Gardening
Brighten Any Space with Containers of Summer-Flowering Bulbs
Spring-planted, summer-blooming Canna Short Rosita bulbs add beauty to this landscape.
Photo courtesy of Longfield-Gardens.com
Add unexpected beauty to your patio, deck, or balcony with summer-blooming bulbs. You may have grown elephant ears, lilies, dahlias, gladiolus, and caladiums in your garden, but did you know they also thrive in containers? Some summer bulbs grow even better in pots than they do in the garden. These include the exotic-looking flowers of Abyssinian gladiolus, calla lilies, pineapple lilies, and spider lilies.
One of the reasons these bulbs perform so well in containers is that you can be sure they get warm soil, consistent water, and plenty of nutrients. Taller plants like gladiolus, lilies, dahlias, cannas, and elephant ears are the perfect thrillers for large containers. Their bold foliage and extravagant blooms are sure to steal the show. Just plant the bulbs in spring along with your other annuals. As temperatures rise, these heat-loving bulbs will begin to fill in and soon burst into bloom providing added texture and color from late summer through fall.
You may find that summer-blooming bulbs like the pineapple lily (Eucomis), calla lily, and fragrant Hymenocallis perform better in their own containers because there is no competition with other plants for space, nutrients, and moisture. Before the bulbs begin flowering, their foliage provides an attractive backdrop for other container plants that bloom earlier in the season. Once flowering begins, you can move the pots front and center to fully enjoy the show. In cold climates, growing in containers also makes it easier to overwinter the bulbs. Just move the pots indoors to a cool, dark location until it's time to replant the next spring.
Combine plants of different sizes and shapes to create visual excitement. Containers filled with tall plants such as gladiolus, cannas, tall varieties of dahlias, and large elephant ears provide striking vertical accents. Shorter plants like caladiums, pineapple lily, and triplet lily (Brodiaea) can be positioned in front of the larger pots. Add a few planters filled with your favorite annuals to keep the color going all season long.
Many summer-blooming bulbs are wonderfully fragrant. Growing these plants on a patio, deck, or balcony, ensures you won't miss out on their delightful perfume. Late summer evenings are even sweeter when you are surrounded by containers filled with Oriental lilies, spider lilies, and acidanthera.
Small bulbs can grow into enormous plants, so choosing the right size container is important if you want your summer bulbs to reach their full potential. Longfield Gardens provides helpful tips in its Best Summer Bulbs for Containers article (www.longfield-gardens.com).
Most mid-sized dahlias will grow well in a five-gallon container. Dahlias that get to be more than 3 feet tall need a larger pot as well as sturdy stakes for extra support. Cannas and elephant ears are thirsty plants and can develop a very large root system in just a few short months. For these tropical beauties, the bigger the pot, the better!
Extend the bloom time for gladiolus and its cousin, Abyssinian gladiolus, by planting the bulbs in batches about two weeks apart. Both of these summer bulbs have sword-like foliage that provides vertical interest while you wait for the beautiful blooms. If you like cut flowers, grow a few extra pots of gladiolus so you can include them in summer arrangements.
Calla lilies are easy to grow in pots, even for gardeners in cool climates. Choose from a rainbow of beautiful flower colors, from white and yellow, to peach, red, and nearly black. The blossoms last for a month or more, and the lush foliage stays attractive all season long.
Extend the season into early fall with the exotic-looking flowers of Nerine bowdenii. Plant three or more bulbs per container and look forward to fragrant, candy-pink blossoms in September.
Let the unique flowers of pineapple lily (Eucomis) shine by growing them in their own container. The long-lasting flowers feature a green topknot that makes them resemble a pineapple. As with nerines, callas, and other non-hardy summer bulbs, Eucomis can be overwintered indoors and replanted in spring.
The possibilities are many. No matter which summer bulbs you choose, growing them in containers is a sure way to add pizzazz to your patio, deck, balcony, or entryway.
Melinda Myers has written more than 20 gardening books, including The Midwest Gardener's Handbook, 2nd Edition and Small Space Gardening. She hosts The Great Courses "How to Grow Anything" DVD series and the nationally-syndicated Melinda's Garden Moment TV & radio program. Myers is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine and was commissioned by Longfield Gardens for her expertise to write this article. Her web site is www.MelindaMyers.com.
Antiques
Aircraft Memorabilia
Photo courtesy of Wayne Tuiskula
Fascination with flight dates back centuries. English cleric Roger Bacon wrote about mechanical flight around 1250 A.D., according to the Library of Congress. Leonardo da Vinci designed flying machines and a parachute from 1485 to 1500. The first aerial voyage took place in 1783 when Jean François Pilâtre de Rozier and Marquis d'Arlandes took flight in a Montgolfier hot-air balloon. Two years later in 1785, Jean-Pierre Blanchard and John Jeffries crossed the English Channel by balloon. DaVinci’s parachute design was put to use in 1797 when André Jacques Garnerin made the first human parachute descent from a balloon.
Both powered flight and winged flight were being considered in 1843 when aeronautical engineering pioneer George Cayley published a biplane design. Henri Giffard used a steam engine to propel a cigar shaped aircraft in 1852. In 1891, Otto Lilienthal began successful gliding experiments and in 1895 he began flying his biplanes. Hu used split willow framed wings covered with cotton, resembling bird wings. His biplane was considered the most influential winged aircraft prior to the Wright Brothers.
On December 17, 1903, two brothers who owned a bicycle shop in Dayton, Ohio made the first airplane flight. Wilbur and Orville Wright flew a 12-horsepower gasoline engine powered aircraft for 12 seconds above the sand dunes of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.
Later in the 1900s, record-breaking pilots were considered heroes. Charles A. Lindbergh completed the first solo, nonstop trans-Atlantic flight in 1927. In 1932, Amelia Earhart became the first woman to fly a solo non-stop trans-Atlantic flight. Later in 1947, Charles E. Yeager's Bell X-1 became the first aircraft to exceed the speed of sound in level flight.
As you might expect, there are collectors who appreciate the history of flight or have fond memories of airlines and collect airplane related memorabilia.
Locally, the "Worcester" Airport opened in North Grafton in 1927. Over 30,000 people witnessed stunt flyers, parachuters, and military pilots when the airport opened. We sold a program, ticket, and first day cover from the event for $150 in our December 2022 auction. Some other early aviation medals sold well in our last auction this past January. A sterling silver 1919 New York Aeronautical Expedition commemorative medal sold for $140 and a bronze medal commemorating Admiral Byrd’s Flights over the Arctic and Antarctica sold for $550.
As for more recent history, Pan American World Airways (Pan Am) was founded in 1927. It was considered to be the leading international carrier after World War II. In 1943, President Franklin D. Roosevelt needed a plane to fly to a conference in Morocco and chose a Pan AM Boeing 314 Clipper. Other presidents including Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, and Richard Nixon also flew on Pan Am flights staffed by some of their finest employees. We auctioned memorabilia from the estate of a stewardess who flew with Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, and Nixon on their chartered flights. A signed Richard Nixon photo and other memorabilia sold for $275. A 1950s or 1960s stewardess cap with pin brought $350. A Pan Am clock shaped like an instrument panel landed at $500 and three silver appreciation tokens from President Eisenhower soared to $2,400.
We are accepting comic books, sports cards & memorabilia, and collectibles consignments for the next week. We are also accepting consignments for our multi-estate auction with gold jewelry, sterling silver, coins, art, antiques and collectibles. My "Evaluating your Antiques" class will be on March 5th at the Bay Path Evening School in Charlton. I’ll also be at the Learning in Retirement event in Danielson, Connecticut on May 6th. Please note the date correction from my last column. Please visit our website www.centralmassauctions.com for links to other upcoming events.
Contact us at: Wayne Tuiskula Auctioneer/Appraiser Central Mass Auctions for Antique, Collectibles Auctions and Appraisal Services www.centralmassauctions.com (508-612- 6111).