THE COASTAL GARDENER:

Last week a gardening shopper at the nursery asked me, “How do I grow tulips with long, strong necks and big, sturdy flowers?”

Being the expert that I am, full of endless gardening wisdom, I asked “Why tulips?”

She didn’t really have an answer; it just seemed like the obvious bulb, since they are so widely promoted, easily available and appear to be the emblem of the bulb world.

She was eager. I was poised. Here was an inexperienced, impressionable young gardener, ready to submit to my tulip-growing instructions.

In my thoughts I began to formulate my tulip dissertation to this helpless horticultural pupil. I thought: first my introductory comments, followed by specific cultural details, a few personal tips and tricks, and then I would finish with a brief question-and-answer period.

I was ready. I would give her a proper schooling on the details of tulip culture in Orange County. I took a deep breath, looked her straight in the eye and began the lesson.

First the chilling process for the tulip bulbs, with lots of precautions about too much time in the refrigerator, the ethylene gas problem, the paper vs. plastic bag worry, frostless or old defrosting refrigerators, etc., etc.

The instruction progressed as I moved on to the precise moment of planting; mid to late November, no sooner. And they must go directly from refrigerator to soil, with little delay, for their cold treatment to be effective.

Lesson three was about the all-important planting depth: up to 9 inches for most varieties in our climate, unless in clay soil, or with undersized bulbs, or multiflora varieties, or this or that, etc. etc.

By now I was really on a roll, and my personal one-on-one seminar was building nicely. I was quite impressed with myself and felt as if my tulip-growing symphony, now well into its fourth movement, was orchestrated well and moving toward a grand finale. Perhaps even an encore would be requested.

But not too quick. I had to tell her to be careful of which tulip varieties to select. Not the Darwin tulips, Rembrandt tulips or Fosteriana tulips. Stay away from the Kaufmanniana, Greigii and Triumph types. I warned to not be swayed by all the fancy pictures, but to look carefully for the “single-late” term somewhere in the fine print.

There were countless more instructions I spewed about various other processes and treatments. Bone meal was mentioned, as were soil amendments and gypsum and adjusting the pH. All the things to do to get the greatest likelihood of success.

As I neared the end of my tulip novel I conveyed the final plot twist. Even with all this careful tulip planning, there was no guarantee of glorious flowers on tall, sturdy, straight stems. Sometimes, for unknown reasons, tulips just don’t cooperate and the whole process is a bust.

My poor student’s eyelids had grown heavy by now, and she wobbled just slightly. Her rookie eagerness had quickly turned to despair, brought on by overwhelming details from a grizzled gardening veteran. She was discouraged.

But the epilogue was still not delivered. “Of course, tulips are a one-use bulb,” I said. “After they bloom, they’re done. Throw them out; they won’t naturalize and they won’t bloom again.”

That did it. Now, after my 10-minute, award-worthy tulip class, she asked “Is there anything a little easier?”

Well yes, “There are amaryllis bulbs.” I stated. “They are sometimes called ‘the tulip of the South’ because they are so easy.”

I explained that all they really need are a reasonable amount of sun and they’ll bloom reliably every year, sometimes twice.

The flowers are huge, the foliage is beautiful and the clumps will multiply freely. You don’t ever need to dig them up; they come in a huge variety of colors, they need no chilling, can be planted any time and only a shallow hole needs to be dug.

“That’s fine” she said. “I’ll take 10 of those.”

Gardener’s note: Hippeastrum is the true name of the common garden bulb that many of us know as amaryllis.

Question: Ineed plant suggestions for a long, 4-foot-deep space at the bottom of a slope. There are xylosma and a few echium in the background. I want to use Mexican bush sage in this space and clumps of golden black-eyed Susan uphill in the background. I need low care, low water and would like to have some flowers to attract birds and butterflies.

Janet

Newport Beach

Answer: The Mexican bush sage (salvia leucantha) would work fine. However, I don’t find the black-eyed Susans (rudbeckia) to be very long lived in our area. If you want the golden color, you might consider an ornamental milkweed called asclepias curassavica “Silky Gold” or “Hello Yellow.” Although it will seed around, it is a food plant for Monarch butterflies and never fails to attract them. A few salvia greggii or microphylla would be nice as well. They don’t come in gold, but various shades of pink, red and violet, need minimal care and attract scores of hummingbirds.

ASK RON your toughest gardening questions, and the expert nursery staff at Roger’s Gardens will come up with an answer. Please include your name, phone number and city, and limit queries to 30 words or fewer. E-mail [email protected], or write to Plant Talk at Roger’s Gardens, 2301 San Joaquin Hills Road, Corona del Mar, CA 92625.

RON VANDERHOFF is the Nursery Manager at Roger’s Gardens, Corona del Mar.