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During the last week or so, I have had numerous questions on spring
flowering bulbs. Some of them are included here and we will include more
next week.
If you are going to order
Crocus tomasinianus, I suggest early
ordering. They sell out every year, and are a great value at only $4.85
for 10; $9.85 for 25, and $29.85 for 100.
Also, we now have
Clematis Paniculata (sweet autumn),
Clematis Silver Moon, and
Clematis Artic Queen back in stock.
Walk along Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn, New York. In summer the shade is
so heavy from a double row of sycamores and maples, the roots are so thick
and the foot traffic so intense that not even a blade of grass will grow.
On a sunny day in March, see the flowers bloom—everywhere; in the barren
earth, amongst tree roots, where chunks of sidewalks are missing, even in
the ancient potholes at the edge of the curb. A solid sheet of lilac
crocus blooms almost cheek to cheek. Oh, there are a few white ones and
some dark purple ones but most are silvery mauve with golden orange
stigmata and anthers. These are all escapees; on the other side of the big
iron fence is the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Many years ago someone planted
Crocus tomasinianus at the top of the hill where they proceeded to do as
Crocus tomasinianus does—self-sow. Tumbling down the hillside, through the
lawn, under the fence, across the sidewalk and out into the street, it has
spread a distance of perhaps 50 feet.
Here’s a crocus so vigorous it grows in sun or deciduous shade, damp or
dry. So prolific from seed and cormlets that it can outgrow the rampage of
squirrels, chipmunks, rabbits and voles. (The tactile root which pulls the
seedling corms down 2” into the hardiest of soil certainly helps.) It’s so
floriferous that it blooms from an immature bulb the size of a small pea.
And, it’s one of the earliest crocus to bloom.
Try it in deciduous woodlands amongst wild flowers, plant it in the lawn
or let it naturalize in the perennial garden—anywhere except amongst the
choicest of alpines, which might be crowded out by Crocus tomasinianus’s
vigor, or where the sun never shines. By mid-April, the very fine
diminutive foliage is totally gone. It’s particularly nice in the sunny
perennial garden because it can be interplanted with the larger flowering
Dutch crocus which blooms after Crocus tomasinianus has passed. Clumps of
daffodils can add a third bloom period, even before the first perennial
shows any color.
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Crocus tomasinianus
Complete Tall-Bearded Iris Garden Collection
Sea Shell Peony
20-40% OFF
Selected Roses
Narcissus - Accent
Bulb-tone ® - perfect for all types of bulbs
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Question
I really want some tulips in my garden. I would be satisfied with just a
few but every year I plant them and the rodents get them. Do you have any
suggestions?
Answer
I encourage you to bait in the fall for the rodents. Ramik is the best
bait that I have found.
An old gardeners’ trick with which I have had some success is to plant the
tulips in a bed of pea gravel--about 2 inches below the bulbs, enough to
totally surround the clump of bulbs by 2 inches and about 2 inches over
the top. Pea gravel is not expensive, but it does take almost a bag to do
a cluster of two dozen tulips. Be sure not to mulch the tulips until early
spring. Early fall planting is imperative for unmulched tulips. I suggest
you plant the tulips relatively close together (4 inches apart) and put
the flat side of each bulb towards the outside of the cluster. That way
the first leaf will come up and hang gracefully over the side of the
clump.
I have also had reasonable success planting small clusters of tulips in a
very large clay pot with the rim exposed an inch over the soil. The bottom
holes should be covered with a flat stone or a piece of brick. Do not use
plastic pots; the rodents will eat right through them. As the tulips
emerge, spray with Ropel.
Choose top size vigorous growing Darwin Hybrid tulips that have the
strength to work their way through the pea gravel.
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Question
Deer frequent my garden and the only bulbs I have been able to grow
successfully are daffodils. They bloom for such a short time. Is there
anyway to extend the bloom?
Answer
If you choose your daffodils carefully you should be able to have 6
weeks of color. The first to bloom is February Gold, which rarely blooms
in February in zones 6 & 7, but in most seasons it blooms by mid-March.
(Incidentally, a couple of years ago we had a very early spring and the
February Gold actually bloomed in February—a real harbinger of spring).
Ice Follies blooms following February Gold and is a really tough, reliable
grower with unbelievable vigor. At the late end of the season, consider
Narcissus Geranium, which has clusters of small double white fragrant
blooms and the
Poets Narcissus Actaea, which has fragrant pure white
flowers with tiny red rimmed cups. Actaea does best in a moist, lightly
shaded spot.
When planting for long season bloom, I recommend you plant in clumps by
variety, rather than an overall rainbow mixture. Especially in the late
season, I find the result is much more dramatic.
Have you tried some hyacinths? Unless the deer pressure is intense, deer
leave hyacinths alone. You can also
click here to learn about other deer-resistant
plants.
Question
Through the years I have planted lots of daffodils. Some have increased
into much larger clumps and others have dwindled and disappeared after a
few years. Why is this?
Answer
Three factors come immediately to mind as determining how well
daffodils establish and naturalize.
Most daffodils do well in full sun to moderate deciduous shade in a
lightly moist but well-drained soil. No daffodils do well under evergreen
trees or in the shade of a building. The leaves of deciduous trees are not
full size until most varieties of daffodils have finished blooming and
have had several weeks to ripen their foliage. To assure maximum
performance the following year, the foliage needs some sunshine for 6
weeks after the bloom has faded. After that, you can cut the foliage or
tie it in knots without significant reduction in next years bloom. But the
foliage must remain intact or unknotted for 6 weeks—the longer the better.
Some varieties are genetically much more vigorous.
Ice Follies is the most
vigorous of all and the variety to plant where the conditions are less
than ideal.
Different varieties of daffodils have different cultural requirements:
some like it moister than others, some like it shadier than others. If
some of your favorite varieties have failed, you may want to try again in
a different spot.
Question
I have tried Crown Imperial bulbs a few times, they never amount to
anything. I have seen beautiful clumps in a neighbor’s garden, so they
must grow around here. I have heard that deer don’t eat crown imperial and
that they actually keep the deer away from surrounding plants. Is this
true?
Answer
To answer your last question first, I have heard the same thing many
times, but I have had no personal experience so I really don’t know for
sure.
Crown Imperial requires a very well-drained spot in full sun or very light
shade. The bulbs rot very easily. They are best planted laying on their
side in a bed of coarse sand. When planted upright, water tends to gather
in the central hole where last years flower stems died away.
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Every Saturday morning from 7:00 am to 9:00
am (Eastern time) you can listen to the highly acclaimed Garden Club Radio Show online
through WCBM's website.
Click here for more information about the radio
show, including how to listen online.
If you live in or will be
traveling in the Maryland or Washington DC area, you can also listen to
the show by tuning your radio to 680 AM. Any local listeners that may be
traveling out of the area can still tune in to the show online, as
mentioned above. We invite you to call in with your questions at 410-922-6680
or
1-800-922-6680.
Happy Gardening,
Alan Summers
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