Bulbs bring spring color! The Cass County Master Gardeners have taken on a new project this fall, with a bulb sale featuring tulip and narcissus bulb mixtures. This sale is now open to the public for pre-order, with delivery by the end of October, in plenty of time for fall planting. Order forms are available at the Cass County Extension office, or online at www.extension.iastate.edu/cass.
The bulbs will be freshly dug from the gardens of Van Engelen, Inc., in Connecticut, and shipped in bulk to the Cass County Master Gardeners. The Master Gardeners have ordered 500 bulbs, which they hope to pre-sell by the end of September. The bulbs are expected to arrive by the end of October, for packaging five bulbs to a bag, and each bag of tulip mixture or narcissus mixture will sell for only $ 5. Pre-payment is requested at the time of order to guarantee your bulbs.
The colorful Giant Darwin Hybrid Tulip Mixture includes: Apricot Impression, Banja Luka (red and yellow), Big Love (pink), Cream Jewel (white), Daydream (apricot to yellow), Golden Parade, Pink Impression, Red Impression, Salmon Impression, White Cloud, and World’s Favorite (red), with plant heights from 20 to 24 inches. The Fragrant Narcissus Mixture features daffodils in colors from white to golden yellow, including: Double Narcissi Bridal Crown, Cheerfulness and Yellow Cheerfulness; Tazetta Narcissi Geranium and Golden Dawn; Triandrus Narcissi Starlight Sensation, Sunlight Sensation and Thalia; Poeticus Narcissus Pheasant’s Eye; and Jonquilla Narcissi Pipit and Pueblo, ranging in height from 14 to 20 inches. Each bag of 5 will feature a random selection from the colors listed above.
Cass County Master Gardeners will also be holding their second annual Fall Plant Sale on Saturday, October 10, from 8 to 10 am or until sold out. Bulb orders will be taken, if they are not already sold out, at this event. Master Gardeners will bring bulbs and plants from their own gardens for this sale. Donations of divided plants are welcome if you would like to donate perennials or bulbs from your garden. Please call in advance and make arrangements to drop off donated plants before the date of the plant sale!
For more information about these events and about Master Gardener activities in Cass County, please call the Cass County Extension Office at 712-243-1132, or email Cass County Extension Director and Master Gardener Coordinator Kate Olson at keolson@iastate.edu. In addition, you are invited to follow the Cass County Master Gardeners at their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/CassCoMG to keep up with local events and tips for gardening!