SOUTH AFRICAN SALES
Bulb ordersPlease note the following when placing your order:
Is a bulb a plant, do you sell the bulbs or the plants?
Unfortunately we have been asked this question far too many times than what we would like to remember. So in a nutshell, YES a bulb is most certainly a plant. When you purchase packets of bulbs online or in garden centres, those bulbs are dormant, they are dry bulbs but they are still plants. In our retail nursery, the bulbs have been potted up and depending on the season, should be in leaf or flower. We trust that clears up any confusion that there might be out there regarding bulb vs plant. Even during winter or summer dormancy, we prefer not to stock dry bulbs in packets in our retail nursery. They are potted up even though they are dormant. Seasonal bulbs that have been lifted on huge bulb production farms too early and kept in packets far too long, can sulk for even longer or dry out totally.
What mail order entails
Bulbs, daylilies or irises are lifted from the ground or from their pots, bags or trays, rinsed and then depending on species, half the leaves are cut off in order to reduce transpiration during shipping. Prices for mail order plants are per individual bulb, corm, rhizome, plant. All plants are labelled. There are certain bulb species particularly winter growers that are best shipped during their summer dormancy including Lachenalias and Oxalis. Evergreen species can be shipped all year. Please remember that it is impossible to guarantee that any bulb will flower at any given time even if it is flowering size. There are numerous factors influencing when and how often flowering will occur including the fact that bulbs can be ‘temperamental’ and sulk for a season before they produce blooms again. From the time you receive your order to the time you plant the bulbs all depends on whether they are dormant or evergreen. If they are evergreen, plant within a few days of receiving them, the sooner the better. If the bulbs are dormant, they can be kept in a very cool dark place like a garage for a few weeks or up to 2 months but they must be able to breathe and must not be exposed to any moisture.
How to order via mail order
Email your request to me at leigh@thesabulbcompany.co.za and your email needs to clearly state your full name and town. There are no photos on any of our price lists. Please consult the galleries on this website if you would like to see what the flowers or foliage look like.
Shipping
We ship nationwide either with THE COURIER GUY or with POSTNET. You are also welcome to arrange for a courier of your choice to pick up your order directly from us. No orders are shipped until paid for.
Our target market
The public and landscapers. If you own a garden centre or specialist retail outlet and you are interested in stocking some of our bulbs, you are welcome to contact Leigh
Please note that we do not sell any of our bulbs to any other South African ‘bulb exporters, bulb growers or seed suppliers under any circumstances whatsoever. We will only sell to plant brokers if the bulbs are destined for specific landscaping projects locally or abroad