Le Tour des Plants: September 12 - 20, 2009
Autumn Planting
Conifers & Containers
Container Receipe - Egan Gardens
Spring Season Bulb FAQs
Digging Tips
Year Round Color
Plant Questions?
With more than 30 years of gardening experience and ten years working as an Estate Gardener, Mary McLaughlin will be happy to assist in your personal quest for plant help and health.
Autumn Planting
In addition to Spring, Autumn is an ideal time to plant trees, shrubs, perennials, spring-blooming bulbs and lawns.
Here’s why:
- Mother Nature will help with most of the watering in the fall and winter months.
- Autumn’s warm soils help plants establish strong root systems before warm spring weather stimulates top growth.
- Spring-flowering bulbs and perennials planted in fall create many more weeks of spring and summer color.
Conifers and Containers:
A Tip from Farmington Gardens
We love using conifers – both in our landscapes and in container gardens. They provide the structure to a garden, and keep it looking full and interesting during the winter. A single conifer can also make a dramatic "thriller" as a focal point in a container, with a few "spillers" falling over the edge. Even something as simple and inexpensive as a dwarf Alberta spruce, when planted into a dramatic pot, can look stunning when coupled with a few spillers. And the great thing is, it will look great all winter long.
Season-spanning container recipe
from Ellen Egan, owner of Egan Gardens
"This arrangement alternates the foliage with the flowers, and the trailing with the bushy. I stuck some holly and snowberry branches in it to fill it out around Christmas. It was beautiful all fall, and when it came back with fresh leaves and flowers in March, it was prettier than ever."
Ellen Egan
Ellen’s Favorite Fall Basket Recipe: Blue and Yellow Mix
Use a 14- to 16-inch diameter hanging basket. I prefer to use pots from Western Pulp that are made of recycled paper and have a nice textured surface. Sharing the center space, plant an Acorus Ogon, a variegated sedge grass that keeps its foliage all winter, and a Sundaze Golden Beauty Strawflower, which blooms all fall, but eventually dies out in winter.
Around the sides, plant in this order:
- 1 Heuchera ‘Key Lime Pie,’ which keeps its bright lime green foliage all winter
- 1 bright blue pansy, which blooms all fall, lives through winter and reblooms in spring
- 1 Golden Creeping Jenny, which keeps its trailing lime foliage all winter
- 1 Euphorbia ‘Faded Blue Jeans,’ a bushy powder-blue foliage perennial
- 1 golden yellow pansy, for fall and spring blooms
- 1 Verbena ‘Superbena Dark Blue,’ a big trailer that’s nearly always perennial, for fall and spring flowers
Spring Season Bulb FAQs
from Netherlands Flower Bulb Information Center
1. Why can't I plant tulips in the Spring?
Spring-flowering bulbs such as tulips and daffodils must be planted in the fall to bloom in spring because they require a long period of cool temperatures to spark the biochemical process that causes them to flower. In fall, it's optimal to get them into the ground six weeks before hard freezes. They need time to develop strong roots.
2. It's February and I just found a bag of bulbs that I forgot to plant. Do I save them till next year?
No! You cannot save them until next year – you must either plant them now or throw them out. Here’s how to decide: Plant them now if they are still firm and plump; toss them if they are soft, mushy or dried out.
Bulbs are living plants, not seeds and must be planted the same season. Either somehow get them into the ground outside or if the varieties are suited to forcing, chill them indoors in a refrigerator or unheated spot (38° F to 50° F) for 10 weeks or more, or as long as you have till spring arrives! See www.bulb.com (Spring Bulbs) for easy instructions.
Bottomline: Bulbs are tough nuts, so to speak, and contain a full storehouse of food. They will try their best to bloom no matter how late it is in the season. This is a case of "nothing ventured, nothing gained." Chances are often good that you will get some results, even if you plant them late.
3. Spring weather can be erratic. What do I do when we get warm weather and the bulbs come up, but then we get a cold snap or winter returns?
This answer surprises many people: Do nothing! Tulips and other spring-flowering bulbs are tough. They can usually take what Mother Nature dishes out. When the weather turns, don't dash outside to cover early-sprouting bulbs with extra "weather protection." A short freeze won't do lasting damage to young bulb shoots and buds, though it may "burn" already open blossoms. Many, such as snowdrops, crocuses, and early rock garden narcissi are supposed to come up in very early spring, even peeking through the snow. Mother Nature has provided them with the means to survive. An unseasonably warm spell may cause some bulbs to bloom earlier than anticipated, but in most cases won't result in damage. When the weather cools again, the growth process also slows. It’s all a marvel of nature.
4. Should I fertilize bulbs in spring?
In the first season of bloom, flower bulbs don’t need fertilizer. A bulb is a natural food storehouse. For naturalized bulbs, you can fertilize in spring or in fall. In fall, use a controlled-release bulb food or top dress with compost or well-rotted cow manure. If you did not fertilize in fall, then fertilize with a nitrogen-rich quick release fertilizer in early spring, when the shoots of the bulbs first appear. Do not fertilize later in spring or after bloom.
5. My bulb plants came up but didn’t bloom. Does this mean I can’t grow bulbs here?
If bulb leaves appear healthy, but no flowers appear, one of several things probably happened: the bulbs were exposed to high heat or ripening fruit (which gives off ethylene gas) prior to planting, both of which damage the embryo flowers inside fully-formed bulbs; or the planting was dosed with a high nitrogen fertilizer (such as lawn fertilizer) which encourages the growth of leaves but not blooms. If your bulbs were ones that readily naturalize and spread over time, then all is not lost: These bulbs should bloom in future spring seasons. On the other hand, if your bulbs were types grown primarily as annuals in your area (eg. tulips), then their gig is up and they are unlikely to rally for another year’s bloom.
6. My bulbs just didn’t come up at all? What gives?
This kind of disappointment is generally caused by:
- animals eating the bulbs or young plants (see www.bulb.com - Spring Bulbs, Pest Prevention Tips),
- or by bulb rot caused by planting in wet soggy soil.
The Dutch have a saying: “Bulbs don’t like wet feet.” They will not thrive in soil where water collects or puddles (for example at the base of a hill or slope, under drain pipes, or where heavy clay is abundant). In the future, you’ll want to either plant bulbs elsewhere or amend the soggy area with compost, peat, sand or well-rotted manure to improve its drainage.
7. What should I do after tulips fade in spring? What about daffodils?
After tulip flowers have faded, dead-head them by clipping off the faded blooms so that they won't go to seed. Narcissi (daffodils) do not require dead-heading, just let them be. The main requirement for bulb flowers in the post-bloom period is to leave the foliage alone so the plant can put its energy into recharging its bulb for next spring's performance. This energy charge is gained through photosynthesis as the plant uses the sun's energy to turn basic elements such as oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium into food. This food is stored in the bulb's scales, the white fleshy part of the bulb, for use next spring.
It is necessary to leave the green foliage exposed to the sun until it yellows or six weeks have elapsed since blooming. Fight the urge to trim back or constrain the leaves during their die-back phase after blooming. Do not bunch, tie, braid or cut bulb plant leaves during this period. Dealing with the fading foliage is basically one of those things that lovers of spring bulbs must deal with. Camouflage will be the best strategy for die-back management.
Try interplanting bulbs with annuals or perennials so that the latter’s leaves mask declining bulb foliage as best as possible. Among perennials prized for this task are hostas, daylilies, heucheras, peonies, bleeding hearts and others that leaf out early. As a planting strategy, plant clumps of bulbs instead of full beds. This way you will have a lovely spring show, and plenty of room to plant camouflaging companions.
Can I tidy up bulb leaves after the flowers bloom? (short answer)
No, don’t mess with the leaves. The show may be over, but the stage crew is still hard at work! During the six or so weeks following bloom, bulb leaves are busy doing photosynthesis to recharge themselves with energy (stored food) for next year’s growth and bloom. That is why the foliage of all spring bulbs must be left in place to die back for a minimum of six weeks after bloom. Tulip leaves generally peter out quickly, turning yellow and withered, while daffodil and crocus leaves may last longer, while staying more vibrant and green. Either way, let them be. After this period, bulb leaves can be cut back, or even mowed as by now the mowing season will have arrived.
8. Why do tulips need deadheading but daffodils don’t?
Dead heading refers to the act of removing withered flower heads after bloom to discourage the flowers from going to seed. The act of setting seed can use up as much as 30 percent of the energy of tulips in spring. Bees love tulip flowers, thus seeds result, but they rarely visit daffodil blooms. That’s why it’s smart to deadhead tulips, encouraging subsequent bloom while providing a tidier look, but daffodils do not require this kind of care. In fact, unlike tulips, after bloom daffodils don’t really look all that unruly anyway!
9. My tulips don't do well at all the second season of bloom. I've been told that lifting the bulbs, storing them for the summer and replanting them in the fall will improve their performance. Is this true?
This old-fashioned method is difficult, yields mediocre results and is generally a lot of bother for little result. It is better to look for those tulips with a natural propensity for repeat performance. Botanical or species varieties and their hybridized strains are generally excellent garden performers and sometimes will even naturalize.
Among hybrids, try: the red 'Charles', the pink-red 'Christmas Marvel', and the red 'Couleur Cardinal'. Triumph tulips such as the pink 'Don Quichotte', and lily-flowered 'Aladdin' and 'Ballade' should be good for more than one season. Others offering potential for a second season of color include tall Darwin hybrids such as yellow 'Golden Parade', red 'Oxford', and orange-red 'Hollands Glorie'. When "perennializing" or naturalizing tulips, plant them about eight inches deep (20 cm) and choose a well-drained spot in the yard. For lists of top bulbs for perenializing and naturalizing, visit www.bulb.com. See In the Landscape.
10. What if I forgot to plant bulbs last fall? Spring just doesn’t feel right without blooming daffodils and tulips?
You’re in luck – times have changed! Potted tulips, daffodils and crocus are now widely available in spring for planting outdoors like bedding plants or using indoors as houseplants,” says Sally Ferguson, director of the Netherlands Flower Bulb Information Center (NFBIC) in Danby, Vermont. “Used to be, if you forgot to plant in fall, you were up a creek,” she adds. “Not any more. Instant gratification has come to the spring garden.”
Today, many garden retailers and supermarkets offer beautiful forced potted bulbs in spring. These can be used for instant springtime color, indoors or out. For best results and longest bloom when planting outdoors, choose pots with young green sprouts just beginning to show buds. These can be planted out in spring without suffering frost damage, as young bulb plants are designed by nature to handle tough early spring conditions. Once planted, sudden snows shouldn’t bother them.
The time to start planting potted bulbs outdoors as bedding plants is once winter starts to wane and spring is nigh. Take the plastic pot of bulbs, tap out the growing plants soil and all, and plant “as is” into a larger container outdoors or right into the garden. Safeguard containers from extreme wind and from cold exposure. You don’t want bulbs to freeze; containers don’t have the thermal insulation of a garden bed. Further tips are available at the NFBIC’s website, www.bulb.com (see Bulbs in Pot and Vase).
“Remember half the fun is watching the flowers grow, mature and get colorful,” says Ms. Ferguson. “One pot of bulblettes, for example, could grow up and bloom outdoors over a period of weeks, often a month, given springtime’s generally cool days and cooler nights.
Top candidates for planting out include: potted tulips, daffodils, tiny Iris reticulata, bright crocuses and hyacinths. All are readily available in spring. If weather in your area is still dipping close to freezing, acclimate the potted plants to outdoor weather in a protected but unheated spot for a day or two before planting. As with other spring-flowering bulbs (which are generally planted directly into the soil in the fall and over-winter there till the spring), they’ll just deal with weather as it comes!
Digging Tips
A day of digging can tire your feet and back if you don’t do it properly. If you are like most, no one ever showed you how to dig properly. Flip-flops and tennies will only bring you pain, so start with sturdy shoes. Follow these tips, and you’ll be able to dig more with less discomfort! Get a long-handled digging shovel with the right lift (Fig. 1) and keep it sharp for easier digging. If the top of the handle is chest height and tilts away to arm’s length, you have the right size shovel.
Put the blade in straight; step down onto it. Take smaller bites of soil to make the work easier.
- Pull the handle back to your chest; let the shovel do the scooping (Fig. 2), not your back.
- Slide one hand towards the blade and the other out towards the handle’s end.
- Drop your fanny and lift with your legs. Pull up with one hand and push down with the other to lift the load (Fig. 3).
- Never twist at the waist! Always drop the dirt just to one side or the other, or out in front.