Just before Christmas, the local Home Depot, had left over Fall bulbs for SUPER CHEAP… I’m talking normally $12 packs of bulbs were like $1… It was not something I could pass up.
But December, in Alberta is not the time to plant bulbs… So my little fall bulb collection will get planted in the Spring… A few of the luckier bulbs are getting a head start inside.
Like Fritillaria “Imperialis Rubra”
If I was planting them at the right time in Autumn, It would be before the first frosts (late august, early September around here), and 10-12″ deep, and then with a heavy mulching over top to help protect over winter. These grow about 30-36″ tall, and should be spaced about 8 inches apart. The bulb company recommends planting these with Hyacinths (which I also have).
Hopefully, this experiment will work, and I will have a beautiful bulb garden to show for my thriftiness.
I put my two Fritillaria bulbs into 3″ pots, on March 3rd. As long as they are still good, I should have some growth in a few weeks.
While I am excited to see if these work out, there is a little apprehension, as I have read that their scent has a similar smell to dog poop. They are also reputed to keep rodents away… Not sure if those two things are connected, but if they smell like dog poop, they won’t be around here for too long.
The Crafty Cultivator 
Leave a comment