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emerogork2

Mystery Bulbs

emerogork
9 years ago

About three weeks ago, I received an invitation to dig up as many perennials, bushes, bulbs etc as I wanted. Several other gardeners did too.

She had sold her property and had to vacate before August 29th when the plows tilled everything under so the new owners could plant a lawn.

I "enjoyed" a full week's worth of back breaking digging, prying, identifying, guessing, potting, trying, and moving stuff but I gathered about 30 prize wining specimens.

The day before the closing she mentioned that specialty bulbs were all along the walk/wall. The best I could do was to dig them up trying to keep them in clumps with not much success.

Right now I have bags of "Purplish colored bulbs, large bulbs, medium bulbs , small bulbs, "Near the driveway clump" bulbs and some that have a ring around the bottom looking like hyacinth bulbs.

I am going to plant them in a special raised bed as a nursery and try to group them as best I can so I can think of what to do when they bloom in the spring.

Does anyone know of some additional ways I can group these. Some are symmetrical while others oblong but I am not really seeing much else.

It would be nice if I could get a list of what was there that I could improve my odds...

Thoughts appreciated.

Comments (14)

  • dbarron
    9 years ago

    Not really....most bulbs look a lot alike and there's lots of room for confusion. There's room for confusion in how deep you should plant them too..if you haven't already (I would have).

  • emerogork
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    I found this that seems to help:

    http://www.gardenexpress.com.au/bulb-identification-planting-depth-guide.html

    I am aware that the depth can depend on the size of the bulb although some like to be surface bulbs as I recently discovered that elephant ears are.

    The smaller the higher, the larger the deeper.
    Next spring is going to be an adventure.

    My raised bed has a grid below it to prevent varmints from tunneling in and I plan to cover it well for the winter.

  • emerogork
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    The complete compendium of bulbs with circles and arrows and a paragraph on the back of each one....

    http://www.aphis.usda.gov/import_export/plants/manuals/ports/downloads/bulb_identification.pdf

    I guess I have my rainy days cut our for me......

    (: (: (:

  • pitimpinai
    9 years ago

    "She had sold her property and had to vacate before August 29th when the plows tilled everything under so the new owners could plant a lawn."

    What a depressing thought. I guess when I sell my garden I will move out of the country and will never look back, eh?

    I bet the new owner will find unexpected plants grow through his new lawn.

  • bossyvossy
    9 years ago

    As somebody posted, many bulbs look alike, so hard to ID now; however, next spring when foliage appears you will hv a better shot at getting them IDed. I will say that many if my gladiolus bulbs are purple so may b what you have

  • emerogork
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Definitely not gladiola. These are not binconclave but have a tear-drop shape. They have very smooth skin. At least I can keep these together...

    Some have a ring where the roots are. Does this happen for bulbs other than Hyacinth?

  • iris_gal
    9 years ago

    By ring you may be referring to their basal plate. I think all bulbs/corms have basal plates.

  • emerogork
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Maybe it is the size of this basal plate that I am seeing. It is about 1" on Hyacinth and very small for tulips if at all.

  • emerogork
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    "What a depressing thought. I guess when I sell my garden I will move out of the country and will never look back, eh? "

    That is what I thought when I heard it but when I talked to her she was not all that bothered. My guess is that she was content letting many gardeners take plants and they they would find good homes. She still has her gardening circles and will be doing volunteer work as a gardener.

    While we were digging up plants, we found many, if not hundreds of plant tags that did not relate to plants nearby anymore but were more an evidence of history. It was not until the day-too-late that I thought we should have gathered them too.

    We could have made a "Garden History" scrap book so that she could thumb through and reminiscence " and this one was near the garage and bloomed orange late spring."...

  • Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
    9 years ago

    "The complete compendium of bulbs with circles and arrows and a paragraph on the back of each one.... "

    Is this house just half a mile from the RR track? You're not trying to start a movement, are you? Hope you have this figured out by Thanksgiving! Just don't kill kill kill...

    Sending good vibes to your old hippie bulbs!

  • emerogork
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Right now, they are just sitting on the "Group W" bench waiting for the tomatoes to vacate the raised beds.

  • emerogork
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Here is what it looks like now.

    This is what it looked like before: https://www.google.com/maps/@41.71168,-72.6603353,3a,75y,57.1h,90t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1s6a3ZPTrdLNXolomi0GVMbQ!2e0

    As a matter of fact, it is about 1/2 mile from the RR Track.
    Check it out.

  • pandora
    9 years ago

    Oh my gosh!!!!! I compared the photos. Funny how people's taste is so different. I loved the before, but the after ....... Hmmm. I hope she is not sad about it, she made some neighbours very happy!

    I sold a house with 32 roses. I moved 2 sentimental ones before showing the house to anyone. I offered buyer that I could remove roses and replace with easier care plants. Oh. Nononono, they had lawyer write in contract the 32 roses were not to be touched. 2nd year later previous neighbour called to say all roses pulled out by truck and chain and in garbage!

  • floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
    9 years ago

    Makes me want to weep.

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