A flower bulb is really an underground storehouse and flower factory. Within the bulb is just about everything the plant will need to sprout and flower at the appropriate time. Split a bulb in half and you will see this clearly. In the basal centre portion of the bulb are the leaves cradling a baby bud. (In many species, this bud already has the appearance of a flower while still in the bulb!) Surrounding the bud is a white, meaty substance called the scales. In true bulbs, it is these scales which contain all the food the bulb will need to flower and thrive. Anchoring the scales and the floral stalk which holds the bud is the basal plate. This plate at the bottom of the bulb also holds the roots of the plant. The entire package is protected by a thin outer skin called the tunic. All this remarkable organism needs from humans is to be placed in the ground at the appropriate season of the year, given a liberal drink of water and then left alone. The bulb does the rest!

Technically speaking, many popular "bulb" flowers are not produced from true bulbs at all. Crocuses and gladioli, for example, are really corms, while such favourites as dahlias and begonias are really tubers. The differences between bulbs and corms are slight, and indeed the two look very similar. The main distinguishing trait is the method of storing food. In corms, most of the food is stored in an enlarged basal plate rather than the meaty scales, which in corms are much smaller. Corms generally tend to be flatter in shape than round, true bulbs. Tubers and roots are easily distinguished from bulbs and corms. They have no protective tunic and are really just enlarged stem tissue. They come in a variety of shapes, from cylindrical, to flat, to just about any combination you can imagine. Many come in clusters. Generally, however, you are safe using the term "bulb." Bulb has commonly come to mean any plant which has an underground food storage capacity.
Spring-Flowering Bulbs are Hardy; Summer-Flowering are Tender. Bulbs fall generally into two groups:

* Spring-flowering (which are planted in the fall)
* Summer-flowering (which are planted in the spring).

A more accurate grouping, however, divides bulbs into hardy and tender varieties. As a rule, spring-flowering bulbs are hardy bulbs. These bulbs are planted in the fall, generally before the first frost, and can survive (and indeed require for sprouting) the cold winter months. Many hardy bulbs, such as daffodils, perennialise well and can be left in the ground to flower year after year.

Most summer-flowering bulbs are tender bulbs. These bulbs cannot survive harsh winter conditions and must be planted in spring after the last frost of the season. To enjoy these bulbs year after year, they must be dug up in fall and stored indoors over the winter. A notable exception is the lily. Many summer-flowering lily varieties are quite hardy and can be planted in either fall or spring.
Bulb flowers are among the most popular and best loved in the world. Spring-flowering bulbs such as tulips, crocuses, hyacinths, daffodils, and irises are universal symbols of spring. Their lush and colourful flowers are the first to bring life back to a barren winter landscape. Summer-flowering bulbs such as dahlias, begonias and anemones bring variety, texture, unique colour and long flowering times to summer gardens. Planted with care and planning, bulbs can keep a garden alive with colour from the last snows of winter through the first frosts of fall.

TULIP

Of all the bulbous plants, the tulip is without a doubt the most popular. Tulips are grown on an extremely large scale, especially in the Netherlands where their history goes back to the end of the sixteenth century. That was when the first tulips were noticed growing in the vicinity of Leiden. Now, more than 400 years later, billions of tulips are being cultivated, the vast majority of them being exported from Holland. This goes not only for dry bulb sales but also for the cut flowers produced from the tulip bulbs. These cut flowers, available year-round in principle, are most in demand from November to May. The 'garden tulips' are the result of hybridisation in which the species Tulipa gesneriana played an important role. Now there are more than 3,000 cultivated varieties registered, more being added each year to replace older varieties.

NARCISSUS

Narcissi join tulips, hyacinths and crocuses to make up the most important of the spring-flowering bulbous, cormous and tuberous plants. Narcissi are used in abundance in gardens. This has much to do with their winter hardiness, the ease with which they naturalise, and their many applications. The various colours and flower types available also play a role in their popularity. The large-flowered yellow daffodils in particular are the flowers that promise that the warm spring air is on the way. The number of wild species varies widely, depending on how one defines 'wild species'. Usually this number is limited to 26 (not counting the subspecies and varieties). In addition to these, many hundreds of cultivars are known. The most important colours are yellow, white, orange-red, orange and salmon. Many cultivars display marked or subtle differences in colour between the corona (trumpet or cup) and the perianth (petals). Europe, particularly Spain and Portugal, is where narcissi are most commonly found growing in the wild. As early as the sixteenth century, people - especially the English and the Dutch - were becoming interested in the narcissus. Even today, these two countries are known the world-over as being the leaders in narcissi cultivation. In addition to their garden uses, narcissi are also very important as a cut flower and even have some degree of importance as a pot plant. Another added attraction is that several species are quite sweetly-scented. Practically all narcissi are winter hardy and can easily tolerate temperatures of -10°C. One exception is the Tazetta narcissi.

HYACINTHUS

Hyacinths are extremely popular garden plants. One reason is the genus' wide assortment of flower colours. Another reason is the scent that is so highly praised by flower and plant enthusiasts. Completing the picture of the perfect bulbous plant, is the fact that hyacinths are very easy to bring into flower. Originally, hyacinths grew only in the lands around the Mediterranean Sea, especially in Turkey. Not surprising then, the species which is the ancestor of all the cultivated varieties has been named Hyacinthus orientalis. The cultivating of hyacinths in Holland goes back more than 400 years, but they were also a familiar plant in the Greek and Roman periods. The 17th and 18th centuries were times of intense speculation in hyacinth bulbs. Occasionally, a single bulb would sell for 300 dollars, a lot of money in those days. The propagation and cultivation of the hyacinth bulbs themselves is uncommonly complicated. Much professional experience and special soil is required for good results, and the Dutch growers have been successful in their attempts. Growing them to produce flowers, either indoors or in the garden, however, is very simple.