Guest Author - Kimberly Cassandra Cannon
This article’s content is for the gardener who lives in colder climates. The ones that receive snow, sleet, occasional ice and what we refer to as four seasons. Those who live in warmer climates, we’ll get to you in about a month.
Grab your journal and note some things to consider as autumn so swiftly approaches in your region.
Time to shop:
Get to your local nursery sometime between August and October and look for healthy-looking specimens of spring bulbs. Mail-order nurseries are another option for selective and unique types.
Keep in mind, tallest in the back and shortest in the front, is not a rule in stone. Your garden is your paradise. Break out of the norm and exhibit what is pleasing to your eyes.
Color in the garden:
The selection process is the fun part because of all the colors, types and sizes of bulbs to choose from and the many ways to display them. With color, your garden can contain spectacular display by planting large amounts of one type bulb and/or color. Nothing is more breathtaking than to see a pictorial of over 100 tulips bulbs in one color. What a sea of vivid and remarkable color.
Use color in many different formats: hot (warm), pastels and even contrasting colors. A colorful garden need not be every color on the rainbow. Instead, opt for utilizing it in an interesting way. For example, try a monochromatic way (choosing one hue and using its various shades, tints and tones).
Beds and borders:
One way to form a design is with a garden hose to give curves and varied angles. Borders with curves are for the informal gardener, while straight lined borders are more constrictive and fits quite perfectly for the formal landscape. Once a preferred shape is decided, apply either spray paint or flour along garden hose to outline specified shape. Use a flat-head shovel to edge out bed/border for a clean look and to help deter grass blades from spreading into garden bed.
My space:
Allocate a space in the yard where there is plenty of direct sunlight. This is very necessary for bulb productivity. Most bulbs grow well in a neutral to slightly acidic soil and since they are most prone to fungus and mildew problems (especially tulips), be sure to side dress the soil with compost and peat moss for continuing nutrient intake and good drainage throughout cooler months ahead.
An established bulb bed or border can be side-dressed (meaning giving an extra boost of fertilizer) with an application of bone meal and cultivated into soil for a spring wake up and nourishing meal.
All about time and depth:
Be sure after prepping the soil through amending and application of slow release fertilizer, to integrate everything together and let sit for a period of a week. This will allow the soil to marinate and will allow if any, leftover weed seeds to show themselves for a last minute weed removal before planting. Note: never plant directly into a soil amendment or garden soil.
Fall is the best time of year to give your garden a face-lift with methods of side-dress, top-dress (the process of adding a fine layer of quality soil over garden bed or lawn) and planting new things into your garden beds. It is also the best season to plant spring bulbs simply because they require a cool dormant period of at least 8-12 weeks before the production begins. Bulbs need good root development before the ground freezes. Planting depth and time are both equally important when planning your spring bulb garden.
Here is a basic timeline for planting spring bulbs: daffodils, narcissus (early September - late October) and all other bulbs especially tulips, (early September up to the early part of December). All bulbs can be planted as long as ground is not frozen.
As far as planting depth, larger bulbs should be planted at least 4-6 inches in depth as in spacing; smaller bulbs 3-4 inches in depth as in spaces. Planting depth is important to protect from the elements of heat exposure, too much moisture and the high end of your worries, squirrels. Gotta’ love ‘em.
Be sure to plant your favorite bulbs in containers also and place it by the door for a wonderful seasonal display. Add in a few twigs of dogwood and forsythia with a layer of cypress to give seasonal display while waiting on the stars of the show, spring bulbs. When planting the bulbs, be sure to plant with pointy tip towards the sky. If no point, lay sideways for proper growth. Just be sure to give them adequate room to grow and flourish.
The thrill is gone:
Once the display has come on stage and given a show to remember, then comes the finale. All good things must end and it is important to note there is always prep in establishing a garden, maintaining one and shutting down a season for prep work of another upcoming one. It is important to allow the foliage of spring bulbs to yellow before doing anything to it. Stop watering and fertilizing once blooming period ends and since foliage continues to process food for the next growing season, allow it to die back naturally and completely enter into bulb dormancy before cutting foliage back to one inch.
If you have to dig up bulbs and store them, be sure to clean (wash and dry) them first and store somewhere it is cool and dry with temperatures not exceeding 60-65 degrees or dropping below.
