Bulbs are a wonderful addition to any yard or garden. Once planted, bulbs take little care and are a surprise when they pop up and take on life and color. For those who live in the colder northern areas the first Crocus that pops through the snow is a welcome sign of spring.
photo credit: sabianmaggy

Fall is a perfect time to buy or order bulbs and many are on sale. By surfing the web or picking up a few gardening magazines you can get an idea of what bulbs will do well in you area and purchase them now before the selection has been picked over.

If necessary, you may want to chill the bulbs such as tulips and hyacinths (which need a certain amount of cold weather to bloom properly) by storing them in the refrigerator for six to eight weeks before planting. In my area this is not necessary but in the southern USA you may need to take this step.

Choose the area for your bulbs and work the ground. I like to improve the soil by adding organic matter. Leaves, compost and mulch are my choices. Soil preparation is not always necessary as long as drainage is good and the soil has not been overused for gardening.

How to plant bulbs outdoors

With a shovel or trowel, dig holes the appropriate depth for your bulb type. The package the bulbs were packed in or catalogs on bulbs will help you determine the proper planting depth.

A rule of thumb is to plant the bulb a depth of two to three times the width of the bulb.

Add bulb fertilizer to the bottom of the hole when planting and roughly mix it into the soil. If you don’t buy premixed bulb fertilizer you can use compost.

Place the bulb in the hole and make sure you have the right side up (usually point up, roots down). The bottom of the bulb should rest firmly on the bottom of the hole.
photo credit: sabianmaggy

There are a few bulbs that it is hard to determine the top from the bottom. When this happens, I plant them on their sides. They will still grow.

Refill the planting hole and tamp the soil lightly. Water the bulbs thoroughly.

I watch to make sure I don’t have small animals dig up the bulbs. Tip: If you have squirrels, plant your bulbs in a bucket that has no bottom or in a wire cage. The plants can grow out of the wire but the squirrels will have a difficult time eating the bulbs.

Many bulbs do well under deciduous trees in the spring. They will bloom before the tree leaves out and creates too much shade and the tree will help you find the bulbs before they grow.

Bulbs can  grow easily in pots and containers. By growing bubs in container you can move them indoors or outdoors, add color early in  the spring and protect bulbs if you have squirrel or deer damage problems.

There are also many exotic bulbs and tropical bulbs that will add color and fragrance to your home in the winter months.

For more information on bulbs check out the spring bulb article on Best Flower Gardening.

Technorati Tags: bulbs, flower bulbs, flowers, gardening, planting bulbs

Spring weather has finally arrived in NW PA. I have a few vegetables and flowers started in the greenhouse and cold frames but its not really planting season. And this is the time of year I set aside to evaluate the land and choose my large landscape design projects for the summer. And this year my design projects are going to be a challenge.
photo credit: king nikochan

But while wandering the land I found a few water plants I could move to various parts of the yard and decided since I was already a muddy mess I might as well go on a Free Plant foraging expedition.

I have made note last fall of a few abandoned houses that had bulbs and a few perennials that were in need of being divided. I also know of a place nearby the Conewango Creek that has beautiful water iris and blue flag iris.

So I loaded up a shovel, spade and trowel and took an extra pair of high water boots and set out on a foraging adventure. My first stop netted me snowdrops, tulips, daffodils and Chinese Lanterns. My next stop at an old abandoned house (I asked the owners last year if I could dig up flowers in the spring) added forget me nots, violets, bergamot, iris, creeping myrtle, chinese lanterns and a few hostas.
photo credit: dysviz

My vehicle had close to 100 plants in it so I thought I would have room for one more stop. I saved the best for last. Water and mud!

Down by the Conewango creek, one the one island is the most beautiful iris plants, water iris and blue flag. Being on the island edge and in a muddy area it was time for the water boots, pails and plastic bins. I dug out about 30 plants and figured that would be enough for one days adventure.

When I returned home I put most of the plants in my nursery area I have set up for plants that need a home before being planted. But the water plants were placed in my bog garden off to the side in a trench until I could get them planted.

Most of these plants will be planted in the backyard, which is being re-designed this year, but few will be traded with friends for other plants I want. These trades help supply me with new varieties of flowers or vegetables seeds for the garden areas.

Foraging and trading for plants will fill your backyard with wonderful plant varieties, save you money and add adventure to your day. I always have a unique experience when I am out and usually make a friend or two.

Technorati Tags: Backyard Flower Garden, flowers, foraged and free plants, free plants, landscaping

Deadheading flowers is an important part of having a flowering garden. Deadheading is removing the old flower blossoms from a plant. This keeps your garden looking tidy and fresh plus plants bloom better if the old flower heads have been removed. When the blossom remains on the plant seeds begin to develop and the plant uses extra energy to develop those seeds thus taking the energy away from future blossoms.
photo credit: Uberto

Annual plants benefit the most from deadheading; they will often produce nearly double the flowers that they would have produced without removing the old flowers.

Perennials also can benefit but not at the same success rate. Some perennials have a longer blooming seasons and if deadheaded will have a second set of blooms.

How to deadhead flowers

• Deadhead roses if they only a few flowers on a cluster and the flower have faded. Deadhead by pinching or trimming the rose blossom off. If the whole cluster is fading, cut it off at the first leaflet with five leaves.
• To deadhead Perennials with tall stalks cut the stalk as near to the base as possible. In some cases the stalk will dry up enough that you can gently tug it off.
• For Perennials and Annuals with one partly faded flower clusters pinch or cut the faded flower off. If the entire cluster is faded, remove the whole stem.
• If you have bushy Perennials and Annuals with many small flowers give the plant a haircut by shearing back to about one-third and removing all of the blooms. You would do this when 2/3’s to ¾’s of the plants has faded blossoms. A good example of such a plant is the Mum.
• Deadheading can make a plant look unattractive at first but the plants will fill out again in a week or two. I myself try to dead head a little every time I go by a plant so it good fresh all the time and doesn’t get the bare look.

One tip that will help your plant to look better is to deadheading individual flowers by reaching into the plant as much as possible. This will minimize unattractive stubs.

When I first raised flowers I didn’t deadhead the plants but it makes a big difference in the appearance of the plants and the flowers that is has. Flowers add such color and life to a yard so keeping them healthy and free from faded flowers just adds to the beauty of your yard.

Technorati Tags: Backyard Flower Garden, flowers, gardening tips, plant care