Johnsons's Garden Centers Text File document - copyright 2006
PDF file available at http://www.johnsonsgarden.com/newsletter/flowers.html

Spring Is Really Three Seasons!
September 2006
Netherlands Flower Bulb Information Center

    Has this ever happened to you? Your spring garden--featuring dozens
of daffodils, tulips and other flower bulbs that were planted with care
the previous fall--bursts into bloom. It's a riot of glorious spring
color that sweeps away the gray of winter. It lasts for up to three
weeks, depending on the weather, and then ... nothing. No more flowers,
no more color, nothing but leaves and empty stems in your yard. Yet
elsewhere, spring's colorful march continues. What happened? Simply put
... poor planning.

    When planting bulbs this fall, avoid disappointment next spring by
redefining Spring! Think of spring as three seasons, instead of one.
Call them EARLY, MID and LATE. Now choose spring bulbs that bloom in
each. Tulips and daffodils, for example, are labeled at Johnson's as
early-season bloomers, mid-season bloomers, late-season bloomers and
sometimes even early mid-season, late early-season and so on. All you
need to know is that blooming times are relative. Blooming times may
vary slightly depending on the weather each year, but the early / mid /
late relationship will stay the same.

    So, to have a great spring garden that blooms from early season
through late, read flower bulb labels and select a range of bulbs that
bloom across all three spring seasons. Exactly when the flowers bloom
will depend on nature and the spring conditions next year, but by taking
a few easy steps, you should have a terrific garden that satisfies for
months on end!