My Wonderful Experience with Bulbs.

by Sonica
(Delhi, India.)

I love gardening and started off with this hobby by researching information about various plants. I am partial to flowering plants, especially those which can be grown in planters and which thrive on terraces. After trying my luck with different annuals and perennials, I got interested in gardening with bulbs.

I started off reading and researching on what types of bulbs were available and their specific requirements. I live in an area where the temperatures range between 5-20C during the growing season. I started off with freesia and amaryllis bulbs. I bought a pack of imported bulbs from my local garden center.

For the soil, I added a bit of sand, organic manure, bone meal, leaf mold and cow dung manure and mixed it well to prepare the planting mix. If you live in Delhi it is important to plant your bulbs around October-November when the nights start getting cooler. Planting before this time results in rotting of the bulbs and you will end up wasting money.

Amaryllis has to be planted a little later as they bloom around March during the spring season. Buying a bigger bulb ensures that you get bigger blooms and these bulbs are great for those who are new to gardening. You plant them with a proper planting mix, water them and forget about them. They bloom and multiply, within a few years giving you a pot of beautiful flowers. Just remember to plant them in small containers as this is required for multiplication of bulbs. If you live in Delhi, you don't need to lift them. I just change the soil and repot the bulbs in the same container till it gets too crowded, when they have to be divided or shifted to a bigger planter.

My freesias burst with flowers in February and they had a lovely fragrance. They are available in different colors and also double and single variety. I opted for the double ones and get great pleasure from watching the lovely flowers dancing with the slightest breeze releasing a heavenly fragrance. After my success with freesias and amaryllis, I next tried ranunculus, hyacinth, anemone, ornithogalum and narcissus. My garden full of flowers and bulbs gives me great joy and I prefer to sit there whenever I feel down. They give me great joy and lift up my spirits.

Flower Bulbs on eBay