Bulbs add a Bounty of Beauty to Your Landscape!

Spring-flowering bulbs are in their glory making the landscape so beautiful. We are fortunate in Virginia to be able to have daffodils bloom in our gardens from January through April. The sturdy yellow Rjenvelds Early Sensation blooms in late January to early February followed by the February bloomers, the yellow February's Gold and the yellow and white Toby the First. The pest resistant daffodil is seen in mass during March and April. Tulips are more challenging to grow because they are a delicacy to squirrels, mice, voles, deer and rabbits. Luckily, some gardeners love them so much that they are willing to continue planting them year after year. Many tulips must be treated as annuals because they don’t withstand our hot summers well. The beautiful display gardens at Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens, Maymont Park, Agecroft Hall, and the Virginia House replant their tulips each year. These public gardens display a wealth of bulbs in bloom and many of them are labeled. This is the time to view these flowers and make notes of the varieties that you admire and would like to plant in your garden in the fall.

Tulips and daffodils are just two varieties of the palette of spring-flowering bulbs. Interplant taller bulbs with smaller bulbs like grape hyacinth, miniature daffodils, anemone, and hyacinth. Crocus and Snow Drops are a welcoming plant close to your door, so you do not miss their late winter flower. Bulbs look beautiful pushing through a bed of pansies.

Summer bulbs are another group of plants that can enhance your landscape. These bulbs are planted in the spring for you to enjoy this summer. In some cases, I have had the bulb not perform to my expectations the first year, but exceed my expectations the following years. There are winter hardy and tropical bulbs that you can plant now. The tropical bulbs like elephant ears and caladium provide multi colored foliage. Tropical bulbs are not winter hardy in Virginia, so must be dug up and stored in a sheltered place like a cool basement. The magnificent, winter hardy Oriental Lillies, Asiatic Lillies, and Trumpet Hybrids are a showstopper. They come in beautiful combinations of colors and heights. Butterflies and humming birds love these lilies and they are wonderful cut flowers. Dahlia and gladiolus are a favorite that again have numerous varieties that provide many colors, heights and flower sizes.

Brent & Becky's Bulbs is a Virginia grower in Gloucester, VA. Their web site can give you more information about all these wonderful bulbs and more.

Landesign of VA, Inc. is proud to announce the addition of the latest 3-dimensional design software, Chief Architect. This tool can produce a 3-dimensional image from a 2-dimensional drawing as well as take you on a virtual tour of the landscape plan. I am eager to start putting this tool to use helping clients envision their landscape plan.

2011 is Landesign’s 30th year in business. I appreciate your business and your trust in the firm. My dedicated clients give us repeat business and refer us to their friends for design, consultation, and project management services. Thanks again!!!!

Please contact me to inquire about landscape design services.

Nancy Dransfield
Landesign of Virginia, Inc.
P.O. Box 15582
Richmond, Virginia 23227
Office: 804-261-6773
E-mail: n.dransfield@verizon.net

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