Fall Gardening: Time to Plant Those Spring Blooming Bulbs! -Planting Guide

Spring Blooming Bulbs

Fall has arrived and it is time to plant your spring-blooming bulbs! Bulbs require a chilling period so plant your bulbs anytime in fall before the soil freezes but early enough so the root systems can grow before extremely cold weather sets in. Generally, in the coldest areas (Zones 1-4) bulbs should be planted in late August into September and in moderate climates (Zones 4 -7) planting can occur anytime after the temperatures start to dip in September through late November. Various bulbs prefer to be planted a little higher or lower (as shown below) for best development. Generally, bulbs should be planted so the bottom rests at a depth that is two-and-a-half times the bulb's diameter. In a well-drained or sandy soil, plant an inch or two deeper to discourage damage from rodents and increase the longevity of your plants.

Credit: Fall Planting Guide

Purple Crocus

Yellow Crocus

For maximum visual impact, plant bulbs in mass using a garden spade instead of a bulb planter (which encourages single planting) and combine many bulbs together in holes approximately the size of a dinner plate. It is recommended to loosen the top eight inches of soil and mix in a two-inch layer of compost with the loosened soil or use a prepared bulb food while planting to supply nutrients to the bulbs. If using a bulb food be sure to mix the granules into the surrounding soil around the bulb. Avoid placing food directly under the roots to prevent burning. For spring-blooming bulbs prepare the soil in fall, six weeks before the first frost or for summer varieties prepare in spring after the last frost. Apply a layer of mulch to protect your bulbs and water thoroughly after planting to encourage root development.

Purple Dutch Hyacinth (Purple Hyacinthus Peter Stuyvesant)

White Dutch Hyacinth (White hyacinth 'Aiolos')

Muscari armeniacum (Grape Hyacinth)

Different types of bulbs can be layered from bottom to top in the same planting hole to  form a succession of blooms in a given location. For example, you can combine the larger Dutch Hyacinths and smaller Grape Hyacinths in the same hole. Place the larger bulbs first with the smaller bulbs scattered an inch or so above.  The two will bloom at the same time but the smaller plants will fill in between the larger ones. The same can be done with daffodils and other plantings.

Daffodils

Miniature Daffodils

Yellow Tulips

Magenta Tulips

Bulbs can also be planted as companion plants that will complement one another in spring. Try a combination of tulips with an under story of Grape Hyacinths or Allium with a bulb or perennial of choice at the base.  Companion planting will provide a layering effect and provide your garden with additional interest. Consider the growing height of each bulb while planning. Generally, taller growing bulbs should be placed in the rear of the planting bed while shorter growing bulbs (or perennials) are in the front. A favorite combination of mine is a grouping of Allium with an under story of perennial Stella D Oro Daylily. The green foliage from the daylilies masks the dying foliage of the Allium in late spring/early summer while the voluminous blooms of the Allium look from overhead, followed by blooms underneath...an array of interest!

Tulip Collection Brooklyn Botanical Garden

Allium Globemaster and Stella D Oro Daylily Combination

Allium Globemaster

Allium Mont Blanc

Different varieties of Allium can be combined for interest as well...

Mixed Bulbs (Tulips, Hyacinths and Daffodils)

or perhaps a mix of several varieties of bulbs may be the look you are seeking. Here is a combination of tulips, hyacinths and daffodils all planted together in mass for maximum impact.

Spring Flowering Bulbs

  Bulbs can add so much interest to the early spring and summer garden and the possibilities are endless. For some early color in your spring landscape try adding some bulbs to your garden this fall. It's not too late...the time to plant is now!

As Always...Happy Gardening!

Linking to Today's Flowers

  Author: Lee@A Guide To Northeastern Gardening, © Copyright 2015. All rights reserved.

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day & Foliage Follow Up October 2015: Colors of The Fall Garden

October Garden

Welcome to my October Long Island garden.  As autumn is underway all the changing colors of the garden become more and more vibrant by the day.  Blooms from summer hold out as long as they can as hues of orange and yellow appear in the landscape. The combination of the two seasons, summer going out and fall coming in, are spectacular.  Daylilly, Sedum, Butterfly Bush and Knock Out Roses scramble to show their last burst of vibrant blooms while plumes of maiden grasses appear.The fall garden is like a canvas that has been infused with an array of color, developing into a fabulous piece of artwork…nature’s artwork. Come along on the tour.

Fall Mums

 Albert Camus once quoted “Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower” One of my favorite things to do since I have become so interested in photography is to look at the garden in a different light...literally! I like to imagine the fall garden as a piece of artwork with all its amazing hues and colors just melding into one another.

Perennial Geranium Rozanne 

Somehow all the colors of the garden seem to come to life again in the autumn. We need a close up of these Rozanne Geranium. They have such detail and a delicate structure to them in the afternoon light.

Dwarf Butterfly Bush October

The purple blooms of the Dwarf Butterfly Bush are also picturesque...

Sedum in Fall

as are the rounded tops of Sedum in the October garden.

Knock Out Roses October

Speaking of colors seeming more vibrant in fall, one of the best things I ever did was to incorporate these fabulous Knock Out Roses into the garden border.  I cannot even put into words how much enjoyment they have provided over the years and this is how they look in fall with their lovely pinkish-red blooms!

Stella D Oro Daylily in October 

Old reliable 'Stella D Oro's is still pushing out blooms after a late summer rejuvenation in early August, adding color to the fall garden. These are a real stable in the landscape.

October Blooms:  Variegated Liriope 

With autumn comes the blooms of liriope, which make a statement in the garden border. Liriope looks good in the garden all season long but really puts on a show now in October.

Balloon Flower (Platycodon grandiflorus 'komachi')

Here is  Balloon Flower, scientific name of Platycodon grandiflorus 'komachi'.  I have gotten so many requests as to the exact species of this perennial since it is the only variety of Platycodon that does not open up.  It remains as a true closed "balloon" throughout its entire bloom time and I cannot remember where I ever found it and have never seen another. 

Viburnum Summer Snowflake Blooming in October

Here is a close up of the delicate flower of the Summer Snowflake Viburnum in a muted light.

Perennial Border Fall View

Fall has officially arrived in the perennial border with wispy fountain grass plumes and lots of seed heads for the birds to enjoy.

Echinacea Seed Heads

Ah...autumn does have its attributes with changes everywhere...

Weeping White Pine Pine Cone October

so let's take it all in...

Fall Mums

and appreciate what is in view.

Evergreen and Perennial Bed Fall

As we all know...the beauty of having a garden is to enjoy it through all its transitions. 

As the tour comes to an end autumn becomes more and more present as a few of the highlights of the season are upon us.

Dwarf Fountain Grass Hameln Fall Plumes

Brush-like plumes of fountain grasses dance in the wind...

Yaku Jima Maiden Grass Plumes Fall

and Dwarf Maiden Grass Yaku Jima flaunts its stalks of feathery plumes.

First signs of Fall

As the first brightly colored leaf falls and rests on top of the Weeping Norway Spruce and fall mums open, the season of autumn has arrived, and is seen in a different light.

Fall Blooms are like Artwork

  A garden is not a picture confined to a frame left hanging on a wall, it is something that changes with the movement of light and passing of time. ~ Beth Chatto

October Garden Views

Thank you to our hostesses Carol at May Dreams Gardens, who makes it is possible to see blooms on the 15th of every month with her meme Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day and Pam at Digging for hosting Foliage Follow-Up.  I am also linking with some other wonderful hosts and hostesses at Tuesday Garden Party, Today's Flowers, Floral Fridays, Mosaic Monday at Lavender Cottage, I Heart Macro, Macro Monday 2, and Nature Notes at Rambling Woods.  Also check out What's Blooming This Week Garden Update.

I hope you enjoyed your walk through my October garden.

As Always...Happy Gardening!

Author: Lee@A Guide to Northeastern Gardening, © Copyright 2015. All rights reserved

Desert Botanical Garden - Phoenix, Arizona

Desert Botanical Garden

On a recent trip I had the opportunity of visiting the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, Arizona.  The Desert Botanical Garden is a 140 acre botanical garden located in Phoenix, Arizona that was founded by the Arizona Cactus and Native Flora Society in 1937 and established at this site in 1939.  It is the home to more than 21,000 plants, including 139 species of desert plants which are considered rare, threatened or endangered.

Chihuly Glass Art Exhibit Entrance to Gardens

At the entrance to the Botanical Garden is world renowned artist's Dale Chihuly Nature of Glass Exhibit which was originally displayed in 2008. The gardens bought the glass art after the exhibit as a permanent display.

Agave Parrasana (Cabbage Head Agave)

 Fishhook Barrel Cactus (Ferocactus wislizeni)

 The Fishhook Barrel Cactus is a member of the genus Ferocactus, meaning "fierce or wild". These are among the largest barrel cacti of the North American desert and are always cylindrical or barrel shaped.  Prominent ribs armed with heavy spines with one or more central spines curved like a fishhook give the plant its name. The vibrant yellow flowers that appear at the top of the plant develop into fleshy, juicy fruits when mature, but are not usually considered edible. I was thrilled to be able to get a photograph of these in bloom.

 Red Torch Echinopsis huascha

Ferocactus latispinus (DevilsTongue)

Devils Tongue, another member of the genus Ferocactus, grows to approximately 16 inches in height and displays beautiful purple blooms in late autumn to early winter. Its interesting elongated red spines lend towards its name. It is also known as Crow's Claw or Candy cactus.

Aloe Bloom

 Creosote Bush Larrea tridentata

Cresote Bush is a flowering plant of the Sonoran Desert which is extremely drought tolerant once established.  The resinous, waxy coating of the smaller sized leaves are adapted to reduce water loss. 

Agave americana (American Aloe)

Steele Herb Garden

Located along the Desert Living Trail, the Steele Herb Garden highlights a variety of desert-adapted herbs.

Barrell Cacti Sundial

Barbara B. Weisz & Family Plaza

The Barbara B. Weisz & Family Plaza is the home to many Mediterranean herbs.

Herb Garden

 Carnegiea gigantica (Saguaro Cactus)

The giant Saguaro Cactus is one of the defining plants of the Sonoran Desert. These majestic cacti are very slow growing, only reaching a height of one and a half inches tall in ten years, but can grow to an eventual towering height of 40-60 feet.  When fully hydrated Saguaro can weigh between 3200 and 4800 pounds and a healthy cactus can have a lifespan up to 150-200 years! 

 Echinocactus grusonii (Golden Barrel Cactus) Endangered

 Cylindropuntia bigelovii (Teddy Bear Cactus)

Assorted Cacti

Prickly Pear Cactus Fruit

Butterfly Exhibit

Monarch Butterfly

The Mariposa Monarca Monarch Butterfly Exhibit was running during our visit, featuring the life cycle and conservation efforts to save the Monarch Butterfly. The newly planted Monarch Way Station, which was specifically designed to attract butterflies during their migratory journey, is now part of the gardens.

Cholla Cactus

Aloe dichotoma Quiver Tree

Greetings from the Sonoran Desert

Stenocereus thurberi Organ Pipe Cactus

The organ pipe cactus gets its name from the many slender vertical stems that resemble the pipes on an old-fashioned organ.  Stenocereus thrurberi stands at 20-25 feet in height and the stems are only about six inches in diameter. The flower buds that grow from the tips of the stems open at night and are pollinated by nectar feeding bats. The fertilized flowers form into large, spiny red fruit that mature by the end of summer.

 Carnegiea gigantica (Saguaro Cactus)

More of the majestic Saguaro..cannot get enough!

Sonoran Desert Wildlife (Cactus Wren) Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus

The Cactus Wren is the state bird of Arizona and is found in Arizona, southern Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, western Texas, southern California and north-central Mexico.  The cactus wren is the largest North American wren, at 18–23 cm (7.1–9.1 in) long. It feeds off of small insects, fruits and seeds and nests in cacti.

Sonoran Desert Trail

The trail shows a view of the red rock cliffs and cacti of the Sonoran Desert. 

Sonoran Desert Trail

Desert Botanical Garden Phoenix, Arizona

For more information you an visit Desert Botanical Garden.

I hope you enjoyed the visit.

As Always...Happy Gardening!

Sharing at Tuesday Garden Party

  Author: Lee@A Guide To Northeastern Gardening, © Copyright 2015. All rights reserved.