While it is not recommended that you save waxed bulbs, you can potentially get them to rebloom with diligent care.  Once the last flower stalk has faded, leaves will begin to slowly emerge.  Carefully remove the wax from the outside of the bulb.  Take special care to not damage any of the small emerging roots at the base of the bulb.  Sometimes these small roots are embedded in the wax and can be easily broken off if the wax is not carefully removed. 

You may be surprised to see that the wax shell is now larger than the bulb inside. This is because stored carbohydrates in the bulb were used to produce flowers. With no water or soil available, the plant has a greatly reduced ability to replace those food reserves. This reduction in carbohydrates stored in the bulb causes it to shrink significantly in size.  This smaller bulb will require special care to recover and grow large enough again to produce a new flower stalk next year.

Once the wax is removed, inspect the bulb carefully for sunken, soft, or dark areas that indicate a disease problem.  Discard any bulb that shows signs of rot.  Pot up the bulb in the same way you would for a regular non-waxed bulb.  Use well-drained potting soil in a container 1 to 2 inches larger than the diameter of the bulb.  Position the bulb in the center and when finished the upper half of the bulb should be above the soil line.  Care for the bulb in the same way you would for a non-waxed bulb.  It is particularly important to provide adequate light and fertilization in the spring and summer months to promote growth and allow the plant to produce and store carbohydrates in the bulb.  After the bulb goes through dormancy in the fall, a new flower stalk should emerge and bloom.

It is not always possible to save waxed amaryllis bulbs and get them to rebloom.  Occasionally the bulb is so spent after flowering that it does not recover.  Sometimes the bulb grows healthy leaves but will not produce blooms the following year.  This is usually because the bulb has not built up enough carbohydrate reserves to flower.  Continue to grow and care for the bulb and flowers should emerge the following season.

Learn more in this article: All About Amaryllis.

Paperwhite narcissus bulbs should be discarded after flowering.  Paperwhites cannot be successfully forced again and are not winter hardy outdoors. 

Learn more about growing paperwhites in this article: Forcing Paperwhite Narcissus Bulbs.

Knowing the area of the garden bed or lawn is necessary for applying fertilizers or pesticides, determining how much mulch is needed, or determining the number of plants needed to fill a space.

The method for determining the area of your lawn or garden depends on the shape. Use the information below to find the area of your garden bed or lawn.

Rectangle  |  Triangle  |  Circle  |  Semicircle  |  Oval  |  Irregular-Shaped

Area of Rectangular Bed

A simple rectangular bed is one of the most straightforward bed shapes to determine the area. Simply, multiply its length by its width. 

Area = length × width

Area of Triangular Bed

To determine the area of a triangular-shaped planting bed, measure the length of the base and then the height (the distance from the top point down to the base). Then, use the formula below to determine square footage.

Area = base × height × 0.5

Area of Circular Bed

For a round planting bed, multiply pi (π=3.14) by the radius squared. The radius equals the distance from the center of the circle to the edge.  

Area = 3.14 × radius²

Area of a Semicircle Bed

For a semicircle (also called a half-moon or half-circle) bed, start by finding the length of the radius. For a semicircle, the radius equals the length of the flat/straight edge divided by two. Then, use the formula for the area of a circle and multiply it by one-half.

Area = 3.14 × radius² × 0.5

Area of Oval (Elliptical) Bed

An oval bed (more accurately referred to as an ellipse) can be found after collecting two measurements. Measure from the center of the bed to the furthest edge point. This is called the major radius. Then, going back to the center, at a right angle to the major radius, measure from the center to the bed edge - this is the minor radius. Multiply those two numbers by pi (π=3.14) to get the area.

Area = 3.14 × major radius × minor radius

Area of an Irregular-Shaped Bed

Many garden beds have a more irregular shape. For beds comprising straight lines, simply break the bed apart into triangles, rectangles, and/or semicircles. Find the area of each piece and add them together.

For more complex irregular shapes, such as a bed shaped like a kidney bean, the bed area can be estimated with decent accuracy by first gathering several measurements. Find the length of the longest line within the shape - this is the length line. Along this length line, measure perpendicular width lines (at a 90° angle) to the length line. The distance between the width lines (called the segment width) must be equal. For example, you might measure the width of the bed every 3 feet along that length line. You can measure any number of width lines as long as they are equidistant from each other. The more width lines you measure, the more precise your area calculation will be. To find the area, add all of the width line lengths together and multiply that by the segment width.

Area = (sum of all width lines) × segment width

Tulips, daffodils, and other spring-flowering bulbs normally begin emerging from the ground in March or early April in Iowa.  However, mild winter weather can encourage premature growth.  The early emergence of spring-flowering bulb foliage is most often seen on the south and west sides of homes and other buildings.  These areas are usually warmer than the rest of the yard because sunlight is reflected off the building to the ground.  In addition, heated basements keep the soil near buildings relatively warm. 

While the premature emergence of spring-flowering bulb foliage is undesirable, the danger is not as great as it may seem.  The foliage of tulips, daffodils, and other spring bulbs can tolerate cold temperatures.  Oftentimes, normal winter weather (cold temperatures and snow) returns, delaying further growth.  A blanket of snow is especially helpful.  The snow discourages additional growth and also protects the foliage from extreme cold. 

If foliage has emerged more than a few inches or flower buds are present and temperatures below the mid 20s°F are predicted, plants can be mulched. Apply a layer of organic mulch, such as straw or pine needles, around the base of the emerging tulips to help insulate the soil and regulate temperature fluctuations. Remove the mulch once normal temperatures return.  

Learn more about tulips in this article: All About Tulips.