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nachtsprite

Dfw bulbs suggestions please

NachtSprite
10 years ago

Hey all, I think I've missed out on planting bulbs for the summer but I was wondering if anyone can give me suggestions on what flowering bulbs do well in dfw (preferably without shade. I virtually have no shade). A list for Spring, fall and summer would be great :) thanks in advance.

Comments (22)

  • gardenper
    10 years ago

    According to the stores like Walmart, Home Depot, and Lowes, they sell bulbs that are good for the area. That pretty much includes many common bulb, rhizome, tuber plants.

    In my particular home, I have:
    day lilies, canna lilies, rain lilies, dahlias, gladioli, peonies, amaryllises, irises, daffodils, but there are many more that I didn't plant because of lack of space. I think you will find quite a lot of variety available to you and the list is quite large.

    If you have some more specific in your conditions, even including how much time and care you can give to the plants, we can narrow them down. Well, you did say bulbs but I wanted to add in rhizomes and tubers also.

    This post was edited by gardenper on Wed, Apr 9, 14 at 10:58

  • Lynn Marie
    10 years ago

    I second everything above except Peonies and Dahlias. I don't know anything about Peonies, but the Dahlias I grew one time made big pretty flowers, but they weren't happy about it and didn't return. Everything else is very happy here and will come back year after year. My daffodils even come back, although they refused to bloom this year.

  • bostedo: 8a tx-bp-dfw
    10 years ago

    A lot of choices (and variation) with rain lilies. In DFW, white rain lily (zephyranthes candida) will endure full sun, naturalizes, is nearly evergreen, and blooms after rains several times over the growing season. Usually sold in containers which can be planted any time, so could still enjoy flowers this year.

    Our bearded and Louisiana irises naturalize, bloom reliably, and do well in full sun or partial shade. Dutch iris can naturalize here and endure full sun, but do not always bloom reliably for us; many blooms some years and few in others.

  • NachtSprite
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thank you so much for your replies :). Next time I'll try to be ready for the next bulb season (October right?).

    We have some candy striped tulips that came out a success. The ranunculus never made it up for air unfortunately. I guess my clay soil was too much for them (or maybe I was the problem lol).

    I cheated and bought some already blooming small dahlias from Grapevine Mills.

    But now that you mention peonies I'm more eager to hear about how you grow them in our crazy weather.

  • sfmathews
    10 years ago

    For spring, jonquils and smaller daffs, grape hyacinth, snowdrops. I have some amaryllis that I got from my mom's yard and they have come back every year now for over 10 years.
    Daylilies are great for summer. Especially the reblooming types
    For late summer or early fall, Crinums, Spider lilies, Naked Lady lilies.
    All of these get full sun in my yard. They don't get any special treatment.

    Susan

  • cynthianovak
    10 years ago

    There is an article in April 10-14 Dallas Morning News by Marianne Green on Dahlias. I have returning Asiatic and oriental lilies, crinum for sure for sun and success. There are some that bloom earlier and some later and many that multiply. For fall don't forget the oxblood or schoolhouse lilies that bloom in September. Glads are happy too.

  • NachtSprite
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks for the advice. I forgot about the oxblood lilies and the grape hyacinth. Thanks, I think I'll be ready next planting season.

  • gardenper
    10 years ago

    Although there are some that would come up in early spring and are intended to go in at the fall, you still have plenty of choices for this growing season.

    Amaryllises, Dahlias, Oriental/Asiatic lilies, gladioli, canna lilies -- all can still bloom this season if you plant them. Rain lilies definitely can bloom this year also. Locally, you can get those at Calloway's Nursery -- I haven't seen them at the big box stores yet (whether in bulb or plant form)

    The dahlias (those typical ones sold by Lowes or HD) I had in pots returned for 2 years, and this year they didn't make it. However, the ones I had planted in my "perennial flower garden" are poking their heads up now. I have two plant stalks about 3" tall, so I'm glad they made it. Last year, I had topped off the ones in the pots as an experiment to see if they would make more branches and thus more flowers, but they never fully bloomed. Maybe I affected something else about them, too. Will never know for sure :-(

  • NachtSprite
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Sweet! Will do. I was planning on heading over to calloway's since I have coupon that expires soon. To top it off calloway's is having a sale on 2 gallon day lilies ($16.98). I can't wait:)

    Congrats on your dahlias :). I hope you'll post pictures of your success soon.

    I just planted some dahlia plants 2 weeks ago. Dead headed them but right now I'm down to one flower on one of them. I have an old photo of my work in progress.

    It's still a little rough looking but I'm getting some more dark colored mulch to mix in with the light mulch so it wouldnt look so bad.

  • TxMarti
    10 years ago

    Where in the DFW area are you? I've gotten iris at the spring swap before, planted them and gotten a bloom that year. But my iris are getting ready to bloom now so maybe someone will chime in and say if these will continue to bloom if they are moved before the bloom opens.

  • NachtSprite
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    I'm in flower mound (north of grapevine). So then it's not too late to plant bulbs then? I also found some Philippe Rivoire peony roots (s?) for sale at calloway's. I think I'll take the plunge and buy 2. I hope to go the swap on the 26th. Now I have to choose btwn denton's or grapevine's.

  • cynthianovak
    10 years ago

    It's a great time to plant glads and lilies too if you get those lilies in soon. You'll want to look at them in their bags to see if they are mangled or dried out. Typically lilies are rather like fleshy little lotus looking tubers with little roots hanging from them. Their time in bags may have them already sprouted, which is still OK to me. But too tall means they may have broken in the bag.

  • Lin barkingdogwoods
    10 years ago

    Although I'm in east Texas with sandy acid soils, I wanted to chime in!

    I have had the best luck with lily bulbs of the LA hybrid variety (longiflorum/Asiatic). They come back reliably and multiply. I bought some from the American series (American gladiator, Amer. cheerleader, Amer. revolution, etc.) and the colors go so well together! I also bought some 'Royal Sunset' bulbs from Brent and Becky's, and they're lovely.

    The Madonna lily has done well for me, as has the Formosa lily. Both grow quite tall. I have partial sun for all of these.

  • melvalena
    10 years ago

    NachtSprite,
    I'm also in Flower Mound and its not too late to plant summer blooming bulbs.

    Looking forward to meeting you at the Denton County Swap... of course you're going to that one! :)

  • NachtSprite
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    How beautiful :) i love the deep red one esp. I bought the sunset lily last year from lowes and thought I had killed it, but now I see a couple of other plants coming up from the ground. No flowers though. I went and bought some day lilies and a Sarah Bernardt peony. Hopefully all will go well. Later today I'll plant my red glads and dahlias.

    I'll try to go to both sales/swaps if I can. I'm ambitious ;)

  • melvalena
    10 years ago

    Be sure to plant your Sarah Bernardt peony where it gets morning sun.. and shade for the afternoon. You might have to get creative to create that shade...

    Oh and the Grapevine plant sale is on Saturday morning... the Denton swap is on Sunday afternoon. Plenty of time to rest up between them.
    :)

  • carrie751
    10 years ago

    Is the Grapevine swap a private swap or just not listed on GW????

  • melvalena
    10 years ago

    Carrie, the Grapevine thing is a plant sale not a swap.. I'll go find the post and bump it..

  • carrie751
    10 years ago

    Thanks............ I will be out of town anyway, can't even make the Denton one...........just curious.

  • TxMarti
    10 years ago

    I wish I had read this yesterday. My bil lives in Flower Mound and was here today. I could have sent back some iris and oxblood lilies.

  • NachtSprite
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    http://www.grapevinegardenclub.com/downloads/GGCApril2014.pdf The GGC 2014 spring plant sale is Saturday April 26th at the Grapevine Botanical Gardens. Sale hours are 8:00 A.M. to 1:00 P.M. Free seminars will be offered at the Education Pavilion near the plant sale area. You will not want to miss these informative sessions!

    I found this while looking up the denton plant sale (http://dcmga.com). Also there is a garden tour in denton county may 10.

  • melvalena
    10 years ago

    I love the garden tours!!
    A small group of us go together to the Denton, Southlake and Colleyville tours.
    As the dates approach I'll bring the posts about each one back to the first page. I think they're down on the 3rd of 4th page right now.

    I am a garden peeper.. any chance to see what someone has done with their yard I take.