More than bulbs: Corms, tubers, roots and rhizomes, too

摘要

Using bulbs in the garden can be one of the easiest ways to have multiple seasons of blooms with plants that occupy practically the same space. Planting and maintaining bulbs is often easier than dealing with other commonly used perennials and annuals. For the purposes of this article, I am stretching the definition of a bulb beyond the true botanical meaning and including corms, tuberous roots, tubers and rhizomes. Without a doubt, if you ask someone about gardening with bulbs, they immediately embark upon a conversation about daffodils and tulips. Indeed, with thousands of different varieties of daffodils and tulips, it's common to not think beyond these two groups of plants. While both tulips and daffodils can put on traffic-stopping floral displays, tulips really need to be replaced annually and daffodils can quickly get boring.