What is a bulb?

Well, what is a bulb?

‘It’s like a seed,’ offers Daniel.

Well, yes – and no.

‘It’s not a seed but mostly it makes flowers grow.’  That was Delfine.

Paulina concurs.  ‘Flowers come out of bulbs,’ she tells us.

It’s not a seed because it has roots.  And a stem that comes out of the pointed top.  It is a bit like an underground store that contains everything the plant will need in order to sprout.  If you cut one in half, you will see.  Look closely now!

 

In the middle at the fattened bottom, near to where the wiggly roots can just be seen, you can see a yellowish part.  This is a tiny flower bud!  Round the outside are fat white layers (‘It’s like an onion!’ observes Kareem, helpfully) which provide the ‘food’ for the growing flower.  The brown papery ‘skin’ on the outside, protects the whole.

 

 

Now, what do you think will (or what would you like to) come out of the bulbs we plant?

I guess we will just have to wait and see, because bulbs planted in the autumn do not normally flower until the following spring.  What a nice surprise we have in store for us!

Maybe some of these…..

or possibly some of these…..

might appear!

And finally - do you remember what Kareem noticed (about a bulb looking like an onion)?  Well, I wonder what would happen if we planted an onion in the soil.  What do you think?