Three Bulbs for Fall Bloom
By admin | June 16, 2008
Here are three fall blooming bulbs to try in your garden. If you have a protected area in your garden where the ground doesn’t go below -18C, you might well want to try growing some of the hardier Cyclamen bulbs. The trick with growing these bulbs is that they want almost perfect drainage and protection from the hot blazing sun. Try C. coum, C. purpurescens and C. hederifolium. The major differences are C. purpurescens is a woodland plant and wants shade and moist, rich soils. It will also continue to grow during the summer while the C. coum and C. hederifolium will likely go dormant in the summer heat to reappear in the fall when they bloom with their delightful small flowers. All thrive under the shade of trees or shrubs.
Colchicum are also called autumn crocus and even more descriptive, naked ladies, and are a fine fall blooming bulb. These are alpine plants, flowering at the snow-melt line in alpine meadows and rocky outcrops - they deman perfect drainage with no extra summer water. The only problem with them is that they send up a flower in the fall and then develop leaves. In cold areas, the bulb may not get enough sunshine to replenish the bulb and it will die. This is a perfect plant for the rock garden but given they have quite a short flower stalk, they do not fit well into the general flower border.
Lycoris, called naked lily, spider lily and even resurrection lily is an interesting tender fall blooming bulb. L. squamigera, is a tender bulb in USDA zone 6 but is can be dug in the fall and treated exactly as a glad bulb. This Chinese native produces leaves in the spring that fade away during the summer. The flowers appear in the fall without leaves and several stalks of rose-lavender to lavender pink flowers appear. At three-feet tall, this is an excellent plant for the perennial border. Dig and store cool and dry over winter in cold areas. More information on growing these fall blooming bulbs can be found at this website.
Doug Green, award winning author of seven gardening books answers question in his free newsletter at http://www.simplegiftsfarm.com/gardeningnewsletter.html
Tags: Bulbs, flower bulbs, gardeningTips for a Bulb-o-licious Garden
By admin | June 14, 2008
Want a successful garden? Try planting bulbs into your landscape. Flowering bulbs are not only easy to grow and popular among garden plants, but they can fit into nearly any type of gardening style. And with proper care, bulbs will continue to bloom year after year. Flowering bulbs make lovely additions to any garden, especially when planted in groups or mixed borders.
Bulbs are widely available at most garden centers; however, most of the more spectacular ones need to be purchased through mail-order catalogs or nurseries that specialize in these types of plants.
Actually, ordering your bulbs through catalogs or obtaining them from nurseries can provide many benefits. Since bulbs are dormant, shipping them is easy and done so according to their appropriate planting times. This means all you have to do is simply stick them in the ground. There’s no worrying with keeping particular bulbs stored elsewhere until needed.
The quality of your bulbs from a mail order company is normally better, too. They are healthier and picked for you by experts; whereas, picking them yourself may not always be easy, unless you know what to look for.
When selecting bulbs yourself, try choosing only those that are firm. You don’t want any soft, withered, or blemished bulbs as these will not produce a healthy plant.
Always consider your landscape prior to planting or choosing bulbs. Observe your surroundings, taking notes as to the types of plants already growing within the landscape.
Choose bulbs which will thrive in your particular area and climate. Check reference books, labels, and packaging for the bulb’s hardiness requirements.
Consider the color, bloom time, height, and compatibility of the plants you want to grow. You want to select bulbs that will offer significant blooming throughout the seasons with plenty of ongoing color year-round.
Mix them up with a variety of annuals and perennials as well as interesting foliage plants such as hostas and ferns.
Proper planting of bulbs will keep the garden full of blooms through the seasons and ensure healthy, vigorous growth for years to come. Place your bulbs in the ground as soon as possible; otherwise, keep them stored in a cool, dry area. Bulbs are normally planted well before the ground freezes in the fall or after the planting of perennials, annuals, and other plants in the spring.
Both winter and spring bulbs require a dormant period in cool temperatures in order to stimulate their growth and development. These types of bulbs include crocuses, cyclamens, tulips, daffodils, snowdrops, and hyacinths. Generally, these bulbs are hardy enough to be left in the ground throughout the year; however, your summer and fall bulbs may require lifting.
Gladiolus, begonias, dahlias, and autumn crocuses fall into the summer bulb category. These bulbs are usually considered to be quite tender and cannot survive in excessively cold environments. Spring is normally the best time to plant these bulbs. After the first initial frost, they should be dug up and kept in a dry, frost-free area.
Regardless of the type, bulbs prefer and thrive in light, well-drained soil. To improve the quality of your soil, you can easily work in some sand and compost. Make sure the site you choose for planting does not stand in water at any time as this will ultimately cause your bulbs to rot. Larger bulbs are planted about 8 inches deep; while the smaller ones can be placed about 5 inches in the ground. However, the lighter the soil, the deeper the bulb can be placed. Always place the bulb with its point facing upward. Water generously after planting, but take care not to drench the bulbs. Cover with a layer of mulch.
Flowering bulbs make great companions for woody plants, providing the landscape with an array of sizes, shapes, and colors. As spring bulbs die out, you can add various annuals and late-blooming bulbs, like lilies, to keep these areas of the garden looking their best. Adding an assortment of perennials into the bulb garden will provide a nonstop procession of flowers and foliage.
If you want to try a naturalized effect with your bulbs, take them by the handful and gently toss them out into the yard or garden. Plant the bulbs wherever they land.
If you want to test out different plant combinations before incorporating them into the garden or you simply don’t have a lot of space for one, you can grow your bulbs in a container. A variety of bulbs can thrive in containers, and when mixed with annuals, you will have a beautiful miniature garden. Choose a container that has sufficient drainage and line it with pebbles. Add some potting soil and a few bulbs and annuals. Keep the container moist but not too wet.
If you follow these tips, pretty soon you will have a bulb-o-licious garden.
This article was written by Nikki Phipps and sponsored by Gardening Know How - Tips for your garden. Reproductions of this article are encouraged but must include a live link back to http://www.gardeningknowhow.com
Tags: Bulbs, flowers, garden, gardening, planting, PlantsSummer Gardening is All Weeding and Watering!
By admin | June 13, 2008
Summer is a time of busy gardening activity as everything is growing rapidly and weeds seem to appear faster than you are able to pull them up.
Early summer is a transitional stage with some flowering plants dying back and summer bedding coming into full bloom to offer its peak color.
Pests and diseases are as prominent as ever so taking prompt action when they appear will often stop the trouble and keep it from spreading out of control.
Keep your garden looking its best by weeding frequently and regularly dead-heading border plants.
Mow the lawn, except in very dry weather, to keep the grass short and healthy. Rake the lawn occasionally before cutting as this will help to keep weeds and moss under control. Do not cut the lawn lower than 1 inch as a low cut lawn will encourage moss to grow.
Finish hardening off and planting tender bedding plants as well as watching out for signs of mildew and aphids on roses. Spray insecticide - one of the systemic brands which stay in the plants’ system for several weeks - to stop these pests from taking over the soft shoot tips or leaves and halting flower growth.
Putting effort in at the start of summer will let you enjoy your garden mid summer as most things are already sown or planted; your main jobs will be weeding and watering!
For further advice and timely tips on all aspects of gardening, please visit The Seasonal Gardener
For specific gardening jobs and tips in June, please visit The Summer Gardener website.
Tags: Alpines, Bulbs, flowers, garden, Plants, Seeds, Shrubs, Trees, Vegetables, Weather