Van Bourgondien

Garden Guide Bulbs and Tubers

Varieties

Tree Dahlia

See Dahlia imperialism

Triplet Lily

See Brodiaea

Triteleia Uniflora

(Star Flower) Select a sunny location with sandy, dry, well-drained soil. Prepare the soil to a depth of 12". Plant the corms 2-3" deep and 3-5" apart. Grows 6" tall. Blooms April-May. Hardy in zones 3-9.

Tritonia corcata

(Flame Freesia) In warm climates, plant corms in the fall 3-4" deep and 4-6" apart in moist, well-drained soil in full sun. Blooms April-May. Remove spent flowers and allow foliage to ripen. In cold regions, treat as annuals and plant corms in the spring 3-4" deep and 4-6" apart in moist, welldrained soil in full sun. Blooms June-July. Remove spent flowers. Prior to frost, lift from the garden and allow foliage to ripen. Remove dried foliage and store corms in a frost-free, cool, dry location. Divide corms in the spring and replant. May be forced in containers for early spring flowering. Grows 22-24" tall and 18- 24" wide. Hardy in zones 7-10.

Tuberose

See Polianthes

Tulip

(Tulipa) Plant tulips in late fall in humus-rich, sandy, well-drained soil. Grow them where they will get at least 5-6 hours of sun a day; full sun is preferable. Dig the soil to a depth of 8-12" and work in Bulb Buddy™ or other bulb food. Set the bulbs 4-8" deep and 4-8" apart, depending on size and variety. After the ground has frozen in winter, mulch with straw or hay. After flowering, remove the head of the tulip but allow the stem and foliage to die back naturally. Tulips perform best their first year; many gardeners treat them as annuals, discarding the plants after they finish blooming. Extensive testing in recent years has proven that if a slow-release fertilizer such as Bulb Buddy™ is applied, you can expect more than one year of flowers out of most varieties of tulips. Many early-flowering species, as well as Darwin Hybrid Tulips, come back year after year with no effort. Tulips are often planted in rows, but the result is a formal look, much like soldiers lined up in ranks. For a more informal look, plant them in groups of 5-11 or more in natural swathes. The best advice we can give is "plant bouquets". Plant several different varieties of tulips throughout the garden to extend the blooming time. Hardy in zones 3-7. In zones 8-10, refrigerate the bulbs for about 8 weeks at 40-45°. In the garden, plant the bulbs after Nov. 1; 6-8" deep in a lightly-shady area to keep the bulbs as cool as possible. Dig and discard the tulips after they bloom.

Vallota

(Scarborough Lily) Cultural instructions are the same as Hippeastrum. See "Indoor Bulbs" section. The leaves will die down at the end of the growing season in fall. Do not let the pots dry out completely. Hardy in zone 10.

Violas

See Pansies and Violas

Wand Flower

See Sparaxis

Wind Flower

See Anemone blanda