Gardening In The Grove
by Bill Valuch

Bill The Bulb Baron

This column is dedicated to the genius of William Welch, a local hero of the narcissus world. I first met Bill several years ago after just purchasing our garden shop. I was searching out local sources of plants for our store and a friend suggested I speak with Bill The Bulb Baron about bulbs he produced for sale. I phoned Bill and set up an appointment to meet with him at his growing fields out in Carmel Valley. My first impression was that this guy was a mad scientist mixing up special blends of Mother Nature, speaking the language of hybridizing and cross breading with an excitement that I had not witnessed in any other. Mad scientist, no! Genius, yes!

Bill has produced and hybridized some of the most beautiful, prolific narcissus bulbs you will ever experience. And it’s all being done right here on the central coast. If you only relate to narcissus bulbs as the "paper whites" you grow in the window at the Holidays, you are in for a treat. With over 30 different varieties of narcissus and almost as many amaryllis belladonna bulbs, your garden palate is almost endless. The colors of flowers produced from these bulbs range from white, yellow, orange, and combinations thereof with blooms that can start early (August-September) and continue throughout the winter. And did I mention that they are outrageously fragrant? Cut flowers from these bulbs can fill a room with their sweet perfume.

At the shop, we carry several of the most popular types of narcissus along with an assortment of amaryllis bulbs. Each year we try to add a new variety to the mix. Along with stocking the bulbs, I have also planted them in our own garden at home. I love the slogan Bill uses, "Just Plant ‘Em and Forget ‘Em." It’s really true. Once you have them in the ground, you’ll enjoy them for years to come without doing anything else. They can fit into any garden, requiring little care and can adapt to normal summer watering or virtually no watering at all relying solely on the rains. This feature makes them perfect for those remote areas in your yard that may get neglected.

Bill suggests that you plant them in bunches using only one variety in each bunch. This type of grouping will give you the biggest display of color, and each type will appear at different times throughout the growing season. He suggests digging one hole large enough to accommodate 6 to 12 bulbs and plant them at a depth of 4" to 6". These bulbs can multiply, and with any luck you’ll end up with 25 to 50 clumped together. What a show of color that can make! And for us Pagrovians comes the best part, they are deer resistant and gopher too. My bulbs have been in the ground for several years now, and indeed they have multiplied and the deer leave them alone.

Avalanche, Autumn Colors, Golden Dawn, Early Cheer, Matador, Sugar Cups, and White Pearl are just a few of the bulbs you’ll find this year. If you are like me, you’ll be adding new additions each season. And don’t forget one of our Pacific Grove favorites, amaryllis belladonna, a variety we know as "Naked Ladies." You’ve seen them growing just about everywhere in P.G. It’s almost like they are growing wild. It’s that big pink flower you see on the end of a long stalk with no leaves in sight. He grows those too!

Bill The Bulb Baron can be found on the web at billthebulbbaron.com. His site is full of information on growing bulbs along with a great gallery of photos showing the outstanding assortment he produces. He can also be found at the Monterey and MPC Farmers Markets selling his fresh-cut flowers in the fall months. We will start bringing in his narcissus bulbs in late August and will have them as long as the supply lasts, sometimes as late as November. We have found that they make great Holiday gifts for that special gardener in your life.

A Special Thanks
Thanks to all of you who responded to my call for volunteer gardeners for many of our city projects. There are so many projects that need your expertise and desire to help beautify our city. Keep up the good work.

As always you can submit your questions, tips and suggestions to me at misstrawicks@sbcglobal.net or stop by the shop at 664 Lighthouse Ave. or visit us on the web at www.misstrawicks.com.