Bulbs: Four Seasons of Beautiful Blooms

Starting out by posing the 10-most-often-asked questions about growing bulbs, Lewis and Hill, coauthors of Cold Climate Gardening, then set off to answer them. The line drawings by Elayne Sears are clear and detailed, and the charts are well balanced by highly readable explanations. This book will neither lose the novice nor bore the seasoned gardener. It offers advice on getting potted hyacinths to bloom with taller stems, persuading added years of blooms from tulips, and methods of propagating bulbs and even hybridizing your own new varieties-techniques that are within the reach of nearly any gardener. The Hills have given us a combination of good reading, useful information, cogent explanations and a splendid bulb-grower's calendar. They examine bulbs that will bloom in each of four seasons, as well as give guidance on such subjects as forcing bulbs successfully, pests and diseases, and naturalizing bulbs. They go into the ``big four'' (crocuses, hyacinths, narcissus and tulips) in wonderful detail and pique our interest in lesser-known bulbs. This book will surely become a welcome addition to many gardeners' libraries. Photos not seen by PW. (Sept.)