Renovation & Design
Renovation & Design
Beautiful bulbs
With season's end approaching, don't hang up your trowel just yet. For less than the cost of lunch with your friends, you can purchase a bag of flowering bulbs, pop them into the ground just about anywhere and enjoy show-stopping blooms next spring.
Growing beautiful bulbs is easy and there are many surprising ways to use them, both indoors and out.
Karen Loewen, president of the Steinbach-area garden club, likes to place tulip bulbs into pots filled with fresh, well-draining potting medium, not garden soil, before sinking them into the ground, the edge of the pot level with the soil surface.
Loewen plants multiple tulip bulbs into each container, leaving space between each so they are not touching and at a depth that allows for adequate root growth. After watering, she mulches with a layer of fallen leaves. As soon as the ground thaws enough for Loewen to retrieve the pots, she then situates them in the most ideal location for viewing from either her kitchen or living room window.
Although her property is surrounded by trees, squirrels have never dug up the bulbs. Nor have any of the decorative pots cracked in the frozen ground of her vegetable garden where she sinks them. Use plastic nursery pots if you have any concerns about cracking. Upturning a container above ground may provide some added protection but wait until the ground has frozen.
"It's nice to be able to brush the soil off the pot in the early spring and display it in a really conspicuous location," said Loewen who notes that container-grown bulbs bloom a bit earlier.
After lifting, this method also lends itself to combining the tulips in a larger container display with 10 or 15 centimetre pots of cool season plants such as pansies, violas, violets and primroses. These are generally readily available in the spring time at garden centres and retail outlets. Tuck in an assortment for the most pleasing arrangement, insert a few pussy willow branches or other leafless stems and you will have a spectacular front door display after a long winter.
It's safe from rabbits, too.
Do remember, though, that containerized displays dry out more quickly than plants in the ground. Check the soil regularly and water as needed.
Suppose you have had enough of digging or have no interest in getting your hands dirty. Forcing bulbs indoors into winter bloom can be as uncomplicated as you like. One method uses only a pinch-necked forcing vase, pre-chilled bulb, and some water. Bulbs for forcing indoors, such as the ones available in kits, have been prepared by growers so won't need to undergo the weeks of chilling they would otherwise need. Store them away from heat, ideally in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator, until they are ready to use. Keep them from touching any produce as the ethylene gas from ripening fruit will have an adverse effect on the bulb's ability to produce flowers.
Tracy Musson Sitar, owner of Portico Indoor & Outdoor Living on Academy Road, has been forcing bulbs for years and says glass forcing vases, in all shapes and sizes, have been popular for a long time. Vintage forcing vases dating to the 1800s can fetch a good price.
Widely used in Europe, the forcing vase features a bulb-shaped reservoir at its base which holds water. The upper pinch-neck or waist of the vase is where the bulb sits, without touching water.
Bulbs prepared for forcing include hyacinths, double tulips, crocuses, daffodils, muscari and amaryllis. Paperwhite narcissus is a popular choice for forcing. If you can allow yourself to start thinking of Christmas this early, imagine the holiday tablescape you could create with a mix of forcing vases or bowls and assorted fragrant blooms.
Sitar says the end of October is a good time to begin. It is a great project for children who will be interested to see the roots growing. To play up the intense fragrance of paperwhites, group vases together or consider using a larger bowl that will hold several bulbs.
Sitar begins by putting a small amount of water in the basin of the bowl and then adds a layer of polished pebbles. The bulbs are nestled into the stones without touching the water which is below the rocks. Again, only prepared bulbs should be used. Hyacinth or tulip bulbs that have not been specially prepared for forcing will require several weeks (eight or more) of chilling at eight degrees Celsius or below.
For growing outdoors, there is a new type of bulb in town. This year, for the first time, Sage Garden Herbs will be carrying only certified organic bulbs. Marketed by Mantel Holland, a major producer that sells more than 15 million bulbs annually, organic bulbs are grown without chemical pesticides or mineral fertilizers and are said to have higher resistance to disease, better flowering results and hardier skin.
Dave Hanson, owner of Sage Garden Herbs, made the decision to switch to organic bulbs out of concern for the ongoing threat to bees whose populations are threatened due to chemical pesticides, groundwater contamination from fertilizers and lack of pollen and nectar.
Since 1994 when neonicotinoids were introduced for widespread pesticide application in both agriculture and horticulture, it became evident early on there was a clear link with declining bee populations. Dutch policy-makers recognized that while bulbs represent a massively important economic engine for their country, environmental sustainability is critical, too. For now, only about two per cent of the billions of Dutch bulbs sold annually are being grown organically, but this is expected to increase.
Are they more expensive and will there be the same number of varieties? The answer is no to both questions. Hanson says he will be selling organic flowering bulbs for the same price as he sold non-organic bulbs in the past. There is a good selection of varieties and these will only increase as more gardeners embrace organic alternatives.
Many gardeners purchase bulbs from mail order catalogues. Dugald Cameron, owner of Garden Import (gardenimport.com), a mail order company located in Richmond Hill, Ont., recommends gardeners rediscover the narcissus. Visualizing the typical yellow trumpet-shaped blooms? Visualize instead shocking white perianths (outer part of the flower) with cups that range from brilliant orange-red, apricot-pink, ruffled pink, even orange and green. Narcissus Mix, for example, consists of 85 different varieties.
Squirrels won't touch daffodil bulbs, says Cameron, who also recommends species tulips that don't seem to be bothered by wildlife. Species tulips bloom much earlier than other tulips and while their size is smaller and the bloom is simpler, they thrive in our climate and increase in number each year.
Daffodils, though, are longer lived, sometimes up to 10 years.
"The key to successfully growing narcissus," said Cameron, "is to plant them in the fall while the ground is still warm. Narcissus needs to begin to root before the ground freezes."
Cameron recommends mulching the planting site before the bulbs arrive as a means to keeping out frost. "When the bulbs arrive," suggests Cameron, "soak them overnight in tepid water so they will root faster. Then mulch after planting to keep the frost out as long as you can."
Site your early-blooming bulbs such as crocus, muscari and scilla on higher ground or where snow melts sooner. As bees emerge in spring, they will thank you for this early source of pollen.
University of Winnipeg Prof. Richard Westwood reminds gardeners to consider planting their bulbs this fall in areas apart from perennial beds.
The majority of butterflies and moths overwinter in the larval stage and some overwinter as pupae."There may be overwintering eggs, larvae or pupae on the plants, at the soil surface or buried in the top fem cm of the soil," said Westwood. Take care to not disturb these sites.
Fall is also an excellent time for planting lily bulbs. Plan to attend the Manitoba Regional Lily Society Fall Bulb Sale on Sept. 27 at the Assiniboine Park Conservatory, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Featured bulbs include tall-growing lillim pardalinum, white keynote border lily, double-flowered cocktail twins and many other varieties. Visit www.manitobalilies.ca for full details.
colleenizacharias@gmail.com
Renovation & Design
Return air improves heating system's circulation
Question: My son lives in a 100-year-old house. The main floor is 769 square feet and the second floor is 348 square feet. The second floor is not used or heated. At some time a 10-foot square basement was dug under the centre of the house to accommodate a furnace. There is no heat vent in the basement, but the cold-air return duct has a vent at the furnace. The heat duct runs through a two-foot high crawl space to the living room area, but there is no return vent in the living room or anywhere in the house. It may be covered by the carpeting. Last year, the furnace was replaced with a high-efficiency furnace with a continuous-running fan. The furnace contractor said it did not matter if the cold-air return vent in the living room was exposed, but I am not convinced. Should we lift the carpet to expose the vent? Should we leave the basement door ajar so the cold air can be sucked down into the basement? The furnace seems to be operating well and heats the house well. I enjoy reading your column and your advise will be appreciated. -- Helen Lymburner
Answer: Modifications to older homes, whether newly completed or in the past, often pose logistical dilemmas not found in newer construction. It may be fairly simple to add a return-air register in your son's home, but access to the crawl space may be the key to successful installation.
Forced-air heating systems in homes typically have two sets of ducts and registers. One is for the warm air, which is forced through the ducts by the furnace blower. Every homeowner will be familiar with those, as they feel the heated air emanate from the registers in various rooms. The second, often misunderstood set of ducts and register is for the return air, often called the cold air. This system is less obvious because cool air near the floor is automatically drawn into the registers, which may be partially hidden by furniture or other items. The return air improves the circulation of the heating system by supplying the furnace ducts with replacement air for the next cycle. If there are not enough return-air registers and ducts, the furnace will draw air from other sources, namely the basement and crawl space. That may pose some concerns, not only for performance of the furnace, but health issues as well.
Since there are limited return-air supply mechanisms in your son's heating system, the furnace must draw this air from some location. Some of it will undoubtedly leak into the existing ducting through gaps or cracks in the home's floor or walls, but most may come from the area below the main floor. Especially with the register cut into the return-air duct adjacent to the furnace, the majority of this replacement air will come from the basement and crawl space. If this area is clean, heated and the crawl-space floor is well sealed, there may not be much of a concern. If the crawl space still has exposed soil, contaminants contained in the soil will likely be drawn into the furnace to be circulated through the home.
These contaminants may include moulds, fungus, dust, bacteria and other potentially harmful items regularly found in soil. Moisture from the exposed soil may also raise the relative humidity of the air entering the heating system, adding to any potential mould-growth issues. Leaving the basement door or hatch open may allow more air from the living space to enter the furnace, but may not prevent unwanted basement products.
Installing additional return-air ducting will be beneficial to improve air circulation and reduce circulation of contaminants, but a couple of other repairs can be done, regardless of that upgrade. Installation and regular replacement of high-quality furnace air filters will help trap some of the airborne particles and prevent them from circulating through the home. This will only be effective if the filters are changed regularly to prevent blockage and strain on the furnace blower. The other area to address is the crawlspace soil, if not already well sealed. Installation of a continuous layer of six mil, or heavier, polyethylene sheathing over the entire crawl space will prevent excessive moisture and other products from entering the air in the crawl space and subsequently, the living space. This poly should cover the grade beam or perimeter walls of the crawl space, and be caulked to the floor joists and underside of the floor with acoustical sealant. It should also be caulked around any partitions or support structures within the crawl space. This step will be tremendously helpful, even if it is not practical to install return-air ducting.
Installing the return-air system may be fairly straightforward if there is enough room beneath the main floor to work in the crawl space. The return-air ducting is normally installed between the floor joists, or often uses that cavity as the duct, so the direction they run may also have an impact on the ease or difficulty of installation. Ducting can be run below the joists, but that may be tricky with limited room above the floor of the crawl space. Installation of registers in the living room, and other rooms on the main floor, may only require cutting holes in the floor or bottom of the partition walls, to create openings to the new ducting.
Installation of return-air registers in all the rooms on the main floor of the house in question will undoubtedly improve warm-air distribution from the furnace. The degree of difficulty will depend on ease of access to the floor above the crawl space, but sealing the soil in this area may be the most important factor in improving indoor air quality in the home.
Ari Marantz is the owner of Trained Eye Home Inspection Ltd. and president of the Canadian Association of Home & Property Inspectors - Manitoba (www.cahpi.mb.ca). Questions can be emailed to the address below. Ari can be reached at 204-291-5358 or check out his website at www.trainedeye.ca.
trainedeye@iname.com