Brown blobs become summer jewels

Instead of buying lots of new bags of potting soil each spring, I fill pots two thirds full of the soil I used last year from the pile I dumped by my shed late last October. In the top third of each newly prepared container I’ll use fresh potting soil mixed with compost and bone meal, an organic fertilizer that works slowly over the summer releasing phosphorus.

If I get a chance I’m going to add more summer bulb varieties, including asiatic lilies, callas, gladioli, elephant ears, cannas and more. Some are known for their flowers, others for their exotic foliage. All are considered jewels of the summer garden for the roles they play all season long.

Because there is the danger of frost up till Victoria Day, I keep a large sheet of thick plastic handy to cover pots on nights when the temperature dips. It’s surprising how tough these plants are.

Unlike other perennials, bulbs (including corms, tubers, rhizomes and other bulbous plants) have built in storage systems for food and moisture. That’s why they’re so plump. They’re full of special tissues that store starches, sugars and moisture to help the bulb flower get through tough times.

Here are descriptions for some that you might like to add to your garden or containers this year:

Calla lilies are a favorite of brides and society hostesses with their exquisite chalice-shaped blooms. Best known for white or pale pink flowers, recent introductions bring us callas in yellow, pale green, maroon, mango, ruby red, even lavender and near-black.

Cannas have a rhizome that sends forth towering big-leaved plants known for their statuesque form and flamboyant flowers. Plant in full sun or partial shade. Great in the garden, containers or landscape plantings. Excellent as vertical accents and screening.

Eucomis is a true bulb that sprouts the tall, tufted pineapple lily. Totally tempting in the garden or in pots, this unusual tropical beauty is easy to grow and easy to love. Its 15-inch spire of tiny green, white or wine-colored florets rises above a base of broad, strappy green leaves. Despite its pineapply-presence, this beautiful flowering plant is not tasty to humans or animal pests. Grow it in full sun or filtered sunlight.