Hello, fellow lovers of all things green. I enjoyed an outing to Papermill Theatre in Millburn, NJ, with Marty Carson a while back. Our pre-spring jaunt allowed me to brain-pick my design colleague and dear friend about her favorite summer flowering bulbs to plant in the spring. I learned her favorite is technically a corm.
Difference Between Bulbs, Corms, Tubers, and Rhizomes
Freesia Magdalena
Photo by David J. Stang / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)
Marty favors Freesia, a corm, which is similar to bulbs. Both are underground storage units, as are tubers and rhizomes. But bulbs are bulbous and layered like onions, whereas corms are flatter underground stems that are solid. When you dig up corms in the fall, spent ones are withered up, each clinging to the new corm. Crocus and Gladiolus are also corms.
Bulbs are made of the plant’s stem and layers of modified leaves called scales. Tulips, Lilies, and Daffodils are bulbs.
Dahlias are tubers formed from swollen stems or roots with thick skins, nodes, and buds. Begonias, Anemones, and Potatoes are also tubers.
Rhizomes are horizontal underground stem-like structures. Bearded Iris, Canna Lilies, and Calla Lilies are rhizomes.
Dahlia pinnata
Juni from Kyoto, Japan / CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)
How to plant Freesia
Hardy in zones 9 to 10, like Dahlias and most Gladiolas, Freesia must be dug up each fall in our Zone 5b to 6 and stored over winter. That’s an unlikely routine for me to embrace, I admitted to Marty. Over the years, I’ve had Dahlia-loving clients with stunning gardens packed with these beauties. Their passion for caring for their Dahlias is like tending to a beloved pet. A flowering pet – I get that :^)
Freesia is a popular cut flower with its sweet smell and long-lasting blooms. Each twelve to fifteen-inch stem showcases a dozen trumpet-like flowers. They come in various colors, including lavender, purple, orange, red, pink, white, cream, and yellow.
Planted in the spring, Freesia will provide a glorious late-summer display. Be sure to plant them in groups of eight to ten about two inches apart for a beautiful presentation. Better yet, why not grow them in pots so lazy Mary (that would be me) can merely bring them into the garage to store over winter? Brilliant idea! But when planting them, be sure the containers are tall, as Freesia have long taproots—big feet, as dear old momma who gave me my garden start would say.
Why not add Hummingbird and Butterfly magnets?
Crocosmia (Crocosmia lucifer)
Photo: JLPC / Wikimedia Commons https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en
Another lazy Mary tip— Why not plant the stunning, deer-resistant Crocosmia corms come spring? They’re hummingbird magnets with bright orange, red, or yellow arching flowers. They stand tall, about three feet, with sword-like foliage and won’t require digging up in the fall as they happily overwinter here. Native to Southern Africa, authorities may consider some varieties invasive in your area, so check before planting. Crocosmia ‘Lucifer,’ hardy in zones 5 to 9, is not as ambitious as others.
Blazing Star (Liatris Spicata)
Photo: Hedwig Storch, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
And there’s Blazing Star (Liatris spicata) corms—a North American native that attracts butterflies. Plus, they are excellent cut flowers. They bloom late in summer and look lovely with Rudbeckia, which is Black-Eyed Susan, and Mums or Dahlias if you are the kind who likes to have pets that you dig up each year (smile). Like Crocosmia, Blazing Star can stay in the ground in our neck of the woods, and it’ll come back year after year.
Deterring Squirrels & Happy Roots
I asked Marty about using bone meal as a squirrel deterrent when planting bulbs, corms, and other such plants. Bone meal also serves as fertilizer.
“I used to use bone meal, but dogs love it,” she said.
Translated, your canine kids will likely dig up bulbs and corms soon after planting them when using bone meal. Instead, Marty uses Pro Start, 2-3-3, by North Country Organics. She mixes it with the soil and plants her bulbs to ensure healthy root development. The phosphorus, also in bone meal, encourages happy roots, and there’s nothing more wonderful than having happy roots and dear friends.
Garden Dilemmas? AskMaryStone@gmail.com (and your favorite Podcast App.)
Deterring Squirrels Leads to Koleen’s Funny Corncob Robber story, featured in the Garden Dilemmas Podcast:
Comparing Garden Hands of Ken Druse and Marty Carson
A Personal Note…
Recently, Marty had an unexpected surgery, and I pray for a full recovery. It has given me pause to consider how quickly life can change– a reminder to cherish every day and season of our lives and look at every flower of friendship as a remarkable gift.
Related Stories You’ll Enjoy:
Two Best Gardeners of the Garden State – featuring Marty Carson and Ken Druse
Deer-Resistant Spring-Blooming Bulbs
