I can almost smell their fragrance...

Absolutely beautiful!

Salpal - gorgeous!! Now tell me/us in detail - what you do to make these rebloom, as I have lots of trouble getting previous year bulbs to bloom. I thought perhaps others have a better chance because they live in warmer zones, but I see you are in zone 4 - so please share! Thanks.
Anna

It's gorgeous, Salpal! Yes, do tell your regimen for making last years bulbs bloom so nicely!

Bumping this up to get Salpal's attention!

Thanks for the compliments. My regimen is similar to that recommended on this forum: I start them indoors for blooms, then put them outside when it's warm enough (that will unfortunately be awhile yet!) Anna, the hardest part for me is finding enough space and light indoors as I bring them up from the basement! It's easy once they are outside- then I water them unless it rains, try to fertilize regularily(I'm working on improving that)and give as much sun as I'm able. Some I've tried in larger pots- this did seem to increase the bulb size for them. This year I waited up until a hard frost to put them in the basement. (that was the beginning of Nov) Now I've been growing my CHAD aquisitions and bringing the older bulbs up when they start to sprout. Knock on wood they'll all do well this year, this is my 3rd year overwintering various hippis and I've had good luck with reblooms. I really think the most important thing for me is putting them out for the summer as I don't have a greenhouse.

Most of mine will spend the warmer months outdoors, recharging... my problem right now is lack of enough light for all the bulbs I've collected! I do have some lights that supplement, but I'm afraid it's just not enough... I admit to letting CHAD get the better of me, and collecting too many too fast. I hope that they will all hang on until the weather breaks, and that this will not be a set-back in getting flowers next year.

Whatever you're doing appears to be working wonderfully, Salpal! Your Jewel is just spectacular!

Thanks Salpal - yes, coming up from the basement is the challenge for me too. I currently have well over 20 bulbs down there from previous years, only one of which is showing signs of life. All others upstairs, putting on a gorgeous show since December, are new this year. And so I order more every year to have blooms in winter, since the others are sleeping. Do the math - see what where I'm heading? Yikes!

It's hard NOT to want new ones- I put mine to sleep in November then ran off to see what new ones the nurseries had. I've tried to use some restraint, potting just a few each week. I counted the amount I had, counted the number of weeks till spring, and have been saving some shelf and light space that way. Last year things got the most "hairy" when it was time to start the tomatoes and annuals! (I've been experimenting with "winter sowing" now- another story) I pretty much have to smunch them together on the shelf and promise them summer will be better. I am jealous of those who live in the south but find these beautiful blooms make it worthwhile. Those of us in these frigid climates REALLY need flowers. A lady I know who buys alot of cut flowers put it best. She said "Well, it's cheaper than antidepressants." I'm not convinced it's cheaper, but it's certainly alot more fun!
(Ps Anna, I still have at least 20 bulbs in the basement too!)

Salpal,

That is the most incredible display!!! I have always wanted Jewel and now even more! Beauty and fragrance - what more can you ask for?

Salpal - Jewel is beautiful. Thank you so much for sharing your methods for getting them to rebloom. I've also been experimenting with larger pots and would be interested in more input on this from others. In 2001 I purchased about 50 bulbs (a company was going out of business), but didn't really know how to care for them, so lost some and many became very small (rot from too much rain). Many of these were the S.A. varieties -- well worth saving. Have some really nice bulbs this year, but most not quite blooming size yet. However, they've multiplied. This year another 30 or so were added.

It's very hard to not want new ones, and I'm already anticipating next fall and which ones to add to my collection! I suppose in one way it's good... I never used to look forward to fall! Fall always meant the end of the growing season and the beginning of a cold bleak winter. Now, I have hippi purchases to look forward to!

I just have to solve the problem of where to keep them all! They will summer outdoors, and then most likely come in to rest in the basement until it's time to grow again.

I, too, envy those in the south... it would be so nice to plant them in beds and allow them to grow and flower as nature dictates...

I'm going to have the same problem as you had, Salpal... now that I have so many bulbs, where will I start all my garden seeds?! Last year, I started a lot of seeds late... right out in front of a garage bay that we use to store garden tools. It worked out good, but I would like to start everything on time this year, or early to get a longer growing season.

I do like having all these flowers in winter... it does beat taking anti-depressants! :-)

Jodik - check out "Winter Sowing" - it really works and it's really addictive - seeds are started OUTSIDE. There is a forum here with FAQS.

When spring comes, almost all my surfaces (floor and tables/counters) are covered with pots of sprouting dahlias. I have a very small house, so just before everything can escape to the great outdoors, it looks like a crazy woman lives here. Crazy with CHAD!!

I plant all mine in the yard when they finish blooming. Then they just bloom when they feel like it. There are several that pop up around the yard that were here when I moved in, one must be from seeds a couple of houses down, a very nice orangey color, she's had them in a pot in her front yard for at least 20 years. It's nice to walk around & find a bloom you didn't expect. The only problem, they never bloom around Christmas, so every year I buy more bulbs.....
I can't grow dahlias, the rare freeze will kill about 1/3 of the stuff in the yard, we have hurricanes..it's always something wherever you live.
Tally HO
Another victim of deadly CHAD

My apartment is very small, being the upper floor of a house, and it's filled year 'round with houseplants, and now bulbs! It really does resemble a small jungle! I actually have some space in a heated kennel attached to a garage that I could use for some seed starting, but I like to keep everything close so I can constantly monitor progress and moisture...

I think there may be enough room in here to jam all my seed flats together... last fall, I bough a total of 4 mini-greenhouses for seed starting and bulbs, and only have two set up... if I start my seeds in succession, I should have enough room to keep them going until it's warm enough to begin hardening them off outside...

It's just a little crowded with 3 dogs, the husband, 2 computer desks, plus all the other normal things you'd find in a small apartment! It's really more of a studio apartment, having no separate rooms except the bathroom. I've already given up my crafting table to bulbs!

What I need is to figure out a way to have shelves in front of the windows, and to invest in a better light set-up. I just need to save a little money for good lights.

Actually, I've done fairly well with the small space I have... I envy those that live in the south, although I'm not sure I'm ready for hurricanes! The threat of tornadoes is quite enough to live with!

Anna - your place probably looks much like mine in early spring! Flats and pots everywhere! Barely room to navigate through the house, or in my case, the apartment! But it's all so much fun and so rewarding... I wouldn't give up gardening for anything!

My last year bulbs are waking up too.
The miniatures have showing some buds. Can one withheld water to spread their blooming peroid apart longer?
Baby Stars , Amourette and Elvas
michele