NOTE: This column was updated to correct the price of Town and Country’s caladiums.

Another week of too-hot days and cool pleasant nights. 

We have reached the end of March, with only a couple of days left in this month. We have had a beautiful late winter season of bloom. 

Starting back in late January and continuing through the present time, we have had several waves of blooms. 

Each time things would bloom out, we would have a light frost that would often nip the flowers back. I would like to think the frost is over, but Easter will not arrive until near the middle of April and traditionally we have always had a cool snap around Easter. With temperatures in the high 80s, I think I would really enjoy some more cool days.

With many spring flowers coming to a close soon, it is time we begin to think about color for summer. Stores are full of bulbs that are spring-planted and will bloom in the summer.

Lilies are one of the most spectacular of the summer bulbs. They are long-lived, dependably return each year and usually produce more flowers with each passing year. There are many types of lilies, the form of their flowers and the time of their bloom varies according to types.

When planting lilies plant them at least six inches deep and mulch them well for the heat of summer. They can take cold winters much better than hot summers. Lilies need several hours of sun daily, but after they bloom and late summer arrives with its scorching heat, they will fare better if they are planted where they receive some afternoon shade.

Gladiolus is another type of bulb that once planted will not have to be moved again. Gladiolus that are returning from prior years are already up and growing about a foot tall. They will bloom earlier than bulbs that have been planted this year but each year after they will all bloom about the same time. 

Glads grow tall and often need support for their tall spikes of flowers. If not supported they will blow over in wind and rain and damage the blooms. Planting in front of low-growing shrubs will give them support or running a section of fence wire behind them will help maintain their upright growth pattern.

Agapanthus, commonly called Nile Lily, grow up to about two feet. Their blooms are held on a scape above the foliage, the flower clusters are formed by 15 to 30 small blue, white or purple flowers. The flowers bloom in a globe shape and the flower heads are about four to five in across. A popular container plant, agapanthus has a long blooming season. The bulbs are semi-tender and do usually survive our winters unless temperatures go into the low 20s, then they need to be heavily mulched.

Achimenes, commonly called widow’s tears, are a very low growing plant. They are perennial and return each year. The small bulbs have two-inch flowers in a wide color choice. They prefer warm soil and will not come up until after the soil warms up in late spring. They are often grown in containers and have a trailing habit. 

Achimenes prefer a semi-shaded location and adequate moisture to keep them blooming all summer. They also make a lovely ground cover to plant among perennial bulbs, by the time the spring bulbs have finished blooming the achimenes will come up and bloom for a few months. They do not have to be lifted for winter.

Other summer flowering bulbs that do well in our area are tuberous begonias, many types of ginger lilies, crinum, iris, gloriosa lilies, cannas, dahlias and caladiums.

Caladiums are for sale from Town and Country Garden Club. To buy bulbs, contact Karen Pierce at (229) 300-0345. All bulbs are very reasonably priced at 70 cents each. Several colors are available.

Amaryllis are flowering in abundance now. This is the time to pollinate your flowers to produce seed which can be planted within a week of gathering. When you hybridize your own flowers you can design them to your own preferences.

Before pollinating your Amaryllis flowers look them over and choose only the best ones to work with. Flowers that grow on short scapes, flowers that do not fully open or small flowers are not the ones to breed.

Each individual flower has a pistil, the long three-lobed pollen receptor and a cluster of stamens, shorter than the pistol that are the pollen bearers. These reproductive parts are in the center of each amaryllis flower. The stamens, the pollinators, will mature before the pistil is ready to be fertilized. 

While the stamen are heavy with pollen, the pistil will be turned downward, after a few days the pistil turns upward and the tip opens up and separates into a three-lobed pollen receptor.

To pollinate the pistil, rub pollen bearing stamen you have pinched or cut off of another plant on the three-lobed receptor, transferring pollen on to the sticky lobes. You have just pollinated the flower and started the process of seed forming. 

Do not pollinate every flower on the scape, producing seed is hard work and you do not want to deplete your bulbs. Pollinate two out of each four flowers on the scape. The seeds will begin to form and in the next few weeks will grow into a walnut-sized pod. 

The pod will be green as the seeds grow and mature inside it. When the pod becomes ripe it will turn a beige color and a small slit will open at the top of the pod to assist the seed in drying. When the split appears in the beige pod, you can pinch the stem to the pod off. Pinch the stem off as close to the scape as possible.

After gathering the seed pods, place them in a dish or bowl inside for a few days, allowing them to finish drying. After the pod splits open, you can rub the seeds and they will fall out and the pod can be thrown away. The seed are flat, black and very silky feeling, about the size of a dime. Unlike many other seed, amaryllis seed cannot be held long before planting, the sooner you plant them the higher the germination rate will be.

Plant the seeds where they will not have to compete with other plants. Chop up your patch of dirt and scatter the seed over the surface, sprinkle more soil to partially cover them and gently water well. Do not let the germinating seed dry out for even one day or it will die.

This is a very simple process; when you have done it a few times, you can tell from looking at the amaryllis from several feet away if they are ready to be pollinated. Pinching stamen off the pollen donor and dusting the pistil with pollen takes less than one minute. To prevent insect pollination, it is best to do this in the morning.

I plant my seed in flats lined with newspaper and filled with potting soil these have to be kept watered almost daily, but they can stay in the shade until after the little green sprouts of foliage come up. 

The foliage will look like grass coming up and after about two months a small bulb will have begun to form. Leave the small amaryllis plants where they were planted for at least one year or possibly two years, at that time they can be placed in containers or transplanted into your garden if they are not smothered out by larger plants. 

With good sunlight and proper feeding, you will have flowers from the seeds within about five years. I have a flat of seeds that are about four years old and this spring two of the bulbs have run up scapes and are about to bloom. I look forward to seeing what they will be.

Out of space, see you next week.

Susan Grooms lives and gardens in Lowndes County.