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- Fall
2001 Catalog
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Hello Happy
Gardeners,
This issue of
the Happy Gardening Newsletter discusses the "how to's" of
forcing bulbs...you do not have to be an expert or master gardener to
enjoy growing beautiful flowers which will bloom indoors during winter!
Our ninth photo contest winner is announced below...don't forget to send
us your pictures! Our Fall bulbs and perennials are in and UPS has
been busy delivering all across the country! If you have not yet
received your order, you will be notified shortly with UPS tracking
information that they are on the way! Finally, our
gardening tip about planting daffodils!** We would love to hear our reader's thoughts about our
newsletter...what you would be interested in reading about and any
suggestions you may have for future issues and offers. Please send
your comments to info@touchofnature.com
and let us know how we are doing!
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Forcing Bulbs |
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Get a head start on Spring
by forcing bulbs to flower during Winter...this can be done by
everyone and it is simpler than you think! When I say
simple, I mean that there are some almost FOOL-PROOF types
of bulbs that can be forced indoors.
Start out with the largest size available of the bulbs you
choose to force...for the novice forcer, we suggest some of the
following: Grape Hyacinths
(Muscari), Chionodoxa,
Hyacinths,
Crocus, Miniature
Narcissus, Paperwhites and
Scilla
Siberica. Most of these bulbs, except for the Hyacinths,
are inexpensive and definitely worth a try!
Use a potting medium that will hold moisture and is very
friable and use pots or containers that have a hole in the
bottom for bulbs that are planted in dirt. Make sure you water
the pot very well after planting and put it in a cool, dark
place. This way, the bulbs can establish their root
system. Once the bulbs have finished flowering, most bulbs
can not be forced again. Some, like Daffodils, can be
transplanted into the garden in the Spring; however, they may
take a year to be fully nourished in order to flower in
their normal cycle.
A selection of excellent forcing bulbs along with some
specific care instructions follows:
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Grape
Hyacinths (Muscari) - (Plant 10 per
6" diameter pot) Excellent for planting in a
shallow dish. After the bulbs have made a 2 inch sprout,
bring them into the light. The colder the room is, the
longer you can enjoy them!
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Chionodoxa
- (Plant 10 per 6" pot) Plant
them in a pot and bury it in the garden. Cover with some straw
so they are protected from frost. Once they bulbs have
sprouted, bring them indoors and keep them cool.
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Crocus
- (Plant 10 per 6" pot) For
the most spectacular results, plant them in a specially designed
"crocus
bowl" with holes in the side. Water well after
planting and put in a cool and dark place until the
sprouts are about 2 inches high. Then move them to a cool
and sunny location to enjoy!
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Scilla
Siberica - (Plant 8 per 6" pot) Same
instructions as Chionodoxa
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Hyacinths
placed on a jar with water - (Plant 1 bulb per
vase) There are special Hyacinth
glasses available for this purpose and you will need
specially prepared Hyacinths for this to work well. Fill
the glass with water so that the water does not touch the base
of the bulb. Place in a cool and dark place and check
weekly for the water level. If needed, add water.
Once the thickest part of the sprout is out of the bulb, you can
bring it indoors where the light is bright.
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Hyacinths
in a pot - (3-5 per 6" pot) Plant
the bulbs and cover with soil. Water well and keep in a
dark, cool place until the sprouts are about 2 inches
tall. Then place the pot in a cool and bright place.
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Narcissus
- (Plant 5 per 6" pot) Some of
these can be forced extremely easily like Tete
a Tete, Icefollies,
Geranium,
Minnow
and February
Gold. Plant them in a pot and water well. Bury
the pot in the garden and cover with straw. When sprouts
are 3 inches tall, bring the pot indoors and place in cool and
bright room.
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Paperwhites
- (Plant 5 per 6" pot)
Plant the bulbs in a bowl
on a layer of pebbles. Then fill with more pebbles so
the tip of the bulbs stick out. Fill the bowl with water,
but do not let the water touch the base of the bulb. Put
the bowl in a cool, dark place and check weekly for water level
(add as needed). As soon as the sprouts are 3 inches long,
place the bowl in a cool and bright room. Or, you can
place the bowl in a bright place directly after planting, but
spray with water every day to keep the flower buds from drying
up.
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In general, it will take
between 10-12 weeks from planting to have sprouts large enough
to bring indoors. Some quick notes to keep in mind to
ensure success for your efforts:
- * Cover pots planted in the garden with straw to prevent
freezing
- * Label the pots with variety name, planted date and date
you intend to bring it indoors.
- * Check for moisture and water level once a week for pots
stored inside
- * Buy the largest bulbs available since they will have the
most nutrients to produce blooms outside of the bulbs normal
cycle.
- * Make notes about what you did so that you can perfect
your process over time and so that the experts can help you
in case you have problems.
We hope you will give forcing bulbs a try...the reward this
winter will be well worth the effort! Feel free to contact
us if you have questions!
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Garden PHOTO Contest: (How
to Enter) |
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Our ninth winner in Touch
of Nature's Garden PHOTO Contest is Laura Poore from Stella,
MO.
Click here to
see her photo of an angel among some beautiful perennials.
By the way, Laura wins a $20.00 gift certificate redeemable for
any items in our catalogs...you can too...just send in your
photos today! |
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Touch
of Nature's Gardening
Tip |
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When planting Daffodils,
use the largest size bulbs available for formal
plantings...however, for naturalizing areas that aren't as
prominently seen, a smaller (and less expensive) size will work
just fine!
If your tip is being used in our
newsletter, you will receive a $10.00 gift certificate also
redeemable for any items in our catalogs! Email
us your tip today!
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Fall 2001
Catalog Download
(578K)
Fall 2001 Catalog  |
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We have a feature that will
allow you to download our entire Fall 2001 Bulb &
Perennial Catalog complete with pricing information and growing
instructions. This feature uses the Adobe Acrobat Reader
which you can download for free if you don't already have it. For
Fall, all orders over $50.00 receive 10
FREE Yellow Daffodils and, when you sign our guestbook, you will get
a 10% discount on your first
online order. Remember to order early to ensure
availability!
If you need or want a copy mailed to you, send us an email at
info@touchofnature.com
with your address and we will be happy to send it to you! |
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We hope that some of these items will find a home in your garden, on
your patio, on your balcony or in your home. You can rest assured
that your order will have our fullest attention and we know that you
will be pleased with the quality results.
Until next time when our newsletter will discuss Daffodils &
Naturalizing, Happy
Gardening!
- Bert Leek
- Touch of Nature, Inc.
P.S. Don't forget to tell your gardening friends about Touch of
Nature...we can add them to our newsletter subscription list for free by
sending their email address to info@touchofnature.com
or having them register here.
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