Buying Flower Bulbs Online
As you click through websites, you'll be tempted by lush photos and flowery text. Before buying flower
bulbs online, here are several things to consider.
- Be realistic about what will grow in your area. While it's sometime possible to stretch zone hardiness a single digit by carefully locating plants in sheltered spots and using protective mulch, more than one zone is almost never successful.
- Avoid websites that are stingy with information you need to make good decisions. Expect to find hardiness zones, light requirements, planting instructions, blooming periods and size information that outlines exactly what you'll receive. Companies that won't provide good information probably won't help you after the sale either. (Use the same criteria for catalogs and retail stores.)
- Talk with a gardening friend who can advise you as to what grows well in your area. Take advantage of this wealth of knowledge.
- As you walk around your neighborhood, talk with homeowners who have flowers you like. Most gardeners are eager to share information and experiences.
- Remember that a bulb contains everything a plant needs to get going. These, along with corms, tubers and rhizomes may look funny, but they're typically pretty easy to get established.
- Order early in the season. When buying flower bulbs online, through a catalog or in a retail store the selection is best early in the season. Also, bulb quality is usually higher when it hasn't been out of the ground for an extended period of time.
- Note bulb size. Small bulbs are usually less expensive but often won't bloom for a year or more. A savings of a couple dollars could mean a significant wait for flowers. If you make this choice, do so knowingly.
That said, online shopping offers some of the best access to cultural information, selection, pictures and more. And buying at whatever time of the day or night suits you is pretty nice, too.
Durable, Dependable Daffodil Bulbs
 If you're new to gardening or still a bit unsure about what will grow well in your area, consider daffodil
bulbs. They are tough, adaptable and charming.
First, there are thousands of varieties and some are bound to be ones you like; tall or short, simple or complex flower forms, fragrant or not, and yellow, gold, white or a mix of shades. The choices are close to endless.
Second, within the available Narcissus cultivars there are ones well suited to hardiness zones from very cold (zone 3) to quite warm (zone 10). Choose types well matched to your garden's environment and you're on the road to success.
Third, daffodils taste bad, so they don't make the list of favorite foods for rabbits, rodents, deer or birds. The nasty flavor is in the bulb, the foliage and the flowers, so all are protected from predators.
Forth, daffodils will naturalize where happy, expanding into sizable clumps and living for 20 years or more. This represents lots of impact for the initial expenditure of time and money.
Available from early fall until mid winter, daffodil bulbs belong in every garden!
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