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WHJnTBY FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY, MARCI1 29,1989, PAGE 21 Soni-e lips on clioosiing bulb flowers Tulips bloom in the garden in Apr-il and May in Canaaa. Howe- ver, professional Dutch growers bring them into flower from November through April and offer them around the world as one of the most prized cut flowers. Ini fact the tuiip overal is ranked number four in popu- larity, preceded by the rose, chrysanthemum and carnation- ail of which are avaliable year round. It is no simple matter te pre- pare tulip bulbs fo)r blooming outside their natural cycle. ToÃ" achieve this, Dutch growers start with superior bulbs and give them special temperature treat- ments te fool them inte thinking it is time to, grow and flower. This process. called advancing or Bulbs sig*ns of spring FROM PAGE 18 At this point in the flowerig parade, a wide variety of hybrid tulipa and daffodils wiil come inte flo-wer produ ýr A cing a pro- fusion of coo.Athough bloom- ing time varies with the tem- perature in any given area, the sequence ofowering remains the same and,all across the coun- try, Canadians wili be enjoying the same beautiful bulb flowers. Daffodils should be «deadhea- ded," tha~t is, remiove the flowers after they've finished by pinching the heads off at the top of the stem, leaving the stalk intact. This and the foliage act as solar collectors for the plant, building up the bulb's strength, to, provide it with enough food te bloom again next year. 'So, therefore, allow them te wither naturally. Tuber;ous begonias* caii gef a head start on summer? Pot them up soon using ordinary potting. suand placing them in a light, cool location, Watr sparingly. As the leaves develop, give more water and increase the tempera- ture slightly. Transplant out- doors - or move out still in the pot - only after ail threat of frost bas passed. Those started in- doors will bloom earlier than begonias planted directly in the garden soul. forcing requires great expertise. In the f1etheands, this exacting trade is practiced by about 1,000 nurseries whose total. growing area covers about 200 hectares. They are Icoated prirmarily in the bulb district (around Haarlem) Rijnsburg, the Moor District and in various places in North Hol- land. For tuiips that wiil last a long time (a week or more) in the vase at home or the office, select buds that are just beginning to show color. Tlips that have already opened up will have a very short vase life. Those still tightly closed and not yet showing color may not open well. To make a fine display, choose a bunch in which ail of the flowers are at exactly the same stage of deve- lopment, have nice, straight stems and undamaged leaves. As soon as you get them home, teave the bunch of tuliips wrap- g ed in pa per and stand thèmin a ucket of clean water in a cool location, keeping the -paper above the waer -in. This enables them to absorb sufficient water to firm up the stems. Then eut a few centimeters (about 1 in.) from the end of the stems and Il the vase with water to which cut flower food bas been added. This nutrition will help them last about twice as long as they would otherwise and bloom more fully. Neyer change the vase water. Instead, top up, the con- tainer with more water te which the food crystals have been added. Move the vase te a cool place ýovernight each night, and y ou cari extenâ tlwir hife even long,,er. co str engthen any tulips that become limp while you have them ini an arrangement, just them snugly inpaeadstn in water in a co spot again for a few hours. Once you have arranged the tulips, try ail kinds of bulb flowers at -home-daffodils, lilies and irises, for example. (Don't combine the daffodils with other cut flower,. unless uou stand them. alone in water for a few hours. This enables them to release a secretion which kilîs other flowers.) Or try potted bulbs-hyacinths, scilla crocus as well as tulips and daffodils. You cari buy them already planted and beginning to bloom at many- garden centers, supermarkets and convenience stores in majoir centers acros the country. Either cut or sprou- ted, Holland bulb flowers provide a colorful touch of spring in the Tniddle of a long winter. STsINOTH ARDE TLIIPS, one of the most prized eut flowers in -the world, provide a colorful touch of spring in the middle of a Ilong winter. Photo court.uy International Bloemboflem Centrun, Hlilegom, Holland fl ILS a i qàwa.IL MWALJL Wgery FERTILIZER ', Fi