 buds per bulb. Like Bridal Crown, Tete a Tete is susceptible to bud blasts too. Flower Drift and Cassata produce white, solitary flowers per bulb and are about 5 cm across. How to select plants Select as many buds as possible to maximise your dollar spent. This is usually done by 'peeping' through the leaves of each bulb for any hidden bud. There are a few pointers to note:
Price range $6 for a pot of 3 bulbs. $12
onwards for bigger pots.
Hippeastrum are tropicals indigenous to South America but I have put them under the temperate plant category for convenience. They are bred mainly by the Dutch and are also known as Dutch hybrids though they are sold under their old genus name, Amaryllis by nurseries. Flowers up to 30 cm are produced before the leaves develop in clusters of 3-4 flowers. They are cultivated everywhere as potted plants and you may be glad to know that they flower best with their roots confined in pots. When to purchase them About 5-7 days as they tend to open slower than the other bulbs. How to select plants
Most bulbs have at least 2 flower sheaths. 3 sheaths are a bonus. Look for bulbs preferably with unopened sheaths. Ensure that the bulbs are well rooted by pulling it slightly to check that the bulb is firmly rooted. Price range $18 onwards. After flowering (Rating: 3) Since Hippeastrum are tropicals, there is a chance to rebloom them in Singapore after flowering. Give them lots of light, water and fertiliser as hippeastrums are heavy feeders. Do not repot into bigger pots. About 2 cm around the bulb will be sufficient since they grow and flower best when pot bound. Continue this regime till they start to die down when the leaves start to turn yellow. This is a very tricky part as I have known from friends whose Hippeastrum remain green for years and are reluctant to go into dormancy. Just be patient. One day they would. Keep them dry once they are dormant. Resume watering once you see growths or new spikes appearing from the bulb. Some people keep the bulbs in a fridge during the resting period since cooled bulbs produce larger flowers.
Most of us associate Tulip with the Dutch and indeed it is the national flower of the Netherlands. Tulip was introduced to Dutch gardens from Turkey at the end of the sixteenth century. The tulip is the national flower of Iran and Turkey, and tulip motifs feature prominently in Persian and Turkish folk arts. Like myself, I am sure most of you will be surprised that the word tulip did not originate from any Greek mythology but came from the Persian word for turban, a mistake probably originating in the common Turkish custom of wearing flowers in the folds of the turban.
How to select plants Ensure each bulb has a bud hidden within the leaves. As with other bulbs, grab them before the nursery workers water them. Price range Generally more expensive than hyacinths. $10 onwards.
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