Bulbs

Just what is a bulb? What is a geophyte?

We eat them. We store them for later use. We plant them. We love them. And some we dislike, but have to admire their persistence.
What we call "bulbs" are not all true bulbs. They are plants that have underground storage systems (leaf, root, stem) that allow the plant to go dormant when it is dry and to grow when conditions are right.
What "bulbs" do we eat? Potatoes (tubers), sweet potato (tuberous root), water chestnut (corm), onions (bulbs), carrots (taproot),
Read about our California geophytes in Fremontia. And pay special attention to Carl Purdy who was quite famous and who placed many orders with the California Nursery and was involved in the PPIE.

The illustration below is from the Fremontia article.

Plant bulbs now, don’t fret about water, and be dazzled by spring
Filoli's bulb videos (see facebook)
Dry Creek Iris History by Jeff Bennett
What is this Darwin Tulip that I see in the old movies? Is it named after Charles Darwin? Yes! Or it's complicated!
Why do I have to chill bulbs before planting ... or do I? Next time only buy bulbs that don't need chilling! Some are: Dutch iris, Anemone DeCaen, Anemone St. Brigid, Freesia, Ranunculus and Scilla peruviana. Daffodil varieties that repeat bloom in warm climates are Carlton, Erlicheer, Thalia, Avalanche.
UC Master Gardener from Santa Clara Valley asked the Daffodil Society. The recommendations for our area by the Daffodil Society of Northern California: Some varieties which make beautiful drifts and last well are Ice Follies, Tete-a-Tete, Flower Record, Delibes, Unsurpassable, Barrett Browning, Scarlet Gem, Geranium, Cheerfulness, Peeping Tom, Mount Hood, Spellbinder, Carlton, and Viking. There are many others which will thrive with little care. In climates with hot summers and mild winters, tazettas are the best choice for naturalizing. Some good cultivars are Avalanche, Grand Monarch, Erlicheer, Soleil d’Or, Autumn Colors, and Golden Dawn.”
Longfield Garden's Chill recommendation for zones 8-11 is 35 to 45°F for: 16 weeks (daffodils) and 10-14 weeks (tulips). We are Zone 9b.
Longfield Garden's Forcing Tulips indoors video and text
Longfield Garden's Growing Tulips in containers and indoors
Cornell Flower bulb research