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About the Author - Dr. Susan Hamilton

Dr. Susan Hamilton is an associate professor in the University of Tennessee Department of Plant Sciences and director of the UT Gardens. The gardens are a project of the Tennessee Agricultural Experiment Station, with locations in Knoxville and Jackson: http://utgardens.tennessee.edu.

Cannas and caladiums, crinums and crocosmia. While almost all of us recognize tulips and daffodils as traditional spring bulbs, these less appreciated bulbs deserve their own share of fanfare during the summer.

Unlike the spring bulbs, these summer types can be planted now – from May through mid-July – for blooms and lush foliage before frost.

Some can be left in the ground over the winter, while others must be taken inside before the first frost. My hardy bulbs happily spend their winters in the garden, while my tender bulbs stay warm and dry in a cardboard box in my laundry room. I replant them in the spring, and together with my hardy bulbs they create quite a display of summer flower power.

I recommend groupings of three, five and seven bulbs or more, intermingled with the other plants in your garden. Such groupings make a dramatic display and are showier in the landscape. These bulbs are also great for use in containers.

I like to plant bulbs with colorful foliage – such as caladium, colocasia and ginger – next to plants with complementary flower colors, creating a balance between flowers and foliage. Likewise I plant bulbs with lots of bright blooms – such as dahlia, gladiolas and scadoxus – with complementary foliage plants.

Summer bulbs are really easy to grow. Most thrive in full sun with moist, well-drained soil. Tuberous begonia, canna, caladium and alocasia, however, can tolerate shade. After planting, I recommend applying a general all-purpose fertilizer such as 10-10-10 over the soil surface at a rate of 2 pounds per 100 square feet.

Here’s a list of some of my favorite summer bulbs, many of which are already gracing my own garden:

Alocasia features loads of exotic, tropical-looking foliage all season. A variety of sizes and colors is available. Terrific mixed with strong flowering plants, California – solid green with striking upright leaves – and Freydek – velvety emerald green leaves with bold white veins – are two of my favorites.

Caladium boasts heart-shaped leaves and colorful foliage, ranging in size from 6 to 12 inches. Numerous cultivars are available, and foliage colors range from red to salmon, rose, white or green, with many variegated combinations.

Canna is a popular yet exotic bulb, typically hardy in Tennessee. Lots of new selections with bold foliage colors are on the market. Australia is one of my favorites for its burgundy, near-black foliage and vibrant scarlet flowers.

Crinum lilies, a relative of the popular amaryllis plant, produce initial clusters of long-lasting blooms and then rebloom all season. As many as 15 flowers can bloom at one time on 24- to 36-inch stems. Pink and white cultivars are available.

Crocosmia is a hardy bulb that blooms in midsummer with loads of small, tubular blooms on stems up to 36 inches tall. Bright, cheery colors like red, orange, yellow and gold are available.

Dahlias are often winter-hardy in Tennessee. While tall, cut-flower types are beautiful, I love the many new “garden types” that are shorter and flower prolifically all season. Bishop of Llandaff, Ellen Houston and Yellow Hammer are three favorites with dark bronze foliage and bright, showy flowers.

Gladiolus bulbs have also proved to be hardy in Tennessee. Tall and dwarf selections are available, and both make great cut flowers. The dwarf selections don’t have to be staked. Two noteworthy selections that grow only 30 inches tall are Flevo Amico and Flevo Junior.

Lilies offer lots of variety – about 80 species and several hundred cultivars, ranging in height from 2 to 8 feet. Colors include white, yellow, red, pink, orange and maroon. Some bicolors are available, too. Be sure to stake tall-growing lilies and protect them from strong winds, which can knock them over.

Pineapple lilies sport exotic blooms that look just as the name implies. Flower spikes grow to 24 inches and make a dramatic show in the garden. As a bonus, the flowers are fragrant.

Scadoxus grows 8 to 10 inches tall and provides bright orange-red color in the late-summer garden with softball-sized flowers. Bold, broad green leaves emerge after the flowering is over.

Tuberous begonias are a thrill to have in your garden. Their short, compact habits make them great in the foreground of a garden bed or in containers. Colors range from soft pastels to brilliant, even electric, solid colors. 

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Magazine:
Tennessee Home & Farm, Fall 2010 Edition Edition

Headline:
The Bulbs of Summer

Summary:
Cheer on these bright, bold flowers that cover all the bases.

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