LANDSCAPE PROFESSIONAL EDITION
2 0 1 7 C O L O R B L E N D S C A T A L O G fo r FA L L P L A N T I N G
WHY COLORBLENDS?
Was the tradition of planting tulips in single colors in the garden driven by images
Maybe people thought, “That’s how bulb growers do it, we should do it that way, too.” Planting Colorblends means letting color go further. Single colors are nice in some scenarios, but blending
of the bulb
colors can make a display sing. As in
growers’ fields?
together can add richness and depth
music, a few instruments or voices
and, in a carefully crafted tune, play off each other. That’s what Colorblends try to achieve: beauty (of course), but also harmony or contrast, calmness or boldness, serenity or just playfulness. Whatever taste or the situation requires, the goal is always a spring show your clients will enjoy and remember. In addition to developing and presenting new ideas, Colorblends continues to work hard at providing information about bulbs and delivering great spring displays at competitive prices. As always we thank all on memorable displays and being prophets of bloom. We hope you find
It’s about Spring!
—the
The effectiveness of your spring displays depends on proven varieties and the quality of the bulbs you plant in the fall.
WHOLESALE PRICES
No gimmicky pricing. No scrappy-sized bulbs. Just wholesale all the time. All we ask is a $60 minimum order.
DECADES OF EXPERIENCE
We have been supplying the trade for more than 50 years. We want your clients to have great spring displays. Our knowledge and experience both in the Netherlands and here in the USA ensure your success.
WE DO OUR HOMEWORK
our customers for putting
the catalog inspirational.
TOP-QUALITY BULBS OF THE B E S T VA R I E T I E S
Nicolaas Schipper and team, circa 1935.
colorblends crew
Our customers tell us, “You’ve taken the guesswork out of creating spring shows. You make me look like a genius.” Colorblends tests all combinations so you don’t waste your time and money trying to figure it out.
ORDERING FOR FALL PLANTING
CONTENTS
WHEN TO ORDER
HOW TO ORDER
Tulip Blends
WEB
Cubed Tulip Blends
52
Tulip Singles
56
We urge you to order early, from now to the end of September. Your bulbs will be reserved and then delivered in the fall for planting. We maintain inventory into December, but many selections sell out. Please reserve now. Your credit card won’t be charged until your bulbs are delivered in the fall. Your window for planting is from the start of fall to the start of winter. See map on page 148. Fall 2017 begins September 22, 4:02pm, EDT. Winter 2017 begins December 21, 11:28am, EST.
On the cover: Gemini II page 47
Using your computer, tablet or smartphone: colorblends.com BY PHONE
1 (888) 847-8637 BY FAX
1 (203) 338-0744 BY MAIL
Colorblends USA 747 Barnum Avenue Bridgeport, CT 06608 You can print an order form at colorblends.com. After October 1, please order only by phone or web.
4
Wild Tulips
72
Daffodils for Naturalizing
78
Golden Daffodils
82
Landscape Daffodils
86
Daffodil Blends
94
Double Daffodils
100
Uncommon Daffodils
106
Miniature Daffodils
114
Hyacinths
118
Specialty Bulbs
124
Alliums
134
Amaryllis
138
Paperwhites
144
Planting Tools
145
Planning & Ordering Info
146
Budget Daffodils
150
Beyond Baroque
Beautifully constructed blooms of pink, purple and a hard-todescribe color that falls somewhere in between. They are so large, so full, so ornate that they look more like a 17th-century Dutch still life than they do a tulip blend. Introduced 2017
Item No Bulb Size Height
1455 Blend %
34/33/33
12cm+ Per 100 18� Per 1000
$38 $330
Wellspring
A blend of seven closely related tulips in shades that vary from cherry red to purple to mauve, some with creamy accents. Thirsty for color after a long winter? Here is the cool refreshment your eyes are longing for. Introduced 2017 TO ORDER :
Item No Bulb Size Height
colorblends.com
1574 Blend % 7 varieties 12cm+ Per 100 20� Per 1000 | 1 (888) 847-8637
$36 $320
3
Tulip Blends
Colorblends are choreographed displays that will change how you think about tulips. Bulbs come pre-mixed in bags of 100. Just plant in fall, enjoy in spring.
White Hot ÂŽ
A dazzling red with a creamy yellow that matures pure white. The contrast turns the heads of pedestrians, slows traffic and likely causes pilots to reduce their altitude. White opens first but carries on to overlap perfectly with the red. Introduced 1991
4
C OL OR B L E NDS W H O L E SA L E FL OW E R BU L B S
Item No Bulb Size Height
1225 Blend % 12cm+ Per 100 22� Per 1000
50/50 $32 $250
Saffron
A handsome trio of three Darwin Hybrid tulips. Clear white and butter yellow, which matures to cream, serve as foils for a rich orange with yellow markings. They add a touch of spice to the spring landscape. Introduced 2014
Item No Bulb Size Height
1244 Blend %
34/33/33
12cm+ Per 100
$35
22" Per 1000
$290
Torch Song
A white and two yellow tulips, each of which is feathered red. They recall the “broken” tulips that were the rage during the Tulipmania that gripped the Netherlands in the 17th century. Easy to see what all the fuss was about. Introduced 2012 TO ORDER :
Item No Bulb Size Height
colorblends.com
1217 Blend %
34/33/33
12cm+ Per 100 22” Per 1000 | 1 (888) 847-8637
$36 $300
5
Your Imminence
A strong purple blended with a rich rose-pink, both with white accents. The combination seems obvious (“Pink and purple. Of course!”), but that won’t prepare you for the beauty of the music they make together. Introduced 2012
6
C OL OR B L E NDS W H O L E SA L E FL OW E R BU L B S
Item No Bulb Size Height
1206 Blend % 12cm+ Per 100 22” Per 1000
50/50 $34 $270
The Crusaders ®
A melee of bishop purple and cardinal red tulips. The two colors invigorate each other, creating a spectacle that is hard to overlook. This Colorblend is a favorite among our customers. Introduced 1995
Item No Bulb Size Height
1250 Blend %
50/50
12cm+ Per 100
$32
20” Per 1000
$260
Trident
Rich purple, bright pink, pure white. Together they make a combination that is saccharine, sugary or just plain sweet. Four out of five Colorblenders recommend this mouthwatering trio for their customers who plant blends. Introduced 2016 TO ORDER :
Item No Bulb Size Height
colorblends.com
1271 Blend %
34/33/33
12cm+ Per 100 22” Per 1000 | 1 (888) 847-8637
$36 $290
7
My Three Suns
A blend of fraternal triplets, each a variation on a beautiful theme. Their perfect harmony of color, shape and timing can be mesmerizing. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself circling their bright spring display. Introduced 2010
8
C OL OR B L E NDS W H O L E SA L E FL OW E R BU L B S
Item No Bulb Size Height
1481 Blend % 12cm+ Per 100 24� Per 1000
34/33/33 $33 $250
Celebration
A blend of yellow, orange-apricot and red Darwin Hybrids. Like a sunset, the color aspect changes over time: from bright to pastel. A feel-good Colorblend shining out from the border in a wonderful manner. Introduced 1994
Item No Bulb Size Height
1245 Blend %
34/33/33
12cm+ Per 100 24� Per 1000
$34 $260
Hot Hot Hot
Darwin Hybrid tulips are strong, dependable and always create an impact. We blend a scarlet-red with a good golden yellow. Excellent for highlights in the border or bold effects in beds, and a great choice for drive-by color. Introduced 1989 TO ORDER :
Item No Bulb Size Height
colorblends.com
1210 Blend % 12cm+ Per 100 24� Per 1000 | 1 (888) 847-8637
50/50 $31 $250
9
Polka Dots ÂŽ
What is the recipe for a lively spring display? Try this: pure red, pure white, pure yellow. Combine, blend and plant thickly. Steps 1 and 2 are done. All you have to do is plant and enjoy. Introduced 2010
10
C OL OR B L E NDS W H O L E SA L E FL OW E R BU L B S
Item No Bulb Size Height
1483 Blend % 12cm+ Per 100 24� Per 1000
34/33/33 $35 $290
Perennial Tulips: the straight dope
IT’S A COMMON F RUSTRAT ION: You buy tulip bulbs, plant them in the fall and enjoy a great display in the spring. But the following spring, all you get is a smattering of flowers and maybe a bunch of leaves. “What happened?” you ask yourself. “Aren’t tulips supposed to come back? My grandmother has tulips that have bloomed every spring for as long as she can remember. Did I do something wrong?” PAMPERED BEGINNINGS
More than likely, you are not to blame. It’s in the nature of tulips. Most are not strong perennializers in the landscape. They don’t flower well the second year after planting. Why don’t tulips come back? The tulip bulbs you buy and plant in the fall have been groomed to bloom. They were raised in sandy Dutch soil and fertilized in just the right measure. When they bloomed in the spring, the flowers were cut off soon after they opened to keep them from drawing too much energy from the bulbs. The leaves were allowed to continue to grow for another six weeks in the famously cool Dutch weather. After going dormant in early summer, the bulbs were dug and stored in a climate-controlled warehouse to mimic a long, hot, bone-dry summer in the mountains of Central Asia, which is where most tulips are native.
SPLITSVILLE USA
All of this TLC yields a high percentage of flowering-size bulbs, including many topsize bulbs, which measure 12 centimeters in circumference or larger. A topsize bulb can’t get bigger, but it will get smaller, typically by splitting into two or more smaller bulbs. Under less-than-perfect garden conditions, when the bulbs split into smaller bulbs, those smaller bulbs may take years to grow to flowering size. Some may also rot due to heavy soil or excess moisture. And so your breathtaking tulip display dwindles to little or nothing. BUCKING THE ODDS
Despite the obstacles, there are some tulips that are willing (but not guaranteed) to bloom well for more than one year. The best known are the Darwin Hybrids, but other types, such as the Fosterianas, and many of the wild, or species, tulips also have perennial tendencies. They won’t keep going indefinitely, but it’s possible to get two or three reasonably good displays from them before you feel the need to replant. You can find a list of these tulips on our website, colorblends.com, under Tulips, along with tips on encouraging perennial behavior. HONEST TALK
Some bulb companies feature perennial tulips and charge a premium for them. Since repeat performances are never a sure thing, Colorblends avoids making promises the bulbs may not keep. We’d rather keep our prices wholesale and our information straight.
11
The Rainbow Coalition ÂŽ
Here is one of those color arrangements only tulips can bring. Orange opens first, then red joins in, and purple closes ranks. In the end, the three bloom together for as long as a fortnight. A delicious three-act show! Introduced 1997
12
C OL OR B L E NDS W H O L E SA L E FL OW E R BU L B S
Item No Bulb Size Height
1247 Blend % 12cm+ Per 100 20� Per 1000
34/33/33 $33 $260
The Royals ®
A combination of brilliant purple and rich yellow, each color vying for attention. A regal Colorblend with a great range of uses in the garden. Just look at it! Introduced 1990
1205 Blend %
Item No Bulb Size
50/50
12cm+ Per 100
Height
$32
22” Per 1000
$260
Sorbetto
Chocolate, mocha and vanilla rule the winter. In spring, you crave something light and fruity. Trouble choosing? Have one scoop each of strawberry, peach and lemon. Go ahead. Splurge. Spring comes but once a year. Introduced 2016 TO ORDER :
Item No Bulb Size Height
colorblends.com
1272 Blend %
34/33/33
12cm+ Per 100 22” Per 1000 | 1 (888) 847-8637
$36 $290
13
Pink Margarita ÂŽ
Two of the biggest and brightest of the Darwin Hybrids. They are always the life of the garden party. Use this blend where you want to attract notice. It will not disappoint. Introduced 1995
14
C OL OR B L E NDS W H O L E SA L E FL OW E R BU L B S
Item No Bulb Size Height
1234 Blend % 12cm+ Per 100 24� Per 1000
50/50 $36 $300
Mira Mira
Soft colors are not synonymous with subtlety. When this pink and yellow blend peaked in the Colorblends trial garden, cars slowed, pedestrians gawked and a hardened staff member squealed with delight. Pretty powerful stuff. Introduced 2015
Item No Bulb Size Height
1256 Blend % 12cm+ Per 100 24� Per 1000
50/50 $34 $285
Thanks and Praise
Pure white and pure yellow. Nothing could be simpler. Nothing could be more appealing. If you plant this blend, you have a lot to look forward to. These two can go on for what seems like forever. Introduced 2014 TO ORDER :
Item No Bulb Size Height
colorblends.com
1248 Blend % 12cm+ Per 100 20� Per 1000 | 1 (888) 847-8637
50/50 $34 $280
15
Stop the Car ®
Flamboyant apricot-orange flowers, touched with yellow at the base, open first. Satiny plum-purple blooms soon join in, creating a remarkable Colorblend that will slow them down. Introduced 1996
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C OL OR B L E NDS W H O L E SA L E FL OW E R BU L B S
Item No Bulb Size Height
1221 Blend % 12cm+ Per 100 18” Per 1000
50/50 $32 $250
Bud in Hand
A purple lily-flowered tulip wings its way around a traditional two-toned yellow. The two varieties complement each other nicely and look great in the landscape and in a vase. This blend was a hit in the Colorblends display garden. Introduced 2017
Item No Bulb Size Height
1274 Blend % 12cm+ Per 100 22� Per 1000
50/50 $33 $280
Mood Indigo
Royal purple and pure glistening white make a blend that is elegant, serene, dignified, even noble. The strong contrast gets attention without shouting and rewards the eye with its depth and crispness. Introduced 2013 TO ORDER :
Item No Bulb Size Height
colorblends.com
1242 Blend % 12cm+ Per 100 20� Per 1000 | 1 (888) 847-8637
50/50 $33 $270
17
PLAN
T I NG TU L I PS I N
We hear the same question from transplanted Northerners and envious Southerners (and Californians): Can I grow tulips here? The answer, more often than not, is “maybe.” Here’s what Sun Belt residents need to consider.
In the pink zone, tulips should be prechilled starting in October and planted in December
ALMOST ALL TULIPS (AND MOST OTHER SPRING-FLOWERING BULBS) NEED A PROLONGED COLD PERIOD TO GROW AND FLOWER WELL.
If they don’t get enough winter cold, they tend to bloom short. The dividing line between enough cold and not enough cold is fuzzy, but in general, bulbs planted in Zones 7b and warmer don’t receive sufficient natural chilling.
IT IS POSSIBLE TO SUPPLEMENT WINTER COLD BY PLACING BULBS (DRY, WITH LOTS OF AIR) IN A REFRIGERATOR FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD BEFORE PLANTING.
We recommend 8–10 weeks of prechilling, starting in mid-October. Customers placing small orders generally elect to prechill the bulbs themselves. Large customers often ask us to do the prechilling. We charge a flat fee of $20 per order for this service. (We advise gardeners in Zones 9 and 10 in the Southeast—coastal Texas and Louisiana and Central and South Florida—to avoid planting tulips entirely, prechilled or not.)
PRECHILLING DOES NOT GUARANTEE A GREAT SPRING SHOW.
Most tulips are native to Central Asia, where springs are long and cool. Prechilling tricks the bulbs into “thinking” they’ve had a cold winter but does not prepare them for an early March heat wave or a late wintry blast when the flowers are in their prime. To our southern customers we say: “Prechill your bulbs, ensure they have the water they need from planting through bloom and keep your expectations modest. The quality of the display is in nature’s hands.”
PRECHILLED BULBS SHOULD BE TREATED AS ANNUALS.
Most spring-flowering bulbs planted in mild-winter climates will bloom for just one spring. There are only a handful of exceptions (including certain daffodils). For a good display, you must plant fresh bulbs each fall. For a list of bulbs that perform well in mild-winter climates (with or without prechilling) and more information on the prechilling process, see the For the South page at colorblends.com.
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Purdy ÂŽ
One of those happy-go-lucky Colorblends that turned out well: deep purple, poppy-red and golden yellow. Plant them for a bright splash of color in midseason. Introduced 2001
TO ORDER :
Item No Bulb Size Height
colorblends.com
1237 Blend %
34/33/33
12cm+ Per 100 24� Per 1000 | 1 (888) 847-8637
$34 $250
19
Big Ups ® An inviting blend of strong-growing Darwin Hybrid tulips. They welcome all viewers with a hello shout. Some companies offer mixtures to unload seconds and leftovers. Big Ups is a carefully choreographed blend of topsize tulips. Their flowers are large, their colors complementary, their vigor impressive. It’s not unusual for them to repeat their performance for several springs (see page 11 to learn more). Introduced 2005
20
C OL OR B L E NDS W H O L E SA L E FL OW E R BU L B S
Item No Bulb Size Height
1264 Blend % 8 varieties 12cm+ Per 100 22” Per 1000
$35 $280
BIG UPS IN NEW YORK
Tough tulips for tough situations
The Darwin Hybrid tulips that make up the Big Ups blend are dependable even in an urban environment, where they have to cope with blustery winds and sudden changes in lighting (full sun one moment, deep shade the next). And where conditions aren’t so difficult? That’s when they really shine.
BIG UPS NEAR CHICAGO
TO ORDER :
colorblends.com
| 1 (888) 847-8637
21
Gentle Giants ÂŽ
A blend of four jumbo tulips in shades of pink and peach. They manage to be both robust and delicate at the same time. All have perennial tendencies in the landscape (see page 11 to learn more). Introduced 2009
22
C OL OR B L E NDS W H O L E SA L E FL OW E R BU L B S
Item No Bulb Size Height
1517 Blend % 4 varieties 12cm+ Per 100 24� Per 1000
$35 $270
Twin Peeks
A pair of large-flowered tulips that are as vigorous as they are beautiful. The pink is a rose that shows red tones. The red is softened by a light frosting. They are perfectly compatible and willing to give repeat performances. Introduced 2013
Item No Bulb Size Height
1232 Blend %
50/50
12cm+ Per 100
$33
22” Per 1000
$280
Dutch Boys
They grow ’em big in the Netherlands: The Dutch are, on average, the tallest people on earth. Here are three strapping lads from North Holland. The white is a little shorter than his buddies. The exception that proves the rule. Introduced 2016 TO ORDER :
Item No
1269 Blend %
Bulb Size
12cm+ Per 100
Height
18-22” Per 1000
colorblends.com
34/33/33
| 1 (888) 847-8637
$34 $280
23
Lava ÂŽ
A radiant fiery red interplanted with a rich red-yellow. The warm color of the solid red is repeated in the two-toned variety, giving an overall glowing effect. Seen from far or near they create a sensation. Introduced 1998
24
C OL OR B L E NDS W H O L E SA L E FL OW E R BU L B S
Item No Bulb Size Height
1215 Blend % 12cm+ Per 100 24� Per 1000
50/50 $34 $250
Sunogram
A reddish orange and a yellow that is brushed and streaked with red. They radiate with the kind of intensity you crave in spring. Fair-skinned customers: Please apply SPF 50 liberally just before bloom. Introduced 2015
Item No Bulb Size Height
1253 Blend %
50/50
12cm+ Per 100
$33
22� Per 1000
$260
Magmatism
There is something irresistible about this warm blend of red, orange and yellow. It draws the eye from a distance and pulls you in for a closer look. And the closer you get, the harder it is to reverse course. Introduced 2011 TO ORDER :
Item No Bulb Size Height
colorblends.com
1201 Blend %
34/33/33
12cm+ Per 100 22� Per 1000 | 1 (888) 847-8637
$35 $280
25
WH Y TUL I PS
D I S A P PEAR
You have a favorite tulip. The color is superb, and the shape and proportions fit your notion of the tulip ideal. You order it every year, and every spring drivers stop in front of the house to take pictures. And then one summer the Colorblends catalog arrives in the mail and your tulip is missing. You check the website. Not there. You call. “I’m sorry, Ma’am, we can’t get that tulip any more. It’s no longer grown.” No longer grown? How can that be?
Tulip Econ 101
The main reason a grower in the Netherlands drops a variety is a decline in demand. There is a market for tulips, as there is for most things, and if demand falls, so must supply. Perhaps the color has gone out of favor. Or a new variety has come along that grows better or looks better or is more compact or taller.
Whatever the cause, when a grower finds he is planting only half a hectare of a variety, he has to consider stopping. Half a hectare is more than an acre, an area large enough to yield up to 150,000 topsize tulips. Sounds like a lot, but when you consider that each variety has its own requirements— machinery settings for planting and digging, handwork for cleaning and processing, storage temperatures, etc.—and that labor and warehouse space are expensive, you begin to understand that this number may not be enough for the grower to break even.
Disease: The Grim Reaper
Some varieties are susceptible to disease—a fungus or nematodes or a virus. Others seem to be resistant. Luck plays a role. A variety may be disease-free for years, even decades, then develop a problem. If a disease is manageable or it doesn’t get out of hand, a grower may stick with a susceptible variety, as long as the price he gets for the healthy bulbs he is able to harvest is high enough. But if the economic equation goes negative or a healthy new variety appears on the scene, the grower will quickly move on.
Degeneration
Tulip varieties, like trees, animals and people, have a lifespan— a beginning, middle and end. Because they consist of clones (each bulb is genetically identical), tulip varieties can, in theory, continue to make new copies of themselves indefinitely. In practice, they get old and tired. When a grower lifts his bulbs in summer, he ships the largest sizes to his customers and keeps the small bulbs as planting stock, which he replants in the fall. As the years pass, he will likely see the number of saleable bulbs begin to decline, a phenomenon known in the trade as degeneratie. Eventually, he will have to ask himself whether the time has come to start over with a new variety. There is a way to reinvigorate an aging variety. The grower can start a new, separate stock by planting the biggest bulbs from one harvest and then for several years doing the opposite of what he normally does: discard the small bulbs and replant only the large. He then transitions production to the new stock, slowly but surely eliminating the old stock. This used to be standard procedure when degeneration set in, but few growers go to the effort today. A new variety may not perform better than the old, but it’s a gamble the grower is willing to take.
Red Shine. Officially registered 1955. Out of cultivation 2016.
26
The Tang Dynasty ®
A juicy blend of pure white, yellow and apricot-orange. They will rule your spring display with dignity. Strong growing and can give you a few return years (see page 11 to learn more). Introduced 2005
Item No Bulb Size Height
1262 Blend %
34/33/33
12cm+ Per 100
$33
18” Per 1000
$250
Glow Motion ®
A glowing, ever-changing Colorblend of three Darwin Hybrid tulips in shades of orange and yellow. The colors shift slightly day by day as the flowers mature. The effect, from start to finish, is magic. Introduced 2008 TO ORDER :
Item No Bulb Size Height
colorblends.com
1209 Blend %
34/33/33
12cm+ Per 100 22” Per 1000 | 1 (888) 847-8637
$33 $260
27
Miss Confection ®
A sweet combination of a strong reddish pink and a creamy yellow that turns pure white. They bloom earlier than most other large tulips, offering a delicious preview of the parade of color to come. Introduced 2006
28
C OL OR B L E NDS W H O L E SA L E FL OW E R BU L B S
Item No Bulb Size Height
1270 Blend % 12cm+ Per 100 16” Per 1000
50/50 $30 $240
Pinkster
Fresh colors for the season of renewal—pink, yellow and white. These tulips start early, when the weather tends to be cool, and that helps them hold up longer than most. They will put a spring in your step after a long winter. Introduced 2012
Item No Bulb Size Height
1214 Blend %
34/33/33
12cm+ Per 100 16” Per 1000
$34 $260
Smooch
The cosmetics industry employs a small army of chemists to do what this blend does naturally and effortlessly. Deep, rich rose and cool soft pink. If you’re looking for spring landscape enhancement, you’re in the right place. Introduced 2017 TO ORDER :
Item No Bulb Size Height
colorblends.com
1279 Blend % 12cm+ Per 100 16” Per 1000 | 1 (888) 847-8637
50/50 $30 $260
29
Merry Go Round
What is it about purple and orange? An artist would say that they are opposite each other on the color wheel and therefore complementary. The less technical term used by visitors to the Colorblends trial garden: “Wow!” Introduced 2014
30
C OL OR B L E NDS W H O L E SA L E FL OW E R BU L B S
Item No
1246 Blend %
34/33/33
Bulb Size
12cm+ Per 100
$35
Height
16–22” Per 1000
$295
Martian Spring
Full-bodied purple tulips arch gracefully over a dense mass of rich orange. The juxtaposition of cool and warm is irresistible to the eye, especially on a bright sunny day. Plant the bulbs close together for best effect. Introduced 2012
Item No
1226 Blend %
Bulb Size
12cm+ Per 100
Height
14–18” Per 1000
50/50 $38 $340
Vitamin See
As a Colorblender might say: Man does not live by red alone. And with so many colors to choose from, why should he? This spring tonic comprises a fluffy lemon yellow, a hefty pumpkin orange and, flying above, a lily-like purple. Introduced 2016 TO ORDER :
Item No
1273 Blend %
Bulb Size
12cm+ Per 100
Height
16-22” Per 1000
colorblends.com
34/33/33
| 1 (888) 847-8637
$36 $310
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Petal Pushers ®
Big double tulips in primary colors: red, yellow and purple (standing in for blue). They make a blend that is simple, cheerful and eye-catching. Best in full sun. Introduced 2008
32
C OL OR B L E NDS W H O L E SA L E FL OW E R BU L B S
Item No Bulb Size Height
1238 Blend % 12cm+ Per 100 18” Per 1000
34/33/33 $35 $270
Too Fruition
Luscious double tulips in red, orange and yellow. They look like a plate filled at the sweet end of the salad bar. Plants are compact and stand up well to wind and rain. Spaced closely, they put on a deliciously vibrant spring show. Introduced 2013
Item No Bulb Size Height
1289 Blend %
34/33/33
12cm+ Per 100
$35
16” Per 1000
$300
Wheels Up
Red and purple lily-flowered tulips take flight over a frothy sea of double yellows. A bold and beautiful blend that is guaranteed to attract notice. The captain has turned on the fasten seat belt sign. Buckle up! Introduced 2012 TO ORDER :
Item No
1207 Blend %
34/33/33
Bulb Size
12cm+ Per 100
$35
Height
16–22” Per 1000
$310
colorblends.com
| 1 (888) 847-8637
33
Snowmelt
Big broad double tulips in white, purple and yellow. The blend is both cool and warm at the same time and thus can be used in a wide variety of landscape situations. All that’s required for a great display is plenty of spring sunshine. Introduced 2017
Item No Bulb Size Height
1451 Blend % 12cm+ Per 100 18” Per 1000
34/33/33 $36 $300
Binary Fusion
Huge double tulips borne on long, arching stems. The extra petals give the blooms extra punch: They put on a show that cannot and will not be missed. Plant some for cutting, as well. These flowers make incredible bouquets. Introduced 2009
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C OL OR B L E NDS W H O L E SA L E FL OW E R BU L B S
Item No Bulb Size Height
1294 Blend % 12cm+ Per 100 18” Per 1000
50/50 $35 $270
Sol Array
Red, yellow-and-red and purple. These big double tulips do more than capture the energy of the sun; they intensify it. Caution: Prolonged viewing may damage the naked eye. Protective eyewear recommended. Introduced 2014
Item No Bulb Size Height
1442 Blend %
34/33/33
12cm+ Per 100 18” Per 1000
$36 $300
Chiquita Bordeaux
Double tulips in bright yellow and silvery purple. The flowers are large and densely petaled, much like those of peonies. But peonies don’t make these colors or bloom so early. Intrigued passersby will be drawn in for a closer look. Introduced 2001 TO ORDER :
Item No Bulb Size Height
colorblends.com
1283 Blend % 12cm+ Per 100 18” Per 1000 | 1 (888) 847-8637
50/50 $35 $280
35
VISITING AMSTERDAM? Learn about the history of the tulip, Holland’s most famous flower, from its origin in the Central Asian highlands to its modern-day cultivation in the fields of the Netherlands. The Amsterdam Tulip Museum is in the Jordaan district of Amsterdam, just a one-minute walk from the Anne Frank House. The surrounding historic neighborhood is a romantic place, with many museums, antique dealers, art galleries, restaurants and cafes to explore and enjoy. The museum shop sells bulbs to plant, books to educate and craft items to bring the story and beauty of tulips into your daily life. For more information about the museum, visit amsterdamtulipmuseum.com. For information about visiting the Jordaan (pronounced yor-DON) district of Amsterdam go to jordaanweb.com. 36
Metamorphic
The miracle of tulips: In fall, you plant what look like stones. In spring, you get “gorgeous!” This blend of purple, rich pink and blush-white doubles takes time to deliver on its promise, but man is it worth the wait. Introduced 2017
Item No Bulb Size Height
1453 Blend %
34/33/33
12cm+ Per 100 18” Per 1000
$37 $310
Vital Signs
Two doubles—one a rich cherry-red, the other a bright white with touches of cream and green—burst into bloom just when your spirits could use a lift. Lights are flashing. Emergency rescue. Spring is here. Introduced 2016 TO ORDER :
Item No Bulb Size Height
colorblends.com
1267 Blend % 12cm+ Per 100 16” Per 1000 | 1 (888) 847-8637
50/50 $34 $290
37
Boutonnière
Most Colorblends are designed to work both in small spaces and large. Really big areas allow room for BedSpreads®: blends of four, five or more varieties that cover a wide range of color, bloom time, height and texture. Boutonnière showcases the diversity of tulips with a display of single, double and lily-shaped blooms in soft pink, rich pink, white and maroon. Sold in units of 500 only because that’s the number needed for a balanced show. Introduced 2015
38
C OL OR B L E NDS W H O L E SA L E FL OW E R BU L B S
See more BedSpreads® at colorblends.com
Item No
1570 Blend % 5 varieties
Bulb Size
12cm+ Per 500
$185
Height
18–24” Per 2000
$680
Much Niceness
This blend looks like something you’d see on the dessert cart at a posh restaurant. The pastry chef has created something light and sweet to tempt you. A pity to take a fork to it. All you want to do is marvel at his exquisite composition. Introduced 2012
Item No
1219 Blend %
34/33/33
Bulb Size
12cm+ Per 100
$35
Height
16–20” Per 1000
$295
Ala Ska
A purple double and a white-and-pink semi-double rub shoulders below a purple lily-flowered tulip that is touched with white at the base. The look is cool and refreshing, like a glacier on a north-facing slope. Introduced 2014 TO ORDER :
Item No
1441 Blend %
34/33/33
Bulb Size
12cm+ Per 100
$36
Height
16–22” Per 1000
$310
colorblends.com
| 1 (888) 847-8637
39
Lipsticks
Large tulips on long stems in fire-engine red and deep rose. A Colorblend with a great richness of color. Bold and beautiful. Excellent for large effects. Introduced 2001
40
C OL OR B L E NDS W H O L E SA L E FL OW E R BU L B S
Item No Bulb Size Height
1475 Blend % 12cm+ Per 100 20� Per 1000
50/50 $35 $280
See View Plait ®
Three gorgeous tulips—a silvery pink, a mauve and a purple with a sparkling white edge—interweave in perfect harmony. They deserve a prominent location where people may stop to admire them. Introduced 2006
Item No Bulb Size Height
1472 Blend %
34/33/33
12cm+ Per 100 18” Per 1000
$37 $310
Pillow Talk
Here a soft rose and a creamy yellow touched with pink are joined to form an incredibly beautiful combination. Their semi-double flowers open to wide, shallow bowls. Give them pride of place, and plant thickly. Introduced 2000 TO ORDER :
Item No Bulb Size Height
colorblends.com
1464 Blend % 12cm+ Per 100 16” Per 1000 | 1 (888) 847-8637
50/50 $35 $300
41
S T R E T C H YO U R O T HOW
$100 T O T H E 408
Massage for 1
3 tickets to an MLB baseball game
1 hour
2 tickets to an NBA basketball game
3 hours
2 hours
Dinner for 2, with glasses of wine
1.5 hours
2 hours
1 night at a hotel
14 hours
hours
Some say tulips don’t bloom long enough to justify the cost. Tulips flower an average of 17 days in spring. That’s 408 hours of bloom. Compared to other recreational activities, tulips are a great value.
21 hours
Approximate Hours of Enjoyment
The $100 tulip value equation
_ $10000
MAX
4th of July fireworks
300 tulip bulbs
1 adult day pass to Disney's Magic Kingdom
A springflowering bulb’s growth cycle S
pring-flowering bulbs have a growth cycle that sets them apart from most other plants. They make roots in the fall, bide their time through winter, emerge and bloom in spring, and go completely dormant in early summer. During their brief period above ground, the plants must store up enough energy to survive their long dormancy (bulbs are very much alive in their dormant state), produce roots, and send up leaves and flowers again the following spring—in that order. That is why it is important to let the leaves die back naturally after bloom. If you cut the leaves early, you force the bulb to make sacrifices—starting with the next spring’s flowers.
42
Cakewalk ÂŽ
Orchestrating tulip displays is hard. You have to juggle bloom times, heights, shapes and colors. Great ideas on paper are often flops in the landscape. Better to plant Colorblends like this one. Easy, beautiful and foolproof. Introduced 2011 TO ORDER :
Item No Bulb Size Height
colorblends.com
1403 Blend %
34/33/33
12cm+ Per 100 22� Per 1000 | 1 (888) 847-8637
$37 $290
43
Carnaval
Light and bright, cheerful and happy. These tulips hold a party wherever they are planted and welcome everyone to join in. You can almost hear the cry of trumpets, the pulsing beat, see the floats and the crowds dancing in the street. Introduced 2013
Item No Bulb Size Height
1439 Blend % 12cm+ Per 100 22� Per 1000
Colorblends: W H AT YO U S E E I S W H AT YO U G ET
Colorblends selections are developed, planted, evaluated, photographed and presented in this catalog and at colorblends.com. As simple as some blends appear, they are the distillation of much trial and error. Colorblends has done its homework so you don’t waste your time and money trying to figure it out. Our sole mission is to help you put on great spring displays. You can order and plant Colorblends with complete confidence. Accept no substitutes. Go with the real thing. Plant Colorblends Wholesale Flowerbulbs. THE RAINBOW COALITION PAGE 12
44
34/33/33 $36 $310
Jacques and Jill ÂŽ
If you were to imagine mauve-pink and orange in combination, you might think twice, but when you see them, you understand how beautifully they work together. These tulips have fantastic color synergy. Introduced 2009 TO ORDER :
Item No Bulb Size Height
colorblends.com
1525 Blend % 12cm+ Per 100 20� Per 1000 | 1 (888) 847-8637
50/50 $35 $295
45
Critical Mass ÂŽ
Blending tulips is a little like mixing chemicals. Get it wrong and nothing happens, or maybe too much. Get it right and the colors seem to feed off of each other. This chain reaction of yellow, purplish pink and maroon is all good. Introduced 2007
46
C OL OR B L E NDS W H O L E SA L E FL OW E R BU L B S
Item No Bulb Size Height
1406 Blend % 12cm+ Per 100 24� Per 1000
34/33/33 $37 $290
Gemini II
A cool and companionable pair: a white, edged and speckled with purple, and a lovely soft pink. Easy on the eye and yet very showy. Plant thickly to smother a bed, or cluster among perennials in a mixed border. Introduced 2015
Item No Bulb Size Height
1447 Blend % 12cm+ Per 100 22� Per 1000
50/50 $35 $310
Black Tie
Two handsome tulips decked in glistening white and deep, dark maroon. A rich contrast that will add an elegant touch to the border in late spring. Introduced 2004
TO ORDER :
Item No Bulb Size Height
colorblends.com
1488 Blend % 12cm+ Per 100 24� Per 1000 | 1 (888) 847-8637
50/50 $39 $330
47
Sultans of Spring ÂŽ
These long and lovely tulips bring royalty to the garden. As cut flowers, they have no rival: Few tulips give as much pleasure as they unfold their beauty in a vase. Whether you cut them or leave them, you will adore them. Introduced 2004
48
C OL OR B L E NDS W H O L E SA L E FL OW E R BU L B S
Item No Bulb Size Height
1408 Blend % 4 varieties 12cm+ Per 100 30� Per 1000
$39 $340
Parrot Blend
Parrot tulips make terrific cut flowers. We placed an arrangement of our three-color blend in the front window of the Amsterdam Tulip Museum, and everyone stopped to see if they were real! Sensational in the garden, too. Introduced 2005
Item No
1417 Per 25
$23
Bulb Size
12cm+ Per 100
$55
14” Per 500
$260
1443 Blend %
34/33/33
Height
Happy Together
This blend fires on all cylinders. The colors—yellow, orange and mauve-pink—play beautifully together. Bloom overlap is very close. And the small differences in height and shape provide vitality. What’s not to like? Introduced 2014 TO ORDER :
Item No Bulb Size Height
colorblends.com
12cm+ Per 100 20” Per 1000 | 1 (888) 847-8637
$36 $310
49
French Blend
An all-color mixture of long-stemmed tulips, bright as lantern globes and nearly as large. We suggest you plant them for use in flower arrangements. They look great in the garden, too. Each bag contains at least 8 different varieties. Introduced 2003
50
C OL OR B L E NDS W H O L E SA L E FL OW E R BU L B S
Item No Bulb Size Height
1414 Blend % 12cm+ Per 100 24� Per 1000
All Colors $37 $330
French Blend Rose
This is a stunning blend of large, florist-grade tulips in shades of pink, rose and apricot. Plant these, and next spring you and your friends and neighbors will know the simple pleasure of having a bouquet of home-grown tulips. Introduced 2005
Item No Bulb Size Height
1411 Blend % 5 varieties 12cm+ Per 100 24� Per 1000
$37 $330
Sherbet ÂŽ
Soft violet-mauve makes a delicious pairing with a pearly pink that gradually turns to apricot. When the sun hits them, they become even sweeter. Introduced 2002
TO ORDER :
Item No Bulb Size Height
colorblends.com
1421 Blend % 12cm+ Per 100 22" Per 1000 | 1 (888) 847-8637
50/50 $34 $290
51
Cubed Tulip Blends
Cubed blends comprise an early, mid and late variety to give you an extended run of spring bloom. Flowering is sequential, but overlap is common, and welcome.
Red Cubed
A blend of three red tulips that bloom in succession. They provide three overlapping shows in the same space, increasing your pleasure exponentially. Since the bulbs don’t all bloom at once, plant thickly for a full display. Introduced 2006
Item No
1512 Blend %
34/33/33
Bulb Size
12cm+ Per 100
$35
Height
16–22” Per 1000
$290
Yellow Cubed
Three succeeding rounds of yellow tulips. Excellent where a long run of color is needed. Also useful for cutting: When one bouquet fades, another can be harvested. For a dense display, plant the bulbs closely—just a few inches apart. Introduced 2006
52
C OL OR B L E NDS W H O L E SA L E FL OW E R BU L B S
Item No
1514 Blend %
34/33/33
Bulb Size
12cm+ Per 100
$35
Height
16–22” Per 1000
$280
Pink Cubed ®
Pink to the third power—early, mid and late. The display begins at daffodil time and continues until the alliums start. Along the way, there is plenty of color and plenty of spring flowers for cutting. Introduced 2008
Item No
1515 Blend %
34/33/33
Bulb Size
12cm+ Per 100
$35
Height
16–22” Per 1000
$280
Red–Yellow Cubed
A three-act circus in one ring. Each pyrotechnic show rolls seamlessly into the next, drawing applause from family members, neighbors and passing motorists, all of whom will be amazed at your horticultural prowess. Introduced 2008 TO ORDER :
Item No
1516 Blend %
34/33/33
Bulb Size
12cm+ Per 100
$35
Height
15–22” Per 1000
$280
colorblends.com
| 1 (888) 847-8637
53
White Cubed
A rolling display of three white tulips. Each starts creamy yellow and matures pure white. As with the other cubed blends, it’s best to plant thickly, since flowering comes in waves, one-third at a time. Introduced 2009
Item No
1513 Blend %
34/33/33
Bulb Size
12cm+ Per 100
$37
Height
16–22” Per 1000
$310
Threedom
Three distinct oranges for a warm spring show. The vaseshaped early tulip is soft orange. The mid bloomer is a gold and red double that reads as fiery orange. The finale is a lily-flowered tulip in sunset shades. Introduced 2009
54
C OL OR B L E NDS W H O L E SA L E FL OW E R BU L B S
Item No
1518 Blend %
34/33/33
Bulb Size
12cm+ Per 100
$36
Height
16–20” Per 1000
$290
Trifecta
A race to bloom that’s never in doubt. Red is always first, followed by yellow, with purple third but by no means last. This blend of tulips is a sure bet. To ensure a good run, plant the bulbs closely—just 2–3 inches apart. Introduced 2011
Item No
1583 Blend %
34/33/33
Bulb Size
12cm+ Per 100
$36
Height
16–22” Per 1000
$290
Triathlon ®
There’s a new competition at the beauty pageant next spring: endurance. Yellow starts, soft orange follows and burgundy leans across the finish line. Despite the effort that goes into this event, none of these beauties breaks a sweat. Introduced 2011 TO ORDER :
Item No
1581 Blend %
34/33/33
Bulb Size
12cm+ Per 100
$37
Height
16–22” Per 1000
$310
colorblends.com
| 1 (888) 847-8637
55
Tulip Singles
Sometimes a single variety is what you need. Here you’ll find a broad selection of tulips: early to late, short to tall and in almost every color save blue.
Best White
Large flowers open creamy yellow and soon turn pure white, retaining just a glimmer of yellow at the base. Strongest white in the world of tulips. In a sunny spot, it can come back and bloom for several springs (see page 11 to learn more).
56
C OL OR B L E NDS W H O L E SA L E FL OW E R BU L B S
Item No
1506 Per 25
$14
Bulb Size
12cm+ Per 100
$30
Height
16� Per 1000
$260
Best Red
Vivid poppy-red. A vigorous tulip of great substance and radiant color that is sure to attract attention from a distance. One of the best red landscape tulips.
Item No
1501 Per 25
$14
Bulb Size
12cm+ Per 100
$32
Height
20” Per 1000
$270
Best Yellow
A rich golden yellow tulip, impressive both for the size of its flowers and their longevity. Best landscape tulip in its class. It can light up a garden, the entrance to a building or an entire traffic median.
Item No
1502 Per 25
$14
Bulb Size
12cm+ Per 100
$32
Height
20” Per 1000
$270
Best Pink
Magnificent, vivid pink tulips on stout stems. Flowers grow to enormous size. Unsurpassed for borders and mass plantings. Strong perennial tendencies. This variety is also known as Pink Impression.
Item No
1505 Per 25
$14
Bulb Size
12cm+ Per 100
$34
Height
22” Per 1000
$280
Best Purple
Satiny deep purple flowers. A sturdy and dependable garden tulip that’s clearly the best solid purple around. Combines wonderfully with lighter-colored tulips.
Item No
1504 Per 25
$14
Bulb Size
12cm+ Per 100
$31
Height
18” Per 1000
$270 TO ORDER :
colorblends.com
| 1 (888) 847-8637
57
Tom Pouce
This lovely tulip takes its name from a popular Dutch pastry. It is light pink above, soft creamy yellow at the base. Especially delicious when the sun hits it just so. Tom Pouce needs no accompaniment. Just plant in fall, savor in spring.
Item No
1135 Per 25
$14
Bulb Size
12cm+ Per 100
$34
Height
20� Per 1000
$290
Yume no Murasaki
A purple lily-flowered tulip that lasts an exceptionally long time, both in the garden and in arrangements. On sunny days, its petals open wide to reveal a contrasting white base. Combines well with many mid and late tulips.
58
C OL OR B L E NDS W H O L E SA L E FL OW E R BU L B S
Item No
1751 Per 25
$14
Bulb Size
12cm+ Per 100
$35
Height
22� Per 1000
$300
Rob Verlinden
Glowing red blooms rise just above purple-spotted, white-edged foliage that is attractive in its own right. Extra petals give the flowers extra amperage. Useful where a showy, compact tulip is needed. Ideal for bedding or lining a walk.
Item No
1040 Per 25
$14
Bulb Size
12cm+ Per 100
$35
10” Per 1000
Height
$290
Scarlet Baby
Starry red flowers, tinted pink, with a buttery base. They open bright and early in the spring, providing a welcome jolt of color. Scarlet Baby blooms at only half a foot tall, but its intensity makes it seem big.
Item No
1060 Per 25
$14
Bulb Size
12cm+ Per 100
$31
6” Per 1000
Height
$280
Virichic
An exotic beauty with vase-shaped blooms composed of narrow, wavy petals. They are vibrant pink, with lighter tones, and have a green stripe down the middle. A terrific cut flower—Virichic is worth planting for that purpose alone.
Item No
1658 Per 25
$15
Bulb Size
12cm+ Per 100
$42
24” Per 500
$175
Height
Queen of Night
Queen of Night is as close to black as a tulip is likely to get. It’s actually a very deep maroon. Combines nicely with other late tulips, including Virichic (above).
Item No
1500 Per 25
$12
Bulb Size
12cm+ Per 100
$30
Height
24” Per 1000
$250 TO ORDER :
colorblends.com
| 1 (888) 847-8637
59
Big Eartha ®
A spectacular pink tulip, so large and vigorous it’s hard to believe it’s real. As the flowers expand, their sumptuous pink satin slowly deepens to a rich rose. Can return for several springs (see page 11 to learn more).
60
C OL OR B L E NDS W H O L E SA L E FL OW E R BU L B S
Item No
1227 Per 25
$16
Bulb Size
14cm+ Per 100
$39
Height
25” Per 1000
$330
Big Red
Large red goblets with a silvery sheen are lifted skyward on thick stems. Where bold is called for, Big Red is an excellent choice. It can dominate a spring landscape.
Item No
1229 Per 25
$14
Bulb Size
12cm+ Per 100
$33
Height
26” Per 1000
$260
Big Apricot
A sibling of Big Eartha, with a heavy apricot tone. It’s a monster grower with huge, long-lasting flowers. One of the largest Darwin Hybrid tulips available. Makes a big impact in the landscape. TO ORDER :
Item No
1228 Per 25
$14
Bulb Size
12cm+ Per 100
$32
Height
colorblends.com
26” Per 1000 | 1 (888) 847-8637
$260
61
Banja Luka
Huge blooms of marigold yellow feathered deep orange-red. A brilliant and sturdy variety, very showy to say the least. This tulip is a movie star.
62
C OL OR B L E NDS W H O L E SA L E FL OW E R BU L B S
Item No
1239 Per 25
$12
Bulb Size
12cm+ Per 100
$28
Height
20� Per 1000
$240
Daydream
Among the wonders of the world of tulips. The flower starts a clear lemon-yellow. As the bloom expands, the color shifts to rich apricot-orange. This changeable flower will give you a reason to wake up in the morning.
Item No
1508 Per 25
$14
Bulb Size
12cm+ Per 100
$34
Height
20” Per 1000
$280
Orange Queen
A beautiful orange with red tones, touched here and there with yellow. In spring sunshine, a bed of Orange Queen burns like a four-alarm fire. When the first responders arrive, you’ll have some explaining to do.
Item No
1259 Per 25
$14
Bulb Size
12cm+ Per 100
$32
Height
20” Per 1000
$270
Best Red–Yellow
A red tulip brushed with yellow at the margin. When lit by the sun, it sets the spring landscape ablaze, and in a pool of grape hyacinths (page 131), it absolutely sizzles.
TO ORDER :
Item No
1507 Per 25
$14
Bulb Size
12cm+ Per 100
$32
Height
colorblends.com
20” Per 1000 | 1 (888) 847-8637
$260
63
Flair
Bright red-and-yellow blooms that catch fire in the sun. This tulip has many good characteristics: large flowers, a strong constitution and an exceptionally long bloom time. Starts with the daffodils in early spring and goes on and on.
64
C OL OR B L E NDS W H O L E SA L E FL OW E R BU L B S
Item No
1016 Per 25
$12
Bulb Size
12cm+ Per 100
$27
Height
15� Per 1000
$240
Gudoshnik
A remarkable tulip loved for its variegated blooms. The flowers vary from an almost plain creamy peach to a deep rose-red, with all possibilities in between. A wealth of colors that has to be seen to be believed. Gudoshnik means “artist” in Russian.
Item No
1252 Per 25
$12
Bulb Size
12cm+ Per 100
$33
Height
24” Per 1000
$280
Amazon
A planting of this striking tulip resembles a flock of tropical birds. The arching orange petals, which look as though they have been dipped in yellow paint, flutter over purple-striped foliage. When the sun hits them, they glow. TO ORDER :
Item No
1010 Per 25
$14
Bulb Size
12cm+ Per 100
$34
Height
colorblends.com
18” Per 1000 | 1 (888) 847-8637
$290
65
Akebono
Akebono is a full-figured tulip from Japan. The name means (roughly) “bright sky at daybreak.” The semi-double flowers are big, but their pale yellow coloring, often touched with red and green, gives them surprising lightness and grace.
Item No
1310 Per 25
$18
Bulb Size
12cm+ Per 100
$46
20” Per 500
$175
Height
Cretaceous
Enormous double blossoms of buttercup-yellow touched with varying amounts of scarlet. In some cases, the markings are so heavy a flower approaches red. How large is “enormous”? Join your hands to make a bowl. They are that big.
66
C OL OR B L E NDS W H O L E SA L E FL OW E R BU L B S
Item No
1286 Per 25
$15
Bulb Size
12cm+ Per 100
$37
Height
18” Per 1000
$300
Suncatcher
Yellow and red. In the world of tulips, they are often found together. Suncatcher, though, is anything but common. When the light strikes it just so, the lemon-yellow body glows, the red edge ignites and the spring landscape comes alive.
Item No
1142 Per 25
$16
Bulb Size
12cm+ Per 100
$39
18� Per 500
$180
Height
Carmen Rio
Semi-double, bright yellow flowers feathered with blood red. Planted en masse or in small clumps, they yield a beautiful splash of color. Excellent wherever a bold statement is needed.
TO ORDER :
Item No
1287 Per 25
$16
Bulb Size
12cm+ Per 100
$38
Height
colorblends.com
16� Per 1000 | 1 (888) 847-8637
$330
67
Moris Gudanov
Moris Gudanov has big, beefy blooms filled with peach and red petals that are sometimes streaked, sometimes solid, but always appetizing. One flower could feed a family of four.
68
C OL OR B L E NDS W H O L E SA L E FL OW E R BU L B S
Item No
1254 Per 25
$18
Bulb Size
12cm+ Per 100
$45
18� Per 500
$210
Height
Foxy Foxtrot
Names matter, but they are just labels. This tulip combines butter yellow and apricot in a way a painter would admire and presents them in a form a sculptor might imitate. Had it been called Double Tulip #9823 it would be no less beautiful.
Item No
1093 Per 25
$15
Bulb Size
12cm+ Per 100
$36
Height
14” Per 1000
$310
Aveyron
Large double blooms of what might be called antique pink, neither soft nor strident, shading to near white at the petals’ edges. Each is a marvel of floral construction. Once upon a time, women wore hats that approached this level of detail. TO ORDER :
Item No
1962 Per 25
$15
Bulb Size
12cm+ Per 100
$35
Height
colorblends.com
18” Per 1000 | 1 (888) 847-8637
$310
69
Maureen
The unrivaled standard in tall, late-season white tulips. The goblet-shaped blooms open creamy yellow and turn ivory-white as they mature. Maureen works equally well in large plantings and intimate flower gardens.
Item No
1620 Per 25
$22
Bulb Size
12cm+ Per 100
$54
24” Per 500
$240
Height
Menton
Menton is a rich pink with orange highlights that give it a hint of warmth. It looks beautiful on its own and combines easily with any of the other French tulips. Great for cutting, too.
Item No
1619 Per 25
$14
Bulb Size
12cm+ Per 100
$38
Height
24” Per 1000
$310
Roi du Midi Large, bright yellow goblets on tall stems. The name means “king of the south of France,” and like all the French tulips, Roi du Midi performs better in the American south than do most other varieties. Also excellent in northern landscapes.
Item No
1675 Per 25
$15
Bulb Size
12cm+ Per 100
$39
Height
24” Per 1000
$340
Dordogne
A lovely multicolored tulip that seems to change its hue with the light. Is it pink brushed with orange? Yes. Did I see a hint of yellow in there? Probably. Today it’s salmon. Am I going nuts? No! Relax and enjoy the show.
Item No
1623 Per 25
$15
Bulb Size
12cm+ Per 100
$37
Height
70
24” Per 1000
$300
C OL OR B L E NDS W H O L E SA L E FL OW E R BU L B S
Blushing Lady
Very large yet supremely elegant flowers of pale yellow, brushed with rose on the exterior. When closed, they have a quiet sculptural quality. In the sun, with their petals unfurled, they look like a flock of exotic birds taking flight.
Item No
1556 Per 25
$16
Bulb Size
12cm+ Per 100
$39
Height
30” Per 1000
$330
Temple’s Favourite
Huge orange blooms, flushed with purplish pink, nod toward the sun on thick stems. There’s nothing else like them in the world of tulips. Excellent for cutting.
Item No
1555 Per 25
$16
Bulb Size
12cm+ Per 100
$38
30” Per 1000
Height
$320
El Niño
This tulip is beautifully indecisive. Its flowers can be amber or orange, or both at the same time, often overlaid with stripes of rose and speckles of red. No two flowers are exactly alike. Plant in quantity to see the full range of possibility. El Niño can set a bed on fire.
Item No
1701 Per 25
$18
Bulb Size
12cm+ Per 100
$38
Height
30” Per 1000
$330 TO ORDER :
colorblends.com
| 1 (888) 847-8637
71
Wild Tulips
The forebears of the big hybrids. Planted in a sunny, well-drained location, they can come back for several years. All of our bulbs are from commercially grown stock.
Aladdin’s Carpet
Wild tulips fit so easily into informal landscapes that they look as though nature herself planted them. This blend combines six of these beauties with three muscari and a dwarf daffodil for a colorful, long-running display. Introduced 2006.
72
C OL OR B L E NDS W H O L E SA L E FL OW E R BU L B S
Item No Bulb Size Height
6050 Blend % 10 varieties Topsize Per 200 4-10" Per 1000
$48 $210
Bakeri Lilac Wonder Dainty lilac-pink flowers with deep yellow centers glow like beacons on a sunny spring day. Every garden should include at least a hundred of these little beauties. The species is native to the island of Crete.
Item No
1011 Per 100
$18
Bulb Size
6–7cm Per 1000
$150
8”
Height
Linifolia
Flowers open to shining scarlet stars with black hearts. Makes quite a splash in the rock garden. Also excellent along the edge of a path or a well-drained flower bed. Central Asia.
Item No
1022 Per 100
$14
Bulb Size
5–6cm Per 1000
$105
Height
8”
Tarda
Clusters of yellow star-shaped flowers, edged white. Plant the bulbs closely to create a glittering spring carpet. Given a sunny spot, this little tulip proves most reliable, often blooming year after year. Tien-Shan Mountains, China.
Item No
1025 Per 100
$18
Bulb Size
8–9cm Per 1000
$150
Height
5”
Tubergen’s Gem Scarlet buds open to yellow stars. Mass them for a cheery sight that can repeat itself for several years. Tubergen’s Gem is a selection of Tulipa clusiana, which makes its home in Afghanistan and Tibet.
Item No
1026 Per 100
$19
Bulb Size
5–6cm Per 1000
$160
Height
10” TO ORDER :
colorblends.com
| 1 (888) 847-8637
73
Humilis Violacea
Red Crocus Tulip. This violet-red gem resembles a crocus but blooms a little later—with early daffodils. Bulbs planted in a sunny location where the soil drains very well can form dense clumps over time. Native to Iran and Turkey.
Item No
1021 Per 100
$21
Bulb Size
6–7cm Per 1000
$180
Height
6”
Lady Jane
One of the most graceful of all tulips. White petals brushed with reddish pink on the outside. The inside is pure white. Flowers open wide and flat in the sun. An Asian immigrant like most tulips: Jane’s parents were from Iran and Afghanistan.
Item No
1020 Per 100
$30
Bulb Size
6–8cm Per 1000
$260
Height
10”
Turkestanica
Small white flowers with gold eyes borne 4–8 to a stem. Plant the bulbs thickly, and they will make a starry mass of bloom. Easy to grow and a good stayer. As the name indicates, this species is native to Turkestan.
Item No
1024 Per 100
Bulb Size
8cm+ Per 1000
Height
$17 $140
9”
Praestans Shogun
Flowers are a beautiful but hard-todescribe color—pumpkin, perhaps, with light red speckles—and are carried several per stem, forming little bouquets. On sunny days, they reveal blue-black stamens. The species can be found in Tajikistan.
Item No
1036 Per 100
$26
Bulb Size
10cm+ Per 1000
$220
Height
74
12”
C OL OR B L E NDS W H O L E SA L E FL OW E R BU L B S
SWEDEN
NORWAY
FINLAND
AK
A Z A K H S TA N
T U L I PA B E H
MI
AN
ESTONIA
LATVIA DENMARK LITHUANIA
BELARUS POLAND
NETHERLANDS
RUSSIA
UKRAINE
SLOVAKIA AUSTRIA
ROMANIA
MONTENEGRO KOSOVO
KAZAKHSTAN
T
E N I S TA N
BOSNIA AND SERBIA HERZEGOVINA
ANDORRA
IS
KM
SLOVENIA CROATIA
ITALY
CHKENS
TU
SWITZERLAND
KU S
UR
FRANCE
PA
MOLDOVA
HUNGARY
The Cau cas us Mo un tai GEORGIA ns
BULGARIA
MACEDONIA ALBANIA
ARMENIA
GREECE
UZBEKISTAN
KYRGYZSTAN
AZERBAIJAN TURKMENISTAN
NAKHCHIVAN
TURKEY
s
CZECH REPUBLIC
in
LUXEMBOURG
TAJIKISTAN
T
ir & am he P
ta
GERMANY
BELGIUM
LI
KINGDOM
n Tie
Sh
an
M
ou
n
CHINA
MALTA
HANIDEA GR
SYRIA
CYPRUS LEBANON
EE
AFGHANISTAN IRAQ
PAKISTAN
IRAN
INDIA
ISRAEL JORDAN
TUL
ALGERIA
P OR
CE
I PA
TUNISIA
T
KUWAIT
LIBYA
PA M O N TA ULI N
A
NEPAL
I RA
EGYPT
N
QATAR SAUDI ARABIA U.A.E. OMAN NIGER SUDAN CHAD
Where do tulips come from? ERITREA
YEMEN
ost people associate tulips with Holland,
but they didn’t originate there. Some species are indigenous to Turkey, where they have been cultivated and venerated for centuries, but the majority hail from the forbidding mountainous regions of Central Asia, where they can still be found growing wild today. They may look small next to today’s big hybrids, but you have to admire their beauty and tenacity. You’ll find a sampling of wild tulips and near-relatives at left and on pages 72–73, plus a few more at colorblends.com. For an interactive map and photos of 40 tulips in their native habitats, visit tulipsinthewild.com. 75
TIPS FROM THE
Colorblends Display and Test Gardens
Go Slow!
When planting fall bulbs, it’s best to do it in small increments over many years. Pick one area, and order a couple of hundred bulbs. See how the planting goes in fall and how you like the display in spring. The following fall, apply what you learned to another area of your yard or garden. It is better for your back and budget to take small bites and build on your experience. (The bites can be larger if you hire a landscape professional. The pros have the tools, personnel and experience to plant on a large scale).
Allow Daffodils to Recharge
If you have deer, squirrels, voles, elk, moose, etc., forget tulips. Get into the wide world of daffodils. No animal will touch them. But if you want them to come back and flower the following spring, you must allow the foliage to turn yellow and die back after bloom. We call the period after flowering the recharging season.
Colorblends USA display garden, Bridgeport, CT
The recharging season can last 8, 9, even 10 weeks, taking you into early summer. You have to live with tall grass or unkempt foliage during that time, because as long as the daffodil leaves are still green, the bulbs below are building up the energy they will need to grow and bloom next spring. Plant annuals among the tumble of leaves, learn to accept a little disorder or simply look away. If you remove the leaves or prevent sunlight from reaching them, you risk denying yourself next year’s flowers.
Daffodil Rapture page 108
Daffodil leaves after bloom: recharging the bulbs
Display garden design by Jacqueline van der Kloet
Daffodils for Naturalizing
The daffodils on these pages are selected for their vigor and naturalizing capabilities. Their hefty bulbs will produce 2 or more flowers the first spring.
“I just had to let you know how fantastic the Spring Loaded blend is. I planted 1000 bulbs several years ago and, despite neglect, they continue to thrive and increase. What a variety of forms and colors! I have fallen in love with varieties that I thought I wouldn’t like—there’s not one that isn’t beautiful in its own way.” —POLLY G., NORTH PLAINS, OR
Spring Loaded ®
This mixture makes planting daffodils on a large scale very economical, with no compromise in bulb size. It contains at least 20 proven named varieties, covering the full spectrum of daffodil colors and bloom times. These time-tested beauties will provide a succession of flowers for many springs to come. Introduced 2000 DEER AND RODENT PROOF
78
C OL OR B L E NDS W H O L E SA L E FL OW E R BU L B S
Item No
3076 Per 100
$49
Bulb Size
16cm+ Per 1000
$440
Height
12–18” Per 5000
$2100
The Gold Shoulder ÂŽ
A blend of tough, dependable daffodils, one gold, one white with a yellow cup that turns ivory. Both exhibit strong perennial behavior. Given half a day of sun or more and well-drained soil, the bulbs often increase their number. Excellent for landscaping and low-maintenance plantings. Introduced 1997 DEER AND RODENT PROOF TO ORDER :
Item No
3065 Per 100
$49
Bulb Size
16cm+ Per 1000
$460
16� Per 5000
$2100
Height
colorblends.com
| 1 (888) 847-8637
79
FINGERSPITZENGEFÜHL
WE WILL SHIP NO FLOWERBULB BEFORE ITS TIME Fingerspitzengefühl is a German expression that means having a feeling about how something has to be done. Dutch bulb growers use this expression to decide when flowerbulbs are ready to be harvested and shipped.
Y
ou cannot predict when bulbs will be ready for digging and shipping, but if you know just by feeling that the time is right, you call it “fingerspitzengefühl,” which means literally “the feeling in the tips of your fingers.” Bulbs in general, and especially daffodils, need to mature after harvesting. Harvest time for daffodils is late July or early August. The bulbs are dug by machine and dropped on the soil. The wind and sun can then dry them out in the open, fresh air. The daffodils need to lose more than 20 percent of their water weight before the end of August. If they are left in the open for at least two weeks, much of the drying will be done naturally. The rest of the drying takes place in a warehouse in large kuubskisten (wooden boxes). THE TYRANNY OF THE CALENDAR
The problem is that bulb growers are being forced to harvest and ship daffodils too early. Why? The exporters in the Netherlands want to take delivery of the bulbs before August 10 and sometimes before August 5, so they can ship daffodils with their other bulbs (tulips, crocuses, etc.) to the United States. Why so early? Their customers in the U.S., the buyers for the big box stores, demand that bulbs be delivered by late August. That way the bulbs are on display for an extra two weeks before the Halloween and Christmas merchandise pushes them off the shelves. The negative early spiral continues when the local garden center owner, who usually knows better, feels forced to have his bulbs delivered early for competitive reasons.
80
EXCESS MOISTURE SPELLS TROUBLE
If you honor this schedule, it is impossible to give daffodils a proper drying. You have to take the bulbs from the field within a week after digging them. The moisture in the bulbs has much more difficulty escaping during the grading, packing and shipping process. Or it doesn’t come out at all. The result is daffodils that are not mature. They will be stored and shipped in an environment with higher humidity because of the moisture they continue to release. This humidity provides an ideal environment for all kinds of fungus to grow and damage the bulbs. How much moisture are we talking about? 100,000 doublenose daffodil bulbs weigh about 22,000 pounds. If they need to lose another 10 percent of their weight after packing, we are talking about 2,200 pounds (263 gallons) of water per 100,000 daffodils. That is a lot of extra moisture that is trapped in the packages. FIRST: DO NO HARM
The bulb industry is not collectively strong enough to “just say wait.” But at Colorblends, we won’t start delivery until the first day of fall, around September 22. We may lose business because of this policy. Having a customer tell us to deliver early, when the bulbs are not ready and temperatures are still too warm, is not an option. It would be like telling a winemaker to harvest his grapes early so the bottles can be on the shelf a little sooner. With agriculture and nature, you need patience. You can’t tell a flowerbulb when it is ready. The flowerbulb tells the grower. Usually through the fingers.
The Top 40
Where more is better, this mixture delivers. It comprises at least 40 different varieties from the best growers in the Netherlands. Included are old favorites but also many fresh faces—some of them new to commerce—and all at a price that allows for expansive planting. Bulbs are large and healthy and guaranteed to please. Introduced 2016 DEER AND RODENT PROOF TO ORDER :
Item No
3101 Per 100
Bulb Size
16cm+ Per 1000
$450
Height
12–18” Per 5000
$2150
colorblends.com
| 1 (888) 847-8637
$52
81
nce upon a time, there
was a golden trumpet daffodil named King Alfred. It became so popular that people came to think of it as the golden trumpet. King Alfred was soon superseded by other varieties that grew better and had larger and arguably more attractive flowers, but demand for King Alfred, based mostly on name recognition, persisted even as production steadily declined. Today, people still ask for King Alfred, and sometimes they get it—or think they’ve
gotten it: Bulbs bearing the name King Alfred are almost always those of another variety. King Alfred was a great daffodil in its time, but current production is almost zero. For those seeking an all-gold daffodil today, we offer not one but four great candidates: Gigantic Star (below), Marieke (facing page), and Golden Harvest and Carlton (page 84). They are the current gold standard-bearers. The Gold Standard seal identifies the best of today’s all-yellow daffodils.
Gigantic Star
Big, strong, early, perennial. Gigantic Star is what you could call a meat-and-potatoes daffodil. Carlton (page 84) is one of its parents, which explains its durability and why it grows well both North and South. DEER AND RODENT PROOF
82
C OL OR B L E NDS W H O L E SA L E FL OW E R BU L B S
Item No
3562 Per 25
$24
Bulb Size
16cm+ Per 100
$59
Height
20” Per 1000
$570
Marieke
Here is a golden yellow daffodil that stands out in the crowd. Its large flowers are beautifully proportioned, graceful despite their size, nicely scented and very long lasting. The name is pronounced mar–EE–keh. DEER AND RODENT PROOF TO ORDER :
Item No
3010 Per 25
$24
Bulb Size
16cm+ Per 100
$65
Height
colorblends.com
18” Per 1000 | 1 (888) 847-8637
$570
83
Golden Harvest
Golden Harvest is an old-timer but still an incredible daffodil. It makes huge yellow flowers that can be seen for what seems like miles. And if the weather stays cool, they last for what seems like months. DEER AND RODENT PROOF
Item No
3560 Per 25
$22
Bulb Size
16cm+ Per 100
$59
Height
16” Per 1000
$550
Carlton
A two-tone yellow daffodil with a strong perennial nature. Soft yellow petals encircle a large, frilly, golden yellow cup. Carlton is a splendid multiplier that does well pretty much nationwide, including the Deep South. DEER AND RODENT PROOF
84
C OL OR B L E NDS W H O L E SA L E FL OW E R BU L B S
Item No
3006 Per 25
$20
Bulb Size
16cm+ Per 100
$59
Height
15” Per 1000
$490
Roadside Yellow ®
You know that spring has arrived when yellow daffodils light up the highways and streetscapes. Here’s a great way to participate in this annual fiesta. Bulbs are packed in bulk and priced accordingly. DEER AND RODENT PROOF TO ORDER :
3737 Per 200
Item No Bulb Size
$88
14–16cm Per 1000
$390
16” Per 5000
$1850
Height
colorblends.com
| 1 (888) 847-8637
85
Landscape Favorites
These daffodils, along with the traditional yellows, form the backbone of a landscape planting. They are big and showy, and most are priced for volume purchases.
Ice Follies
Very large, silvery white flowers with a wide, lemon-yellow cup that slowly turns to ivory. One of the strongest growers ever and great for naturalizing, North and South. We call it “Nice Follies.” DEER AND RODENT PROOF
86
C OL OR B L E NDS W H O L E SA L E FL OW E R BU L B S
Item No
3040 Per 25
$18
Bulb Size
16cm+ Per 100
$46
Height
18” Per 1000
$410
Pink Charm
White flowers with wide cups that look as though they were dipped in apricot nectar. Pink Charm is a great naturalizer. It’s also very adaptable: It grows well almost everywhere and is the best pink cup for the Deep South. DEER AND RODENT PROOF
Item No
3053 Per 25
$18
Bulb Size
16cm+ Per 100
$45
Height
18” Per 1000
$390
Delibes
Beautiful primrose-yellow flowers with a large, shallow cup that shades to orange at the mouth. A reliable perennial and a good multiplier. Delibes is easy to like. DEER AND RODENT PROOF
TO ORDER :
Item No
3042 Per 25
$22
Bulb Size
16cm+ Per 100
$65
Height
colorblends.com
16” Per 1000 | 1 (888) 847-8637
$590
87
Mount Hood
Mount Hood has been around since the 1930s but remains the best known and most widely grown of the all-white trumpet daffodils. The nose opens creamy yellow and matures an even bright white. A landscape staple. DEER AND RODENT PROOF
Item No Bulb Size Height
3302 Per 25 14–16cm Per 100 16” Per 1000
$20 $59 $540
Accent
Accent was a major breakthrough in pink-cupped daffodils when it was introduced over 50 years ago. Many others have since come and gone, a testament to Accent’s enduring appeal and value in the landscape. DEER AND RODENT PROOF
88
C OL OR B L E NDS W H O L E SA L E FL OW E R BU L B S
Item No
3057 Per 25
$18
Bulb Size
16cm+ Per 100
$49
Height
16” Per 1000
$430
Brackenhurst
Yellow petals encircle a cup of intense orange. Excellent for mass planting: Brackenhurst is very showy, even at a distance. Good perennial, too. A Colorblender planted 25 bulbs six years ago and now gets 90-plus flowers. DEER AND RODENT PROOF
Item No
3060 Per 25
$22
Bulb Size
16cm+ Per 100
$59
Height
16� Per 1000
$560
Las Vegas
A giant bicolor with a frilled, lemon-yellow trumpet that is surrounded by creamy white petals. The size and bright colors of this daffodil make it stand out in the landscape. DEER AND RODENT PROOF TO ORDER :
Item No
3011 Per 25
Bulb Size
16cm+ Per 100
$75
18� Per 500
$360
Height
colorblends.com
| 1 (888) 847-8637
$24
89
Pimpernel
Light yellow with a large tangerine cup. Pimpernel has an iron constitution and will thrive in most situations. A big, vibrant landscape daffodil that is also excellent for naturalizing. DEER AND RODENT PROOF
Item No
3059 Per 25
$24
Bulb Size
16cm+ Per 100
$64
Height
18” Per 1000
$570
Thalia
Nodding white flowers, usually 2–3 per stem, with narrow petals and a delicate cup. They have a light, feathery quality. Excellent for massing at the edge of woods or among shrubs. Also grows well in the Deep South. DEER AND RODENT PROOF
90
C OL OR B L E NDS W H O L E SA L E FL OW E R BU L B S
Item No Bulb Size Height
3015 Per 25 14–16cm Per 100 14” Per 1000
$14 $36 $330
Golden Salome
A recent introduction with sunny flowers that are composed of soft yellow petals and a golden cup. Vigorous and showy. Golden Salome shines brightly, even on cloudy days. DEER AND RODENT PROOF
Item No
3616 Per 25
$23
Bulb Size
16cm+ Per 100
$59
Height
16” Per 1000
$530
Merels Favourite
A recent introduction with creamy white petals and a bold yellow cup. The flowers are large, the color contrast striking. A large planting will set the spring landscape aglow. DEER AND RODENT PROOF
Item No
3615 Per 25
$25
Bulb Size
16cm+ Per 100
$65
16” Per 500
$295
Height
Sempre Avanti
White petals set off a cup that starts soft orange and turns golden yellow. Sempre Avanti has the vigor you would expect of a daffodil that has been around for more than 70 years. Performs well North and South. DEER AND RODENT PROOF TO ORDER :
Item No
3618 Per 25
$22
Bulb Size
16cm+ Per 100
$49
Height
colorblends.com
16" Per 1000 | 1 (888) 847-8637
$440
91
Golden Echo
A sweet-scented jonquil that grows and blooms with abandon. The flowers, which are often borne 2 per stem, have long golden cups. The gold seeps into the white petals (the echo in the name). Long lasting and very fragrant. DEER AND RODENT PROOF
Item No Bulb Size Height
3555 Per 25 14–16cm Per 100 16” Per 1000
$17 $38 $340
Barrett Browning
The petals are white, the cups orange, turning yellow in the center as the flowers mature. Barrett Browning is excellent for naturalizing, and it performs well everywhere—even in the Coastal South. DEER AND RODENT PROOF
92
C OL OR B L E NDS W H O L E SA L E FL OW E R BU L B S
Item No
3052 Per 25
$22
Bulb Size
16cm+ Per 100
$59
Height
16” Per 1000
$490
Actaea
Sweetly scented, snow-white flowers with scalloped petals and a small flat eye of yellow, edged bright red. Actaea is one of the last daffodils to flower and one of the best for naturalizing. DEER AND RODENT PROOF
Item No
3017 Per 25
$24
Bulb Size
16cm+ Per 100
$68
16” Per 500
$310
Height
Stainless
The acme of all-white daffodils. It has beautifully formed, lightly scented flowers of crisp uniform whiteness. Stands out brightly in the landscape. DEER AND RODENT PROOF
TO ORDER :
Item No
3055 Per 25
$30
Bulb Size
16cm+ Per 100
$80
18” Per 500
$385
Height
colorblends.com
| 1 (888) 847-8637
93
Daffodil Blends
Blending daffodils is even more challenging than blending tulips, but when you come up with a winning combination, it’s worth all the trouble.
Evan Scent
Jonquils offer fragrance as well as beauty. When you walk by or bring your nose near, you pick up a sweet perfume. This is a blend of four varieties that complement each other nicely and smell great. Introduced 2008 DEER AND RODENT PROOF
94
C OL OR B L E NDS W H O L E SA L E FL OW E R BU L B S
Item No Bulb Size Height
3710 Per 25 14–16cm Per 100 12–16” Per 1000
$15 $44 $390
3D
This blend of three yellow trumpet daffodils starts the season early and keeps the show rolling, providing a succession of flowers over several weeks. Plant the bulbs closely to ensure a dense display. Introduced 2009 DEER AND RODENT PROOF
Item No
3715 Per 100
$56
Bulb Size
16cm+ Per 1000
$490
16"
Height
Funhouse
A blend of two daffodils that do very different things with similar colors and form. They make an interesting and dynamic duo. Introduced 2012 DEER AND RODENT PROOF
TO ORDER :
3701 Per 25
Item No Bulb Size
14–16cm Per 100
Height
colorblends.com
16” Per 1000 | 1 (888) 847-8637
$24 $54 $480
95
Sunshine Boys
A combination of two bright-colored landscape daffodils that are as durable as they are attractive. Happy Spring to all who plant these stalwart friends. Introduced 2005 DEER AND RODENT PROOF
Item No
3750 Per 25
$24
Bulb Size
16cm+ Per 100
$55
Height
16” Per 1000
$500
Starry Night
Yellow, yellow everywhere… Fine and good, but white allows the designer to set a different mood: clean, serene, restrained. This three-part blend offers a variety of textures but is uncompromisingly white. Introduced 2016 DEER AND RODENT PROOF
96
C OL OR B L E NDS W H O L E SA L E FL OW E R BU L B S
Item No Bulb Size Height
3704 Per 25 14–16cm Per 100 14–18” Per 1000
$22 $55 $490
Gritty Southern Daff Blend
This blend is made up of 10 varieties that grow and bloom well in the Deep South, where many daffodils struggle. They thrive despite heat and humidity, and tolerate heavy soil. Also good in Southern California. Introduced 2011 DEER AND RODENT PROOF
3761 Per 100
Item No Bulb Size
$49
12–16cm Per 1000
$450
12–18” Per 5000
$2150
Height
Oh Pairs
This pair of double daffodils provides a lot of bang for the buck. Both are good growers that like to come back year after year, and both make large, long-lasting flowers. They look terrific together, too. Introduced 2008 DEER AND RODENT PROOF TO ORDER :
Item No
3757 Per 25
$24
Bulb Size
16cm+ Per 100
$59
Height
colorblends.com
16” Per 1000 | 1 (888) 847-8637
$540
97
SIZE Matters In the flowerbulb world, bigger is better. That’s because large bulbs produce more or larger flowers than small bulbs. When purchasing bulbs, always ask what size bulb you are getting. Colorblends only delivers size 12cm circumference tulip bulbs or larger. The flowers produced by small bulbs (10–11cm or 11–12cm) will look small next to flowers from 12cm+ tulips. Why go to all the effort of planting only to spoil the end effect by using smaller bulbs? Your savings will be negligible and much of the time and effort spent planting will seem wasted. Larger tulip bulbs simply produce superior plants with more impressive flowers. With daffodils, large bulbs will give you 2–3 flower stems in the spring, smaller bulbs just one. The definition of “large” for a daffodil is harder to pin down, because some daffodils naturally make bigger bulbs than others. But given the choice between a 16cm bulb and a 12–14cm bulb, you (or your client) will be happier with the display from the 16cm bulb. The larger bulb appears to be expensive, but it’s actually more economical than a small bulb if you count the flowers you get. And isn’t the purpose of planting bulbs to have a great spring display with lots of flowers? Here we show Colorblends tulip and daffodil bulbs next to bulbs obtained from another source.
98
COLORBLENDS BULBS
FROM ANOTHER SOURCE
Charm Offensive
Two sweet-scented doubles in cream and soft yellow. Their fragrance will make you want to get down on all fours to take it in. Concerned about conduct unbecoming a gardener? Cut a few stems instead. Introduced 2016 DEER AND RODENT PROOF
3703 Per 25
Item No Bulb Size
14–16cm Per 100
Height
15” Per 1000
$19 $44 $390
Pink and Lemon
Here is a pair of soft-colored daffodils that play well together. They are easy on the eye and enduring in the landscape. Introduced 1998 DEER AND RODENT PROOF
TO ORDER :
Item No
3054 Per 25
$22
Bulb Size
16cm+ Per 100
$55
Height
colorblends.com
16” Per 1000 | 1 (888) 847-8637
$510
99
Double Daffodils
A double daffodil is much more than a single with extra petals. Each bloom is a marvel of floral architecture. You’ll want to cut a few, or a bouquet, for closer study.
Tahiti
Fully double flowers of soft yellow accented by tufts of coppery orange. They stand like torches on strong stems. Tahiti is a favorite among commercial growers in Holland because it grows and flowers so well. DEER AND RODENT PROOF
100
C OL OR B L E NDS W H O L E SA L E FL OW E R BU L B S
Item No
3056 Per 25
$19
Bulb Size
16cm+ Per 100
$59
Height
16” Per 1000
$520
Flower Parade
Double white blooms with bright orange petals in the center. Flower Parade is a child of Tahiti (facing page) and exhibits the same vigor and staying power in the landscape. Also makes a beautiful spring bouquet. DEER AND RODENT PROOF
Item No
3083 Per 25
$25
Bulb Size
16cm+ Per 100
$65
16” Per 500
$310
Height
Sir Winston Churchill
A double sport of Geranium (page 110), with the fragrance to prove it. Each stem bears clusters of 3–5 white flowers with flecks of orange in the middle. Their scent is fresh and sweet. Great for cutting. DEER AND RODENT PROOF TO ORDER :
Item No
3512 Per 25
$22
Bulb Size
16cm+ Per 100
$59
Height
colorblends.com
18" Per 1000 | 1 (888) 847-8637
$520
101
Delnashaugh
Double creamy white blooms enriched by fluffy peach-pink segments. An uncommon and uncommonly fetching daffodil. It’s also fragrant and long-lasting. DEER AND RODENT PROOF
Item No
3051 Per 25
Bulb Size
16cm+ Per 100
Height
To get the most from follow these 4 basic rules Daffodils want to be perennial. All they need is a little help from you.
1
Plant them where they will get at least 6 hours of direct sunlight—even after the trees have leafed out. Daffodils must have lots of sun after they bloom to produce the following year’s flowers.
2
Plant them in soil that drains well. Avoid areas where water stands after a rain storm.
102
3
Fertilize very lightly with a low-nitrogen fertilizer, preferably organic, just as the shoots emerge in early spring.
4
After daffodils flower, wait at least 8 weeks— until the leaves turn yellow—before cutting them. Never tie or braid foliage. This year’s leaves = next year’s flowers.
16" Per 1000
$20 $54 $490
Acropolis
Glistening white flowers with orange-red segments in the center. They are carried well above the foliage for easy viewing. Lovely in the garden and terrific in a vase, which also allows ready access to their spicy scent. DEER AND RODENT PROOF
Item No
3805 Per 25
Bulb Size
16cm+ Per 100
$70
18” Per 500
$320
Height
$29
White Lion
White Lion has white petals interspersed with crepe-like ribbons of soft yellow (the lion’s mane, perhaps). It is an old-timer that continues to be grown because, well, it likes to grow. An attractive and enduring landscape daffodil. DEER AND RODENT PROOF
Item No
3806 Per 25
$22
Bulb Size
16cm+ Per 100
$50
Height
16” Per 1000
$460
Queen’s Day
A double yellow named for the Dutch holiday that was long celebrated on April 30. (Now that the Dutch have a king, they celebrate King’s Day—on his birthday, April 27.) A beautiful, perhaps even regal daffodil. DEER AND RODENT PROOF TO ORDER :
Item No
3081 Per 25
Bulb Size
16cm+ Per 100
$67
16” Per 500
$295
Height
colorblends.com
| 1 (888) 847-8637
$25
103
1
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The Bulb Grower’s Year 1 October: Planting 2 November: Putting on winter cover 3 March–April: Crop inspection 4 April–May: Cutting flowers 5 May–June: Bulbs growing 6 July: Digging 7 July–August: Grading by size; 8 drying and curing 9 August: Bulbs ready for packing 10 August–September: Checking and packing; 11 crates ready for export; 12 export inspection by USDA; 13 loading “reefer” container; 14 container being hoisted aboard ship in Rotterdam 15 September–December: Re-inspection before delivery.
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Cheerfulness
Each stem bears clusters of 3–4 double, creamy white, very fragrant blooms that are touched with orange in the center. This heirloom (it’s been around since at least 1923) flowers late in the daffodil season. DEER AND RODENT PROOF
3023 Per 25
Item No Bulb Size
14–16cm Per 100
Height
15" Per 1000
$16 $42 $380
Yellow Cheerfulness Cheerfulness in soft yellow. Like her paler sister, she is richly perfumed and multiplies easily. DEER AND RODENT PROOF
Item No Bulb Size Height
3024 Per 25 14–16cm Per 100 15" Per 1000
$16 $46 $410
Double Smiles
Fragrant double blooms open in bright profusion on wiry stems. The flowers stand out in the landscape and are plentiful enough, thank goodness, that you can bring some of their sweet scent indoors without marring the display. DEER AND RODENT PROOF
Item No Bulb Size Height
3802 Per 25 14–16cm Per 100 12" Per 1000
$14 $37 $340 TO ORDER :
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| 1 (888) 847-8637
105
Uncommon Daffodils
For most people, a daffodil is a yellow trumpet, but that is just the tip of the iceberg. Warning! Proceed with caution. Daffodils can become a lifelong passion.
Cassata
Cassata is a showy daffodil that’s perfect for the border and looks great in broad sweeps. Its split cup opens bright yellow, takes on a soft buttery quality and finishes ivory. A different and attractive look for early spring. DEER AND RODENT PROOF
106
C OL OR B L E NDS W H O L E SA L E FL OW E R BU L B S
Item No
3520 Per 25
Bulb Size
16cm+ Per 100
Height
14” Per 1000
$22 $57 $510
Pistachio
A remarkably beautiful flower. The petals are a light greenish yellow, the trumpet creamy white with a soft yellow rim. In gentle morning or evening light, the flowers glow. DEER AND RODENT PROOF
Item No
3568 Per 25
Bulb Size
16cm+ Per 100
$84
16” Per 500
$400
Height
$30
Goose Green
White petals frame a small cup of green ringed with yellow and red. This variety is often seen at daffodil shows, but it’s also an excellent performer in the landscape. The flowers have a spicy-sweet scent. DEER AND RODENT PROOF TO ORDER :
Item No
3519 Per 25
$22
Bulb Size
16cm+ Per 100
$68
16” Per 500
$320
Height
colorblends.com
| 1 (888) 847-8637
107
Fellows Favorite
Daffodils do gold, of course, and countless shades of yellow, but this one stands out. Is that butter yellow? Chartreuse yellow? Butterscotch yellow? However you describe it, it is beautiful, and made the more so by a white ring around the cup. DEER AND RODENT PROOF
Item No
3625 Per 25
$23
Bulb Size
16cm+ Per 100
$62
Height
16" Per 1000
$570
Rapture
Rapture looks like a falcon diving after prey, its petals blown back as it streaks across the sky. A bulb makes several flowers the first spring and can make many more in springs to come, creating whole flocks of graceful golden raptors. DEER AND RODENT PROOF
Item No Bulb Size Height
3532 Per 100 12–14cm Per 1000
$39 $360
12"
Precocious
Precocious is a great Americanbred hybrid with the best pink color to date. It has won several prizes at the Keukenhof display garden in Holland. And like most pink daffodils, it’s also a strong grower. DEER AND RODENT PROOF
Item No
3580 Per 25
$25
Bulb Size
16cm+ Per 100
$63
18" Per 500
$300
Height
Sea Princess
Broad, pure white petals, laid neatly three over three, form flat, round flowers. In the center is a dainty, pale yellow cup. “Exquisite” says it all. If you believe in love at first sight, plant Sea Princess and prepare to be swept away. DEER AND RODENT PROOF
Item No Bulb Size Height
108
3930 Per 25
$30
14–16cm Per 100
$72
16” Per 500
$340
C OL OR B L E NDS W H O L E SA L E FL OW E R BU L B S
Falconet
Sweetly scented, clear yellow flowers with orange cups are borne 3–7 on a stem. Since a bulb typically produces 4 stems, a planting of 25 bulbs can yield 450 flowers or more. That’s a lot of fragrance. DEER AND RODENT PROOF
3058 Per 25
Item No Bulb Size
14–16cm Per 100
Height
18" Per 1000
$12 $29 $270
Avalon
Avalon is what daffodil experts call a reverse bicolor. Its flowers are yellow with a white cup, rather than the other way around. The white grows brighter as the flowers age. Distinctive, yes. Beautiful, too. DEER AND RODENT PROOF TO ORDER :
Item No
3606 Per 25
$24
Bulb Size
16cm+ Per 100
$59
Height
colorblends.com
16” Per 1000 | 1 (888) 847-8637
$530
109
Geranium
A multiflowered daffodil that bears 2–6 deliciously fragrant blossoms per stem. Petals are white, the tiny cups orange. An oldtime favorite and a vigorous and reliable perennial. Also performs well in the South. DEER AND RODENT PROOF
Item No
3048 Per 25
$20
Bulb Size
16cm+ Per 100
$55
18" Per 1000
Height
$470
Ceylon
Ceylon has pretty much everything you could want in a daffodil. Its flowers are showy and long lasting, and they hold their color well even in intense sunlight. Its bulbs have strong perennial tendencies. An easy choice, both North and South. DEER AND RODENT PROOF
Item No
3064 Per 25
Bulb Size
16cm+ Per 100
$70
16" Per 500
$330
Height
$28
Avalanche
A very old (100+ years) daffodil that is still valued for its strong scent and sheer abundance of bloom: Each stem from an established bulb bears 8, 10, sometimes 15 flowers. Thrives in the South and on the West Coast, but can’t take northern winters. DEER AND RODENT PROOF
Item No Bulb Size Height
3018 Per 25 14–16cm Per 100 16" Per 1000
$22 $59 $530
Pipit
A fragrant jonquil with 2–3 light yellow flowers per stem. The cup matures to pure white. Brings a soft and cool elegance—and a delightful sweet scent—to the spring garden. It’s also widely adapted: Performs well from Minneapolis to Savannah. DEER AND RODENT PROOF
Item No Bulb Size Height
110
3043 Per 25 14–16cm Per 100 15” Per 1000
$14 $41 $360
C OL OR B L E NDS W H O L E SA L E FL OW E R BU L B S
Kedron
Kedron calls attention to itself, drawing first the eye and then the nose. The petals are an unusual and lovely apricot-yellow. They frame a small, rich orange cup. Close inspection reveals the heavenly jonquil scent. DEER AND RODENT PROOF
3549 Per 25
Item No Bulb Size
14–16cm Per 100 16” Per 1000
Height
$14 $36 $320
Quail
Fragrant golden blooms, which are often borne 2 and sometimes 3 per stem, glow brightly in the spring landscape. They are set off nicely by the two-tone spikes of Muscari latifolium (page 130). DEER AND RODENT PROOF TO ORDER :
3041 Per 100
Item No Bulb Size
14–16cm Per 1000
Height
colorblends.com
$30 $260
14” | 1 (888) 847-8637
111
Poeticus Recurvus
Pheasant’s Eye. Breeders have done amazing things with daffodils over the past century, but it would be hard to improve on this wildflower. Graceful, reflexed white petals. Yellow cup ringed with red. Spicy scent. Lovely. DEER AND RODENT PROOF
Princess Zaide
First, get past the name: ZY-deh, ZAY-dee, Za-EED. Her majesty answers to any of them. Now, about the flowers: Rounded, pure white petals, a dainty cup with a tiny green eye. The princess sparkles at dawn, dusk and every moment in between. DEER AND RODENT PROOF
Item No
3932 Per 25
$24
Bulb Size
16cm+ Per 100
$60
Height
16” Per 1000
$560
Bella Estrella
A cross between a split-corona daffodil and a jonquil. From the former, Bella Estrella inherited an open-face smile; from the latter she got a sweet scent and a propensity to bear two flowers per stem. A charming and floriferous beauty. DEER AND RODENT PROOF
Item No Bulb Size Height
112
3515 Per 25 12–14cm Per 100 14" Per 1000
$20 $49 $450
C OL OR B L E NDS W H O L E SA L E FL OW E R BU L B S
Item No Bulb Size Height
3402 Per 25 14–16cm Per 100 14” Per 1000
$18 $48 $440
Pride of Lions
Pride of Lions is a newly minted daffodil with a cup so broad it threatens to obscure the petals. Is that extra-wide cup a quirk or a feature? If you’re looking for a flower that stands out in the landscape, it is just what you want. DEER AND RODENT PROOF
Item No
3624 Per 25
$24
Bulb Size
16cm+ Per 100
$65
Height
16" Per 1000
$580
Yellow Ocean
The Dutch grower says this new variety grows “like a weed.” Last thing one wants is another weed, but a multiflowered lemon-yellow daffodil that grows and blooms like there’s no tomorrow? That’s the kind of ocean you’ll want to dip your toes into. DEER AND RODENT PROOF
Item No
3960 Per 100
Bulb Size
12cm+ Per 1000
Height
$44 $380
14"
Cornish King
A recent introduction with English roots and a proven track record in Holland. Its large flowers have white petals and a big yellow cup. A standout in the Colorblends trial garden. It shows excellent landscape potential. DEER AND RODENT PROOF TO ORDER :
Item No
3619 Per 25
$24
Bulb Size
16cm+ Per 100
$59
Height
colorblends.com
16" Per 1000 | 1 (888) 847-8637
$540
113
Miniature Daffodils
Miniature daffodils are adorable and affordable. They’re great for edging a bed or border, lining a walk you use often or adding spring color to a rock garden.
Jetfire
Reflexed golden yellow flowers with narrow orange cups. Jetfire is small but prolific. It’s also a very good perennial that can be relied on year after year. Looks great planted in large groups in beds, borders and wild areas. DEER AND RODENT PROOF
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C OL OR B L E NDS W H O L E SA L E FL OW E R BU L B S
Item No Bulb Size Height
3046 Per 100 14–16cm Per 1000 10"
$33 $290
Minnow
This little daffodil is one of the delights of spring. It offers at least a pair of bright, cream-and-yellow flowers per stem. The flowers are hardly bigger than a quarter, but somehow they jump out at the eye and raise a smile. DEER AND RODENT PROOF
Item No Bulb Size Height
3047 Per 100 12–14cm Per 1000
$20 $180
8”
W.P. Milner
An heirloom (pre-1869) with nodding blooms that are creamy white with a pale yellow trumpet. It has a natural, almost wild look that suits it to massing around shrubs or along the edges of a groomed landscape. DEER AND RODENT PROOF
Item No Bulb Size Height
3542 Per 100 10–12cm Per 1000
$32 $270
7"
Baby Boomer
A great name for a great little daffodil. Baby Boomer is a cross between Avalanche (page 110) and Narcissus jonquilla, which means lots of flowers (up to 9 per stem) and lots of fragrance. Plant closely for best effect. DEER AND RODENT PROOF
Item No Bulb Size Height
3544 Per 100 12–14cm Per 1000
$35 $320
8"
Sun Disc
A miniature and a late bloomer, with soft yellow, circular flowers that feature a flat golden cup. It is a jonquil and has the sweet fragrance and grass-like foliage of its kin. Looks great planted in bunches near rocks or along a walk. DEER AND RODENT PROOF
Item No Bulb Size Height
3202 Per 100 12–14cm Per 1000
$27 $230
10" TO ORDER :
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115
Tête–à–Tête
This little daffodil carries 1–3 yellow flowers per stem. It is valuable for edging a formal bed or brightening a perennial border. Every garden has room for a patch of Tête-à-Tête. (Seen here with Blue Squill, page 129.) DEER AND RODENT PROOF
Double Campernelle Double Campernelle bears golden flowers that resemble the little roses found in prom corsages but have all the fragrance the roses lack. A strong grower and heavy bloomer, and a good southern daffodil, too. DEER AND RODENT PROOF
Item No Bulb Size Height
3038 Per 100 10–12cm Per 1000
$29 $270
12"
Pixie’s Sister
A darling daffodil that stands maybe 10 inches tall and makes as many as 5 tiny yellow flowers per stem. The only thing that isn’t small about Pixie’s Sister is her fragrance. A few stems can perfume a room. DEER AND RODENT PROOF
Item No
3208 Per 100
$25
Bulb Size
6cm+ Per 1000
$220
Height
116
10”
C OL OR B L E NDS W H O L E SA L E FL OW E R BU L B S
Item No Bulb Size Height
3021 Per 100 12–14cm Per 1000 7”
$26 $220
Hawera
A small primrose-yellow daffodil that makes up for its size by producing 6–8 flowers on each stem. Use it along a path, at the front of a border, in a rock garden. Planted in a sunny spot, it can come back for many years. DEER AND RODENT PROOF
3044 Per 100
Item No Bulb Size
10–12cm Per 1000
$19 $170
8"
Height
Sailboat
The white petals and pale yellow cups of this sweetly scented, vertically challenged jonquil are attractive on their own. Pair them with the true blue spikes of grape hyacinths (page 131), and magic happens. DEER AND RODENT PROOF TO ORDER :
3595 Per 100
Item No Bulb Size
12–14cm Per 1000
Height
colorblends.com
$35 $310
10" | 1 (888) 847-8637
117
Hyacinths
After breathing stale indoor air all winter, nothing beats the sweet scent of hyacinths. But wear gloves when handling the bulbs in the fall. They can make you itch!
Jambalaya
A spicy blend of five different hyacinths in bright, clear colors. They look tasty and smell heavenly. Plant closely in a large bed or sprinkle them in bunches through the landscape. You really can’t go wrong. Introduced 2006
118
C OL OR B L E NDS W H O L E SA L E FL OW E R BU L B S
Item No Bulb Size Height
4055 Per 25
$20
16–17cm Per 100
$62
10” Per 500
$295
Blue Jacket
Perhaps the most useful of all the hyacinths, because its deep purple-blue hue blends easily with almost any color in the spectrum. Combines especially well with yellow daffodils, which bloom at about the same time. Smells as good as it looks.
4049 Per 25
Item No Bulb Size
$16
16–17cm Per 100
$52
10” Per 500
$240
Height
Fondant
Large heads of clear pink flowers with a white edge emerge from tufts of thick foliage. A welcome sight after a long winter. The sweet scent floats easily from bloom to nose on a light spring breeze.
Item No Bulb Size Height
4050 Per 25
$15
16–17cm Per 100
$52
10" Per 500
$240
Carnegie
White hyacinths shine at dawn and dusk and on cloudy days, and they go well with most other hyacinth colors. Their scent is just what you want after a few months of being cooped up in the house: strong, sweet, refreshing.
Item No Bulb Size Height
4047 Per 25
$17
16–17cm Per 100
$57
10" Per 500
$260 TO ORDER :
colorblends.com
| 1 (888) 847-8637
119
Étouffée
A mélange of four hyacinths in pastel shades. They are easy on the eye, and their sweet perfume is the toast of spring. In much of the country, hyacinths provide the first real fragrance of the year. No garden should be without them. Introduced 2007
120
C OL OR B L E NDS W H O L E SA L E FL OW E R BU L B S
Item No Bulb Size Height
4052 Per 25
$20
16–17cm Per 100
$62
10” Per 500
$295
Purple Sensation
Dense clusters of fragrant, rich purple blooms on thick stems. No need to stoop to detect the scent of a hyacinth; it comes to you.
Item No Bulb Size
4048 Per 25
$17
16–17cm Per 100
$60
10" Per 500
$280
Height
Gipsy Queen
Full heads of intensely fragrant, apricot-orange blooms. They look great with purple and blue. As with all hyacinths, give them full sun and let the foliage die back after bloom to help them perennialize.
Item No Bulb Size
4045 Per 25
$17
16–17cm Per 100
$60
10" Per 500
$270
Height
City of Haarlem
Soft yellow hyacinths, maturing to ivory. Planted with Jan Bos (below), they make an eye- and nosestopping display. Hyacinth bulbs may make you itch, so handle with gloves and plant late in the day (just before shower time).
Item No Bulb Size
4043 Per 25
$16
16–17cm Per 100
$55
10" Per 500
$250
Height
Jan Bos
Big heads of powerfully fragrant fuchsia-red flowers. Yes, they are bold. Exactly what’s wanted after a winter spent gazing mournfully at a landscape of olive, tan and brown.
Item No Bulb Size Height
4044 Per 25
$17
16–17cm Per 100
$59
10" Per 500
$270 TO ORDER :
colorblends.com
| 1 (888) 847-8637
121
You know it’s
fall planting time when… You start bringing blankets to the football game Fall nighttime temperatures stay between 40° and 50°F
The fall foliage has moved just past peak
BIRDS START Squirrels are GROUPING digging in acorns Soil temperatures in your as fast they can area are approaching 55°F You wake up in the middle of the night and look for a blanket
You don’t hear crickets anymore
You say,
“Man it’s COLD out”
for the first time
In the NORTH you start closing windows YOU START TURNING THE HEAT ON IN YOUR CAR
The mesquite trees lose their leaves
In the SOUTH you start backing off the air conditioning IS
FR
O S T ON
Y
O UR
IN THE M
O
KILLING FROST
I
You get your first
R
NI
W I N DS H
Winesap and Wolf River apples start turning RED
You no longer have to dodge night-flying bugs to get in the front door
NG T H E R E
YO U S TA RT T O S M E L L WO O D S M O K E
LD
THE GRAPES ARE RIPENING ON THE VINE
While driving, you see leaves bouncing along the interstate
E
THE RAGWEED STOPS BLOOMING
The hummingbirds are gone THE HOSTAS START TO LIE DOWN Your OLD WORK SHOES
If there is something that tells you fall has arrived in your area, please email it to us at plantingtime@colorblends.com.
122
ing
aren’t keeping your feet warm anymore
aw n
YOU SEE TRUCKS ON THE ROAD LOADED WITH FIREWOOD
THE DEER ARE LOSING VELVET ON THEIR ANTLERS
t ro B ro w n
ut s
t tar
sp
Saints Parade
An attractive blend of clear pink, white and purplish blue. Their look is refreshing, their perfume intoxicating. They make a sweet salute to spring. Introduced 2014
4057 Per 25
Item No Bulb Size
$20
16–17cm Per 100
$62
10” Per 500
$295
Height
Blue Delta
The floral equivalent of waves breaking on a sunny shore. You may feel an urge to dig a beach chair out of the garage so you can relax and take in the scene. There will be no hint of salt in the air, just a sweet perfume. Introduced 2012 TO ORDER :
4053 Per 25
Item No Bulb Size
$20
16–17cm Per 100
$62
10” Per 500
$295
Height
colorblends.com
| 1 (888) 847-8637
123
Specialty Bulbs
Tulips and daffodils play the lead roles in spring, but they benefit from a strong supporting cast. Here you’ll find both familiar characters and quirky bit players.
Hokus Crocus Crocus vernus
Dutch crocuses never fail to surprise the eyes after a long winter. Freely planted, they proclaim that spring is on its way. Hokus Crocus is a blend of large, goblet-shaped flowers in white, purple and white striped with purple. Introduced 1996
124
C OL OR B L E NDS W H O L E SA L E FL OW E R BU L B S
Item No
5020 Per 100
$18
Bulb Size
9–10cm Per 1000
$160
Height
5”
Crocreation
This cheerful blend of purple and golden yellow crocuses will brighten your early spring landscape. Plant them under trees or shrubs, or in the lawn (but be sure to let the leaves yellow before you start mowing). Introduced 2000
Item No
5021 Per 100
$18
Bulb Size
9–10cm Per 1000
$160
Height
5”
Snowdrops
Galanthus elwesii Snowdrops are the earliest of all bulbs. They open their white, winged flowers before anyone dares whisper “spring.” For best results, plant in soil that is not too dry and beneath trees that lose their leaves. DEER AND RODENT PROOF
Item No
6020 Per 100
Bulb Size
7cm+ Per 1000
Height
$46 $380
6”
Winter Wolf’s Bane Eranthis cilicica Spring’s first yellow. Its little cup-shaped flowers, which sit on fans of bright green leaves, open at the first hint of warmth. Likes to grow under deciduous trees. Bulbs are very small: Plant lavishly. DEER AND RODENT RESISTANT
Item No
6022 Per 100
$22
Bulb Size
5cm+ Per 1000
$180
Height
3" TO ORDER :
colorblends.com
| 1 (888) 847-8637
125
Tommies
Crocus tommasinianus Purplish pink Tommies bring an elfin charm to the garden in late winter or early spring. A delightful early crocus and one of the easiest to grow. Flowers prolifically in most situations, and likes to come back year after year.
Item No
6024 Per 100
$11
Bulb Size
5–7cm Per 1000
$85
4” Per 5000
$395
Height
Vernal Jewels Crocus chrysanthus
Snow crocuses are colorful and cute and very early. They have a knack for popping out of the ground when you could really use a pick-me-up. This is a complementary blend of creamy yellow, lavender and white. Hello, spring! Introduced 2015
126
C OL OR B L E NDS W H O L E SA L E FL OW E R BU L B S
Item No
5050 Per 100
$12
Bulb Size
5cm+ Per 1000
$95
Height
3”
Woodland Blend
A blend of five early bloomers that deer generally avoid and can take up long-term residence in the shade of deciduous trees. All they require to flourish is well-drained soil and plenty of spring sunshine. Introduced 2010 DEER RESISTANT TO ORDER :
6051 Per 200
Item No Bulb Size
Topsize Per 1000
Height
colorblends.com
$42 $190
3–6” | 1 (888) 847-8637
127
White Squill
Scilla mischtschenkoana White squill is an unsung early bloomer that deserves to be better known. It pushes its blue-lined, milk white flowers through fallen leaves even before the crocuses begin to bloom. A woodland bulb that can come back for many years.
Item No
6007 Per 100
$30
Bulb Size
8cm+ Per 1000
$240
Height
5”
Glory of the Snow
Chionodoxa luciliae An early bloomer with starry, lavender-blue flowers that shade to white in the center. When massed, the plants look like a summer sky fallen to earth. Grow in sun or light shade. Capable of spreading by seed. DEER AND RODENT RESISTANT
Item No
6021 Per 100
$10
Bulb Size
5cm+ Per 1000
$73
4” Per 5000
$325
Height
Striped Squill
Puschkinia scilloides var. libanotica A bright little bulb with white flowers traced with lines of blue. Striped squill is easy and reliable in a sunny location. Blooms early, and with a little afternoon shade can last a long time.
Item No
6008 Per 100
$11
Bulb Size
6cm+ Per 1000
$90
6” Per 5000
$360
Height
Windflowers
Anemone blanda Windflowers carry daisy-like flowers above ferny foliage. This blend combines a pure white with a lavender-blue. Plant with abandon in sun or light shade. (Not suitable for cold climates.) Introduced 2000
Item No
6012 Per 100
$15
Bulb Size
5–7cm Per 1000
$125
Height
128
5”
C OL OR B L E NDS W H O L E SA L E FL OW E R BU L B S
Blue Squill Scilla siberica
Blue squill is excellent for naturalizing beneath trees that lose their leaves, where it will form drifts of singing blue bells in early spring. Needs a few years to really hit its stride. Capable of self-sowing. Try it with Tête–à–Tête (page 116). DEER RESISTANT
Item No
6009 Per 100
$16
Bulb Size
7–8cm Per 1000
$110
6” Per 5000
$490
Height
Trout Lily Erythronium
Trout lilies make their home on the forest floor, where their nodding flowers provide a welcome spark of spring color. Pagoda is the most reliable of the group. Its delicate blooms, which resemble turks cap lilies, shine in dappled light.
Item No
6040 Per 25
$18
Bulb Size
Topsize Per 100
$68
Height
10”
Snake’s Head Fritillaria meleagris
Pointed buds open to maroon (occasionally white), bell-shaped blooms. The plant looks like a wildflower and is best used as such—in a meadow, under trees, around shrubs. Happiest in part shade and moist soil. DEER RESISTANT
Item No
6039 Per 100
$16
Bulb Size
6cm+ Per 1000
$140
Height
10” TO ORDER :
colorblends.com
| 1 (888) 847-8637
129
Muscari latifolium
This little-known cousin of the grape hyacinth has attractive two-tone flowers: bright blue on top, deep concord grape– purple below. Looks great on its own in a border or rough grass, even better with daffodils or early tulips.
Red Crown Imperials Fritillaria imperialis
A majestic plant that carries a circular cluster of pendulous, orange-red flowers under a tuft of leaves that recall a punk haircut. Plant in full sun or light shade. Not a good choice for the South. DEER AND RODENT RESISTANT
Item No
6035 Per 5
$23
Bulb Size
20cm+ Per 25
$105
Height
36"
Yellow Crowns
Fritillaria imperialis Lemon-yellow counterpart of the above and just as theatrical. Crown imperials have a skunk-like smell that repels deer and rodents: It is rare to find an animal that will touch them. DEER AND RODENT RESISTANT
Item No
6036 Per 5
$23
Bulb Size
20cm+ Per 25
$105
Height
130
36"
C OL OR B L E NDS W H O L E SA L E FL OW E R BU L B S
Item No
6003 Per 100
$11
Bulb Size
7–8cm Per 1000
$95
6” Per 5000
$450
Height
Grape Hyacinth Muscari armeniacum
Grape hyacinths produce several dense spikes of tiny, true blue flowers from each bulb. They are beautiful on their own, but their greatest value may be as companions to midseason tulips. That rich blue makes any tulip color pop.
Item No
6005 Per 100
$15
Bulb Size
9–10cm Per 1000
$120
6” Per 5000
$550
Height
Grape Hyacinth Blend Muscari
Grape hyacinths in traditional blue, pure white and a lovely soft azure. They can be used as a foil for midseason tulips or as a stand-alone planting. The pastel blue harmonizes with the deep blue. The white adds sparkle. Introduced 2010 TO ORDER :
Item No
6004 Per 100
$19
Bulb Size
6–10cm Per 1000
$145
6” Per 5000
$680
Height
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131
Snowflake Leucojum aestivum
Clusters of small white bells on arching stems. Prefers full sun or light shade and thrives in soil that is too wet for most other bulbs. The variety offered here is the best—Gravetye Giant. DEER AND RODENT PROOF
Item No
6015 Per 25
$24
Bulb Size
14cm+ Per 100
$69
26” Per 500
$335
Height
Camassia Camassia leichtlinii
Starry, purplish blue flowers rise in loose spikes on tall stems. Camassia is most effective when planted in clusters in a shrub border or grassy area. It needs full sun and thrives in damp, or even wet, soil. DEER RESISTANT
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C OL OR B L E NDS W H O L E SA L E FL OW E R BU L B S
Item No
6033 Per 25
Bulb Size
14cm+ Per 100
$79
36” Per 500
$375
Height
$23
Spanish Bluebells Hyacinthoides hispanica
A shade-tolerant plant that bears spikes of lightly fragrant, porcelain blue, bell-shaped flowers toward the end of the bulb season. Ideal for naturalizing below shade trees. Grows well North and South—California, too. Bulbs are extra large. TO ORDER :
Item No
6028 Per 25
$12
Bulb Size
10cm+ Per 100
$29
Height
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16� Per 1000 | 1 (888) 847-8637
$250
133
Alliums
These relatives of onions and garlic bloom late (after tulips are done) and need sun and good drainage. Where happy, they can come back for several years.
Globemaster
The most spectacular of all the alliums. It bears 8- to 10-inch orbs of lilac-pink flowers on tall stout stems. Because the flowers are sterile, they last a long time. An outstanding cut flower, fresh or dried. DEER RESISTANT
134
C OL OR B L E NDS W H O L E SA L E FL OW E R BU L B S
Item No Bulb Size Height
6019 Per 5 20–24cm Per 25 36� Per 100
$24 $100 $380
Mount Everest
Creamy white 5-inch globes top long stems in late spring. Splendid grown against a dark background, and like all of the big alliums, it makes an impressive cut flower. DEER RESISTANT
Item No
6018 Per 5
$12
Bulb Size
20cm+ Per 25
$50
Height
36" Per 100
$170
Gladiator
Dense 5-inch heads of lilac-pink. Blooms just ahead of Mount Everest (above) and is a little taller. Our bulbs are the largest you’ll find and guaranteed to please. DEER RESISTANT
Item No
6017 Per 5
$12
Bulb Size
20cm+ Per 25
$54
40" Per 100
Height
$190
Ambassador
Ambassador produces 6-inch balls of tightly packed, rich purple flowers. Terrific either planted in groups or strung like lanterns through a perennial border. One of the last of the large alliums to flower: Blooms with roses. DEER RESISTANT
Item No Bulb Size Height
6061 Per 5 24–28cm Per 25
$24 $105
48" TO ORDER :
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135
Nigrum
“Nigrum” is Latin for “black,” and yet this allium has white flowers. They are arranged in hemispheres 4 inches across. Borne on slender stems, they float like small clouds over the garden. Bloom follows that of Mount Everest. DEER RESISTANT
Item No
6080 Per 25
$15
Bulb Size
12cm+ Per 100
$36
30” Per 1000
Height
$320
Moly
Two-inch heads of sunny yellow flowers brighten the garden at the tail end of spring. Foliage is a handsome blue-green. Plant Allium moly in bunches between perennials and shrubs for a golden summer send-off. DEER RESISTANT
Item No
6027 Per 100
$8
Bulb Size
5cm+ Per 1000
$70
12"
Height
Unifolium Loose heads of lavender-pink flowers touched with white. A lovely gem for the flower or herb garden. This plant is edible. The young foliage can be used in place of chives. Native Americans in California and Oregon ate the bulbs. DEER RESISTANT
Item No
6029 Per 100
$11
Bulb Size
5–6cm Per 1000
$85
12"
Height
Sphaerocephalon
Drumstick allium. The last of the bulbous alliums to bloom. Its egg-shaped, wine-red flowerheads wait until summer to color up. Puts on a nice show when planted in tight groups in a perennial border. DEER RESISTANT
Item No
6016 Per 100
$10
Bulb Size
6cm+ Per 1000
$85
Height
136
24"
C OL OR B L E NDS W H O L E SA L E FL OW E R BU L B S
Purple Sensation
An improvement on Allium aflatunense. It bears 4-inch globes of rich purple flowers on tall stems. Purple Sensation is early for an allium; blooms on the heels of late tulips. Best planted in clusters in a perennial or mixed border. DEER RESISTANT
6023 Per 25
Item No Bulb Size
12–14cm Per 100
Height
30” Per 1000
$14 $34 $315
Schubertii This intriguing allium draws the eye with its arresting, almost primordial look. It bears huge (10- to 12-inch) spidery heads of rosy flowers. A real conversation piece in the garden and in arrangements. DEER RESISTANT
Item No
6025 Per 5
$9
Bulb Size
14cm+ Per 25
$35
Height
18" Per 100
$120
Christophii Stars of Persia. Airy domes of starry, metallic pink flowers measuring up to 10 inches across. They make great accents in a perennial bed. Can be cut and dried or left as decorative elements in the garden. DEER RESISTANT
Item No Bulb Size Height
6014 Per 25 12–14cm Per 100
$12 $34
20” TO ORDER :
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137
Amaryllis
Amaryllis are showy bulbs that must be grown indoors in most of the USA. Place them in a sunny window, and they will bear huge flowers in the depths of winter.
Double Delicious
Red petals marked with narrow white flares. In sunlight, the petals have a sheen that appears as a halo around the center. The form recalls a cactus dahlia—spiky but not unfriendly— or one of those fireworks that opens in successive bursts.
138
C OL OR B L E NDS W H O L E SA L E FL OW E R BU L B S
Item No Bulb Size Height
7072 Per 3
$35
32–34cm Per 6
$66
20" Per 12
$125
Purple Rain
The large, cupped and rounded blooms are white overlaid with veins of pinkish red. If you squint, you might discern a hint of purple, but don’t try too hard. Just sit back and take in the beauty of these extraordinary flowers.
Item No Bulb Size Height
7059 Per 3
$35
32–34cm Per 6
$66
20" Per 12
$125
Amaryllis GETTING THE MOST FROM
START WITH A BIG BULB.
Colorblends amaryllis bulbs are huge. All will produce at least two stems, and most stems will yield four flowers, sometimes more.
GIVE IT A NICE HOME. Pot the bulb in a 7- or 8-inch pot and set it on a sunny windowsill. Room temperature (60° to 75°F) is ideal. GO EASY ON THE WATER. Water after potting and then only when the soil is dry to the touch.
HAVE PATIENCE. Amaryllis can be slow to get going. Allow 12 weeks (or more) from potting to bloom. Most bulbs will not bloom until after Christmas.
MOVE THE BULB OUTDOORS FOR SUMMER. Amaryllis can be kept from year to year if they spend summers in the sun. Amaryllis arrive in our warehouse in midOctober. If you need your outdoor bulbs earlier, please place two separate orders.
139
Gervase
When it comes to making flowers, Gervase is delightfully confused. The white background is overlaid with pink and wildly unpredictable lines, streaks and strokes of red. Each flower is different and alluring in its own way.
Item No Bulb Size
7021 Per 3
$35
32–34cm Per 6
$66
20” Per 12
$125
Height
Monaco
Enormous blooms of cherry red accented with a white eye and white stamens. The color contrast is arresting: After the initial double-take, it’s hard to look away. So don’t. Stare as much as you like. The flowers won’t mind.
Item No Bulb Size Height
7023 Per 3
$32
32–34cm Per 6
$60
20” Per 12
$110
Red Rival
Yet another red amaryllis? Yes! Red Rival is elbowing its way into the company of old favorites with its well-formed flowers, compact size and speedy growth. Blooms are a tad smaller than those of the largest varieties, but their display is huge.
Item No Bulb Size Height
7065 Per 3
$31
32–34cm Per 6
$59
18” Per 12
$110
Double Dream
Reddish pink blooms with white highlights. They are fully double and doubly full, the petals appearing to have welled from the center in waves and flowed onto their predecessors. An unusual, beautiful and memorable display.
Item No Bulb Size Height
140
7067 Per 3
$36
32–34cm Per 6
$68
20” Per 12
$125
C OL OR B L E NDS W H O L E SA L E FL OW E R BU L B S
Lagoon
The name causes the brow to furrow, until you leave aside the color and focus on more typical attributes of the word: large, round, shallow. Lagoon is all of those things and, yes, eye-popping pink, too. Looking for subtlety? You best move on.
7076 Per 3
$34
32-34cm Per 6
$64
20” Per 12
$120
Item No Bulb Size Height
Marilyn A very buxom platinum blonde. The huge flowers measure fully 8 inches across and are composed of broad, overlapping petals. The shape is full and rounded and, frankly, voluptuous. How the stems hold up the display is anybody’s guess.
Item No Bulb Size Height
7073 Per 3
$36
32–34cm Per 6
$68
20" Per 12
$125
Royal Velvet Perhaps the best of the wine-colored amaryllis. The flowers are large and well formed, their color a rich ruby red that deepens in the throat. You might think of Royal Velvet as a fine claret for the eye: rich, warm and deliciously complex.
Item No Bulb Size Height
7053 Per 3
$34
32–34cm Per 6
$64
20” Per 12
$120 TO ORDER :
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Flamenco Queen Big white blooms brushed and stippled with red. Flamenco Queen is an attention getter. It will call from the windowsill, insist on being the subject of dinner conversation. You may need to move it so you can concentrate on something else.
7052 Per 3
Item No Bulb Size
$33
32–34cm Per 6
$62
20" Per 12
$115
Height
Rapido
A miniature and an early bloomer that produces smaller than average flowers but more than the usual number—as many as 25 from one bulb. If planted by early November, it generally starts flowering before the end of December, and the show can go on for weeks.
Item No Bulb Size Height
7019 Per 3
$31
32–34cm Per 6
$59
20" Per 12
$110
Terra Cotta Star
The amaryllis world is awash with “stars.” This one makes the grade. A fine netting of reddish orange overlays a cream background. Chartreuse flares shade to cream as they emerge from the throat and are echoed in the near-perfect arrangement of the petals. Unusual, distinctive and, yes, stellar. Item No Bulb Size Height
7075 Per 3
$36
32–34cm Per 6
$68
20" Per 12
$125
Dancing Queen
A candy-striped double that has large white flowers brushed with broad strokes of rust-red. Big and bold, yet graceful at the same time. A striking decoration for the windowsill. Also makes a dramatic winter centerpiece.
Item No Bulb Size Height
142
7008 Per 3
$32
32–34cm Per 6
$60
20" Per 12
$110
C OL OR B L E NDS W H O L E SA L E FL OW E R BU L B S
Samba
Big red ruffled blooms, edged and marked with white. Samba is a show stopper, a “look at me” flower, which is just what the doctor ordered on a gloomy winter day.
Item No Bulb Size
7029 Per 3
$33
32–34cm Per 6
$62
20" Per 12
$115
Height
Moscow
The comfy couch of white amaryllis. Big flowers (up to 7½ inches across) open creamy and mature a bright, crisp white with occasional fine fuchsia markings. The petals are broad and rounded and often curl backward at the tips. You can’t sit on them, of course, but it’s OK to give them a gentle caress. Item No Bulb Size
7069 Per 3
$32
32–34cm Per 6
$60
20" Per 12
$110
Height
Rosalie
Rosalie has large flowers of a color that is difficult to describe. Some insist it is pink. Others protest that it is salmon. Plant a bulb or three and take a side. Or better yet, take the high road: Everyone can agree that Rosalie is beautiful. TO ORDER :
7074 Per 3
$29
32–34cm Per 6
$55
24” Per 12
$105
Item No Bulb Size Height
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Paperwhites
Paperwhites are powerfully fragrant daffodils that will bloom indoors in fall and winter without special treatment. Think of them as living air fresheners.
Paperwhite Nir
Nir is one of the best paperwhites introduced to date. Its stems are shorter and therefore much less likely to flop than those of Ziva, the standard variety; its flowers are larger and showier; and its sweet fragrance, while strong, is not overpowering. Allow 5–6 weeks from planting to bloom; for flowers at Christmas, plant by November 10. Bulbs can be started at intervals to provide color and fragrance until after Easter. Each will produce 2–3 sturdy stems crowned with clusters of large, sweetly scented white flowers.
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C OL OR B L E NDS W H O L E SA L E FL OW E R BU L B S
Growing instructions included. October to December delivery. Item No Bulb Size Height
3016 Per 25
$25
16–17cm Per 100
$65
20” Per 500
$305
Planting Tools
Hori-Hori
A hori-hori is a knife that is designed to be used in the soil. It is ideal for planting small bulbs in turf or along the edge of woods because the blade slices through thatch and roots. Once you get the hang of the stabbing motion, many bulbs can be planted in a short period of time. Also useful for myriad other gardening tasks. Wooden handle with a stainless steel blade that is serrated on one side and has depth markings in inches and millimeters. Vinyl scabbard included. Unconditionally guaranteed. Made in Japan.
There are a lot of bulb planting tools on the market. Most work better in theory than they do in practice. These are simple and effective and guaranteed forever.
Bulb Trowel
A serious hand tool that is perfect for planting bulbs. It is made of 12-gauge stainless steel and has a red grip that’s easy to hold and hard to lose track of. The blade has markings in inches and centimeters so you know how deep you’re digging. Can also be used for weeding and for planting annuals. Unconditionally guaranteed. Made in USA. Item No
9032
Length
12"
Blade Width
1³/₄”
Price
$19
Bulb Spade
The Dutch have been planting bulbs for more than 500 years, so they know a thing or two about the best tools for the job. This small spade is just right for planting in a kneeling position. If you are struggling with a trowel, you will reach for your bulb spade. Forged stainless steel blade. Hardwood handle with T-grip. The price reflects the craftsmanship required to make the tool and the durability of its construction: You can expect to hand your bulb spade down to your grandchildren. Unconditionally guaranteed. Made by hand in the Netherlands.
Item No
9034
Length
12½"
Item No
1⁵/₈”
Length
22"
$29
Blade Width
4⁷/₈”
Price
$72
Blade Width Price
TO ORDER :
9036
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Bulb Auger
This heavy-duty auger allows you to plant a lot of bulbs in a hurry where the soil is mostly free of rocks and roots. It works best with a portable gas or corded electric drill. A variablespeed hammer drill is recommended. And if you have a helper to drop in the bulbs as you go, the work goes twice as fast. We have landscape contractor customers who swear by this tool. It’s also useful for planting seedlings, mixing small amounts of cement, installing signs, etc. Unconditionally guaranteed. Made in USA. Item No Length
9324 24”
Diameter
3”
Shaft
⁵/₈”
Flighting
12”
Drill Size Price | 1 (888) 847-8637
½" $39
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How to
Plan & Order STA RT H E R E
THE COLORBLENDS
Guarantee
We will deliver premiumquality, commercially propagated, disease-free flowerbulbs of the stated size. None of our bulbs has been collected from the wild. All flowerbulbs have a certificate of health issued by the USDA and either the Dutch or the British Department of Agriculture.
Not sure how many bulbs to order? Where to send your order? Let us help you with all that and more. Looking for a catalog index? You can find one online at colorblends.com/catalog-index
Colorblends guarantees its bulbs the first spring after planting. After that, it’s in nature’s hands. Our liability is limited to the purchase price of the flowerbulbs. If there is a problem with an order, please call us within 5 days from receipt of the order.
How many bulbs per square foot? This chart will help you determine the number of bulbs needed per square foot to have a dense, full display. Recommended spacing between bulbs is provided in our planting instructions and on our bag labels. If you have any questions, give us a call at 1 (888) 847-8637.
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C OL OR B L E NDS W H O L E SA L E FL OW E R BU L B S
BULB TYPE
QTY
Tulips, standard
5
Tulips, wild
9–13
Daffodils, large
4–5
Daffodils, miniature
7–11
Allium Globemaster
1–2
Anemone
20–24
Chionodoxa
20–24
Crocus
8–9
Eranthis
20–24
Fritillaria meleagris
10–11
Fritillaria imperialis
1–2
Galanthus
16–18
Hyacinthoides
5–6
Hyacinthus
3–4
Muscari
14–15
Scilla
15–16
Bed area calculations Measure the bed and calculate the square footage using one or more of the formulas below. Then refer to the chart on the facing page to determine how many bulbs are needed to fill the space.
BED SHAPE
HOW TO CALCULATE THE AREA
WI DTH
LENGTH
H E I GHT
BASE
R ADIUS
WIDTH
LENGTH
A
C
D
E
F
G
B
RECTANGLE OR SQUARE AREA = LENGTH × WIDTH A rectangle is a parallelogram with four right angles. The area of a rectangle is found by multiplying the length by the width. EXAMPLE: Determine the area of a rectangle where the length = 25 ft. and the width = 13 ft. Area is: 25 × 13 = 325 sq. ft.
TRIANGLE AREA = (BASE × HEIGHT) / 2 A triangle is a polygon with three sides. The area of a triangle is one-half the base multiplied by the height. EXAMPLE: Determine the area of a triangle where the base = 25 ft. and the height = 20 ft. Area is: (25 × 20) / 2 = 250 sq. ft.
CIRCLE AREA = 3.14 × RADIUS² A circle is a closed curve of which every point on the edge of the curve is equidistant from a fixed point within the curve. The area of a circle is pi (3.14) multiplied by the radius squared. The radius is equal to one-half the diameter of the circle. EXAMPLE: Determine the area of a circle where the radius = 12.5 ft. Area is: 3.14 × (12.5 × 12.5) = 491 sq. ft.
OVAL AREA = (LENGTH × WIDTH) × 0.8 An oval has an elliptical, or egg-like, shape. The area of an oval is the length multiplied by the width, multiplied by 0.8. EXAMPLE: Determine the area of an oval where the length = 25 ft. and the width = 15 ft. Area is: (25 × 15) × 0.8 = 300 sq. ft.
IRREGUL AR SHAPES AREA = SUM OF PERPENDICULAR LINES × DISTANCE BETWEEN THE LINES To find the area of a large irregular shape, divide it into a series of smaller units. This method will calculate the area to within 5 percent. Step 1: Determine the axis line, the longest line that can be drawn inside the shape. Step 2: Mark several lines that are perpendicular to the axis and divide it into segments of equal depth. The more lines you use, the more accurate the result. Step 3: Measure each perpendicular line. Step 4: Calculate the area by adding the lengths of all the perpendicular lines and multiplying by the distance between the lines. EXAMPLE: Determine the area of an irregular bed that is 60 f t. long. For convenience, the axis (A–B) is divided by 6 (to make 10-f t. segments). The measurements of 5 lines drawn perpendicular to the axis at 10-f t. intervals are as follows: C = 19 f t., D = 22 f t., E = 23 f t., F = 19 f t. and G = 13 f t. Area is: (19 + 22 + 23 + 19 + 13) × 10 = 960 sq. ft.
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Ideal fall planting times
R L AT E S EPTEMBER & OCTOBE
VEM OCTOBER & NO
BER
MB NOVEMBER & DECE In the pink and portions of the purple zone, tulips should be prechilled before planting. See page 18 for more information.
ER
R LY DECEMBER & EA
PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING: BULBS THAT FLOWER IN SPRING MUST BE PLANTED IN FALL. There is no getting around this requirement. BULBS SHOULD BE PLANTED WHEN THE SOIL HAS COOLED TO ABOUT 55°F. Bulbs need cool soil to make roots before the onset of winter.
JANU
A RY
YOU HAVE ABOUT 8 WEEKS TO PLANT AFTER THE FIRST FROST. As long as the ground is not frozen, you can still plant bulbs. COLORBLENDS CAN MEET YOUR FALL PLANTING SCHEDULE. If you need your bulbs at a particular time, just let us know. Our shipping season begins in late September.
Answers to FAQs WHEN SHOULD I ORDER MY BULBS?
Reserve your selections now! Early ordering ensures availability of your choices. Your credit card will not be charged until delivery in the fall. WHEN WILL MY BULBS BE DELIVERED?
In the fall (late September through December) when soil temperatures in your area drop below 55°F. This is the proper time for planting. Tulip, daffodil and other bulbs have to be planted in the fall to establish a root system before the onset of winter. WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO PLANT BULBS IN MY AREA?
Fall arrives at different times as you move from north to south across the United States, so the answer is variable. See the map above.
Read our planting and growing instructions with care.
Complete instructions are enclosed with every order. They are also available at colorblends.com.
WHAT DOES EARLY, MID AND LATE BLOOMING MEAN?
These are relative bloom times within the spring bulb flowering season, which varies from climate to climate and year to year. They are intended to help you plan a sequence of bloom from very early season to very late season. If you have specific questions, give us a call and we will try to help. WHY DO YOU PACK TULIP BLENDS IN QUANTITIES OF 100?
This is the minimum quantity needed for a beautiful display. CAN I ORDER ADDITIONAL BULBS IN THE FALL?
Yes. Turnaround time on fall orders is very fast, but we recommend ordering early, as some selections sell out quickly.
Planting & Care Upon Arrival
and remove the bags of bulbs so air can from the packages, get to them. check them agains • Plant as soon as t the packing list. possible. bulbs have been shippe Unless you specified a particular delivery week, your d at the appropriate them in the ground time for planting in your area. Get as soon as you can. • If you can’t plant right away, you can keep the bulbs for a week cool place with good or two in a dry, air circulation. Tempe ideal, but your bulbs ratures between 50° and 60°F are should be fine within a range of 35°–75 Important: Bulbs must °F. be plante As you take the bags
d this fall
Choosing a Site
There are two key
considerations when choosing a site for bulbs. need ample sunshi ne to bloom well store up the energy next spring and to required to flower in future springs. crocuses and scillas Some bulbs — includ — can be planted ing beneath deciduous are able to satisfy trees; these bulbs most of their light needs before the requirements are trees leaf out. (Specifi provided in this pamph c let for each kind of bulb 2: Drainage. All bulbs we offer.) need good draina ge; never plant bulbs collects. The draina where water ge of heavy clay soils can be improved organic matter such by digging in as compost or compo sted manure.
1: Sunlight. Most bulbs
Planting
There are two princip
C OL OR B L E NDS W H O L E SA L E FL OW E R BU L B S
al ways of plantin g bulbs.
1: Planting a bed. Excava te the
area to be planted bottom. Set the bulbs and loosen the soil in the bed. Replac in the e the soil (gently at knocking the bulbs first, to avoid out of position). If the soil is dry, water thoroughly. ually. Dig a hole with a trowel, auger or Drop the bulb (or bulbs — small bulbs bulb planter. such as those of eranth can be planted in threes, fours or more) is and anemones into is dry, water thorou the hole. Replace the soil. If the soil ghly after plantin g. Note: Don’t worry too much about which end is up on a bulb. shoots up and roots Bulbs know to send down. They will grow and bloom upside down. even if you plant them
2: Planting bulbs individ
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148
Instructions
• Open all boxes and crates
colorblends.com
Ordering information MINIMUM ORDER
Minimum order $60.
Shipping charges Small package orders are shipped via UPS. Pallet orders go by LTL carrier.
HOW TO ORDER WEB: Go to colorblends.com and order
securely online.
BY PHONE: Call us toll free 1 (888) 847-8637,
Monday through Friday, 8:30am to 5:30pm, Eastern Time. Please have your credit card handy when you call.
West
East
BY FAX : Fax us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Our fax number is 1 (203) 338-0744. BY MAIL: Print an order form at colorblends.com. Mail to 747 Barnum Ave, Bridgeport, CT 06608. After October 1, please order only by phone or web. SALES TAX
Connecticut residents add 6.35% sales tax to sub total (order total plus shipping). PAYMENT
Checks with orders, please, unless paying by Visa, MasterCard, American Express or Discover. Credit cards will not be charged until your bulbs are shipped in the fall. PURCHASE ORDERS
Corporate and institutional accounts are welcome! Purchase orders are accepted from approved companies and organizations. Government agencies, cities, states, counties and public schools are automatically approved. Call us at 1 (888) 847-8637 for details. GCSAA MEMBERS
Colorblends has been a member since 1987 and is pleased to extend credit to fellow members. Reserve your bulbs now. We’ll invoice you after delivery this fall. BLEND PACKING
All Colorblend selections are shipped pre-blended unless otherwise stated.
Designed by Alexander Isley Inc.
SCHIPPERCRATES
The best shipping crates in the business! Orders for 500 or more tulips are usually shipped in sturdy, stackable plastic Schippercrates with many uses: recycling bins, irrigation parts storage, laundry baskets, pet beds, you name it. THE COLORBLENDS GUARANTEE
Please see page 146. Colorblends stands behind its bulbs the first spring after planting. After that, it’s in nature’s hands.
ORDER TOTAL
WEST
Up to $1500
Add 15%
Add 10%
MINIMUM $18
MINIMUM $12
Over $1500
EAST
Add 12.5% Add 7.5%
Sorry, no shipments to Alaska or Hawaii. We do not recommend planting in the southern portions of: AL, AZ, CA, FL, LA, MS, NM, or TX.
“Thanks for all of your help last fall. You are one of our most consistent and professional vendors, and you make my job a lot easier.” - ANDREW J., CHICAGO, IL
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© 2017 by Schipper & Company U.S.A. Inc. All rights reserved under United States law and international copyright conventions. No part of this catalog may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without permission. Designed and printed in the United States of America. COLORBLENDS, It’s About Spring!, Nature’s Fireworks and all blend names are trademarks used to identify products of Schipper & Company U.S.A., Inc. dba COLORBLENDS and may not be used without permission. Introduced year is the year the catalog and blend name were registered at the United States Copyright Office in the Library of Congress. Contact: COLORBLENDS, 747 Barnum Avenue, Bridgeport, CT 06608. Phone: 1 (888) 847-8637. Email: info@colorblends.com.
Budget Daffodils
Small bulbs sometimes make cents
Time (and size) is money—in the bulb trade and in the green industry. Colorblends prides itself on shipping big daffodil bulbs for maximum impact in the landscape the first spring after planting. But where the budget is tight and client patience is long, smaller bulbs may be what you need. The following 12–14cm bulbs will give you 1 flower stem the first spring (our standard 16cm+ bulbs of the same or similar varieties will give you 2 and often 3). In keeping with industry practice, we refer to these small bulbs as landscape size (LS) bulbs.
Dutch Master LS
Standard yellow trumpet. When people ask for a yellow daffodil, this is what they have in mind. Jumbo-size bulbs available at colorblends.com. DEER AND RODENT PROOF
Item No Bulb Size Height
3631 Per 250
$79
12–14cm Per 1000
$290
16" Per 5000
$1150
Mount Hood LS
White petals. Nose starts pale yellow, turns white at maturity. The first big white of the daffodil season. For jumbo-size bulbs, see page 88. (Also performs well in the South.) DEER AND RODENT PROOF
Item No Bulb Size Height
3854 Per 250
$110
12–14cm Per 1000
$380
16” Per 5000
$1700
Carlton LS
An adaptable and enduring two-tone yellow. Blooms a little later than the other big yellows. For jumbo-size bulbs, see page 84. (Also performs well in the South.) DEER AND RODENT PROOF
Item No Bulb Size Height
150
3852 Per 250
$78
12–14cm Per 1000
$290
15" Per 5000
$1295
C OL OR B L E NDS W H O L E SA L E FL OW E R BU L B S
Sempre Avanti LS
White petals surround a cup that opens orange and soon turns yellow. Sempre Avanti is an old timer (pre–World War II) that continues to earn accolades for its landscape performance. For jumbo-size bulbs, see page 91. (Also performs well in the South.) DEER AND RODENT PROOF
Item No Bulb Size Height
3861 Per 250
$85
12–14cm Per 1000
$290
16” Per 5000
$1295
Fortune LS
Yellow with a soft orange cup that turns yellow as the flowers mature. An heirloom that has been lighting up landscapes for almost 100 years. It was once one of the most coveted daffodils in the world. Now available for a song. (Also performs well in the South.) DEER AND RODENT PROOF
Item No Bulb Size Height
3007 Per 250
$79
12–14cm Per 1000
$290
16" Per 5000
$1150
Golden Ducat LS
The double version of the famous King Alfred daffodil. The deep yellow flowers are very large and amazingly durable. (Also performs well in the South.) DEER AND RODENT PROOF
Item No Bulb Size Height
3860 Per 250
$85
12–14cm Per 1000
$290
16” Per 5000
$1295
Sealing Wax LS
Golden petals surround a petite cup with a bright orange rim. An attractive flower and easy to appreciate because it almost always faces out or up. Sealing Wax is a daffodil that will look you in the eye. DEER AND RODENT PROOF
Item No Bulb Size Height
3863 Per 250
$85
12–14cm Per 1000
$300
16” Per 5000
$1400 TO ORDER :
colorblends.com
| 1 (888) 847-8637
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747 Barnum Ave Bridgeport, CT 06608-2415 colorblends.com 1 (888) 847-8637
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It’s about spring!
® MARTIAN SPRING PAGE 31