Holiday’s Time for Bulbs

Garden Jobs

It’s finally time to plant those tulips and hyacinths cooling in the refrigerator.

Planting the tulips deep helps prevent stems that are too short. Cover them with as much as 4 to 6 inches of soil. It’s still not too late to plant any other bulbs.

This is an excellent time to plant California natives and wildflowers. With any luck, winter rains will sprout the seeds and nourish the young plants.

To sow wildflowers, roughen the soil with a steel rake, sow the seeds and lightly cover with fine sand. Protect from birds with netting and guard against snails and slugs.

One of the prettiest, baby blue eyes, is short enough to be sown between emerging bulbs and other bedding plants; California poppies and clarkia are extra easy.

From the 2001 Los Angeles Times Garden Calendar

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Garden Idea

Frantic for a last-minute gift idea for a tree-hugging friend or family member who doesn’t have a green thumb? TreePeople, a local nonprofit environmental group, will plant a tree on his or her behalf in the mountains.

One tree is $25; five are $75. The donations are tax deductible. Request planting site information.

For information, call (818) 753-TREE or visit www.treepeople.org.