Flower Bulb Magic

It's hard to believe when you look at a flower bulb - brown, hard and often with a dry papery skin - that magic awaits inside. But it does.

Tucked in the depths of each mahogany, paper-sheathed sphere is the beginning of a new plant complete with an embryonic blossom. Need proof? Take a single ready to plant tulip and cut it in half from top to bottom. You'll see a tiny curled bud and stem inside. Around these easily recognizable botanical parts is soft tissue that cushions the tiny sprout and provides nutritional support to the new plant as it grows. Together these parts comprise a magical combination of promise and practicality.

The flower bulb's kin, corms, tubers and rhizomes, also carry all they need to produce sensational blooming plants but not in as readily visible forms. Instead they bear genetic instructions, spun into their DNA, which dictates their adult height, the shape of their leaves and the size, color and scent of their flowers. Cut a tuber or rhizome in half and you won't find a miniature plant - but it's in there nevertheless. (Trust us on this.)

Of course, the finest way to see flower bulbs demonstrate their amazing mystical abilities is to plant them. With the addition of water and warmth, tiny green shoots appear, often in a mere week or two. Where a day earlier there was just dirt, suddenly a festive group of pointy chartreuse sprouts exists. Soon these sprouts have grown into small, determined plants, unfurling leaves and stretching budding stems skyward. Then, one day when you are immersed in your regular routine, you realize that it has happened. Big, beautiful blooms in incredible colors have covered your new plants and they are glorious. Horticultural magic has occurred, right there in your garden.

And the best part? This is only the beginning. With attention to a few basic needs, this flower bulb magic will thrill you again and again, season after season. Even the great Merlin would tip his pointed hat to that kind of performance.

Whether you're a novice gardener planting for the first time or a seasoned pro searching for new horticultural offerings, looking for flower bulbs online is fun, informative and time efficient.

There are a number of search engines that can help and Google is one of our favorites. Simply type in the word or phrase (in quotes) you seek and oodles of choices will be delivered in less than a second. Sure beats driving to every garden center in town.

When you're ready to purchase, zip over to Google's online sister, Froogle. This shopping site can be found as one of the links at the top of any Google page, right above the search box. Froogle displays web store offerings only, so you won't need to sift through articles, histories and personal web pages if what you want is a list of sellers.

Once you've found sites that sell flower bulbs online, how can you determine quality of both the goods and the companies? Here's a handy checklist.

The Products:

• Look for complete information including light requirements, hardiness zones, plant height and bloom times.
• Check if planting information is included. You'll want to confirm, before buying, that you'll be able to provide a suitable site.
• Look for flower bulb, corm, tuber and rhizome size information. If you don't find this, move on. Sellers of big, healthy stock will share this information proudly. (Would you buy anything else without knowing what size you were getting?)