"Technically speaking, many popular "bulb" flowers are not produced from true bulbs at all. Crocuses and gladioli, for example, are really corms, while such favorites 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."

This is a favorite early spring plant. It was love at first sight! The moment I saw it, I had to have it. The purple/blue/green foliage, the texture & shape of the leaves grabbed my attention. I couldn't stop looking at it. I didn't really know it was a "drum stick" when I bought it. The tall, straight stalk shoots about 18" & a small ball of purple bursts in early June. It's a fun evolution to watch.

Plantfacts.com - Allium karataviense

I live just west of Pella by Lake Red Rock. These tulips in my yard renew my spring spirit.

Each year in May, Pella, Iowa celebrates its Dutch heritage with the Tulip Festival complete with the Tulip Queen & her court. It's a traditional 3 day event. There are thousands of tulips planted each fall just for Tulip Time. The little parks are full & tulips line the main streets.

Tulip Time Slideshow

My friends come to tour my gardens & the town's. It's a good time.

www.pellatuliptime.com

I love Breck's Bulbs! Each winter I spend hours looking at their beautiful catalog. And they have special deal offers that are just too good to pass up.

The Parrot Tulips were spectacular this spring / 2004.

Every year I swear I'm not ordering any more bulbs but somehow that UPS box shows up on my doorstep. It's usually a surprise as I've forget by Oct. what I ordered. There are advantages of being over 50 and sort of absent minded.

I love this ornamental onion. The very unique blue foliage enlivens the garden throughout the growing season. All the leaves twist in the same direction & are so cool.

This most well-known surprise lily grows vigorously from a 2" bulb. In mid to late summer long after we've forgotten where the long leaves grew in early spring, they erupt from dormancy to entertain & delight us. Each strong straight stem is topped with a cluster of 6-8 slightly nodding lilac pink flowers that put on a spectacular short show. Their fragrance is intoxicating to both humans & bees. I've seen bees drunkly plummet from bloom to bloom gorging themselves with summer's last feast.

Surprise lily comes from the orient either Japan or China or maybe both. They thrive in poor soils & like full sun the best but will grow in part shade. An absolute "no care" wonderfully, fun plant.

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