2. Cold frames and summer dormant bulbs

3. Why cold frames? Residential houses are typically too warm: cold is essential to the proper development of flower buds. The open garden in our climate is too cold. The severity of our winters is exacerbated by the lack of consistent snow cover: cold frames can mimic a good snow cover.

4. Why cold frames? Moisture control, particularly at start of dormancy Pest control: deer, rabbits in particular Flowers last longer when not exposed to the weather Protected frames allow the culture of plants not suited to the open garden Plants will bloom long before similar sorts in the open garden.

5. Cold frame management Like a dog, they require attention at least twice a day, and this might not agree with your work schedule. Must be open when the sun is shining on the frame. Cover the frame in severe weather. Site protected frames near buildings or other sheltered areas.

6. Pots vs. baskets vs. planting in the ground Pots require careful watering. Clay pots will benefit from plunging. Black plastic pots heat up in the sun. Baskets take more room but allow free root growth. Reserve planting in the ground for plants which resent disturbance or for plants with massive root systems.

7. Media General: mix of pine fines, perlite and loam Reduce the loam for plants which require sharp drainage (fritillaries, some Narcissus). Increase the loam for plants which are water tolerant (aroids, amaryllids in general).

8. Watering Water once heavily in October to get things going. Water again when plants come into active growth (stems elongating, leaves expanding, buds developing). When the last petals fall, stop watering for the season; with some western NA bulbs, stop watering about a month before bloom.

9. Old adage of bulb growers These plants like to mature into a drought. Many plants will be ripening in late April or May: these are rainy periods for us as a rule, so be prepared to KEEP OFF RAIN while the bulbs are ripening.

10. Ripening Newly dug bulbs are full of moisture: before being stored for the summer, bulbs must be allowed to lose some of this moisture. To allow moisture loss, spread the bulbs out in a shady place protected from rain and vermin. For potted bulbs, simply do not water the pots. After about two weeks, they bulbs should be ready for storage.

11. Summer conditions After suitable ripening and moisture loss: In the rain-shielded frame in pots Out of the soil and dry in paper envelopes Wrapped in newspaper cocoons In zip lock plastic bags for suitably ripened and dried bulbs. Hot, dry summer conditions suit most of the bulbs discussed here. NEVER STORE MOIST, NEWLY DUG BULBS OF THE SORTS BEING DISCUSSED HERE IN PLASTIC BAGS.

12. Bulbs wrapped in newspaper

13. Simple cold frame construction 1

14. Cold frame construction 2

15. Cold frame construction 3

16. Cold frame construction 4

17. Cold frame construction 5

18. Cold frame in use

19. Rhodophiala bifida

20. Nerine sarniensis ‘Corusca Major’

21. Biarum davisii

22. Colchicum variegatum

23. Colchicum ‘Disraeli’

24. Ambrosina bassii

25. Crocus pallasii

26. Iris unguicularis

27. Narcissus cantabricus

28. Tecophilaea cyanocrocus

29. Freesia viridis

30. Scilla greilhuberi

31. Scilla peruviana

32. Asphodelus acaulis

33. Early garden crocuses

34. Adonis vernalis

35. Crocus ‘Blue Pearl’

36. Gymnospermium altaicum

37. Iris ‘Katharine Hodgkin’

38. Crocus ‘King of the Striped’

39. Iris graeberiana

40. Iris rosenbachiana

41. A hybrid oncocyclus iris: Iris kirkwoodii × I. hermona

42. Iris ‘Dardanus’

43. Tulipa humilis

44. Corydalis popovii

45. Fritillaria eastwoodiae

46. Fritillaria bucharica

47. Fritillaria tubiformis

48. Fritillaria pyrenaica

49. Fritillaria biflora ‘Grayana’

50. Fritillaria ehrhartii

51. Fritillaria stribrnyi

52. Muscari dionysicum

53. Tulipa saxatilis

54. Calochortus tolmiei

55. Calochortus superbus

56. Calochortus ‘Golden Orb’

57. Dichelostemma ida-maia

58. Dichelostemma volubile

59. Dichelostemma capitatum

60. Bellevalia longipes