Late Season Bulb Digger (Part 2)

Once you have selected, purchased or ordered your bulbs, you will want to get them planted before the ground freezes.

Selecting the location

Before selecting the location to plant bulbs in the landscape, consider the light requirements of the plant. Does it require full sun, part shade, etc.? Once that is determined you can decide to plant in a bed, around rocks, under trees based on what will make the bulb thrive.

Now for the fun part, planning your palate...I love the juxtaposition of pink, yellow, lavender and blue and I plant in clusters of each color paired with yellow (yellow/pink, yellow/purple, yellow/blue), mixing the bulbs in various heights to create clusters. This year I added something calle the queen of the night (cue Whitney Houston!) that is a deep deep purple. I am excited to see what the results will be.

Preparing Soil

Properly preparing the soil for bulb planting is important. Good soil drainage is essential in raising bulbs. If you have soil with a high clay content (like we all do in Columbus), it can be improved with the addition of compost and peat moss. The material should be worked into the top 12-18 inches of soil.

Next up, planting and caring for your bulbs!

Happy Gardening!

Late Season Bulb Digger! (Part 1)

I admit it...I am...but I am not ashamed! The stores, garden centers and many garden "experts" would have you beleive that you practically have to run from your labor day celebrations to the garden center to get your bulbs and get them in the ground!

I, however, take a more laxidasical approach...I wait...I wait with a knowing grin

I never buy bulbs from garden centers until at least November 1st. Why? for a couple of reasons. One, my garden plants are still up and going until then, it makes it difficult to determine where I want to plant a cluster...Two, I am CHEAP!!! Bulbs purchased in late October or early November are at least 50% and up to 85% off (this year I waited until the 15th of November and bought about 250 additional bulbs for 90% off). Now that is for commodity bulbs like tulips, narcissus, etc. For specialty bulbs, I go online where the savings can be equally great!

Bulbs provide a good investment for the money spent. They can supply years of color to your yard (particularly in early spring when it needs it the most). Most bulbs can be planted up until the ground is frozen, so hold off and wait to buy your bulbs!

Happy Gardening!

Building the Fourth Wall (Part 3)

With time running out before the fruit trees arrived from the Arbor Day Foundation; it was time to install the trellises. Unfortunately the design of the system became a problem again. The brackets used to attach the trellise to the base were simply not rubust enought to hold the seven foot tall trellis secure and the system flopped again.

Once again, ingenuity and creativity came to our rescue. We purchased 72" metal 1/2 inch diameter pipes (in black) from our local home improvement store. We pounded the pipes into the ground (about 3 feet down) aligned with the center spoke of the trellis and affixed them to the trellis using industrial strapping.

As you can see, the result is a beautiful trellis system that will eventually be the framework for a stunning display of two dwarf fruit trees trained to follow the structure in a two dimensional sculpture. Once planted, the trees will grow through pruning and training on the trellis. While I wait for the trees to grow and produce fruit, I will us teh trellis system to support a crop of sweet peas this spring. Multiple uses and efficient space management! That is what having a potager is all about!

Happy Gardening