Getting Old Daffodils to Bloom Again: “Separation Did the Trick!”

        In many parts of the country, daffodils bloom every spring in ditches, cow pastures, vacant lots, and other neglected areas where long-forgotten homes once stood. Dig a clump and you’ll often find a crowded mass of small, under-nourished bulbs with only a few that have managed to size up enough to bloom. In your own garden, the same thing can happen to long-established clumps, and the remedies in both cases are the same: fertilize, provide more sunlight, and when all else fails, dig and divide – as our friend Les Turner discovered:
        “I found clumps of daffodil foliage in the thick woods near one of the rivers in eastern North Carolina that was home to early settlers in the 1600s. Maybe one or two flowers in each clump. With your help we determined they were ‘Van Sion’ and ‘Twin Sisters’. My wife and I moved the bulbs out of the woods and replanted the clumps on our property near the river with more sunlight. For the next two years, we got about the same results as in the forest, one or two flowers per clump. So we decided to separate the bulbs to get more flowers. We planted one bulb every six inches and this year we had hundreds of flowers and they look very healthy and beautiful. Separation did the trick!” (April 2012)

Made in Michigan: Save 15% on Cool Ergonomic Garden Tools

        Although it’s hard to prove a direct correlation, our home state’s battered economy has continued to improve ever since we started introducing you to some of our favorite Michigan-made products. To thank you – and to encourage even more “micro-investment” in Michigan’s rebirth – we’ve teamed up with our neighbors at Radius Garden Tools to offer you a special 15% discount.
        Radius’s promise to make gardening easier on my body wasn’t what first drew me to their tools. I just thought they looked cool, cool enough to belong in the Museum of Modern Art. Their hand tools came first, with dramatically arched handles that reduce wrist strain while making them look like they were meant for gardening on the moon. They now offer equally distinctive shovels, rakes, pruners, and other tools, all scientifically designed to help you “Garden more; hurt less.” They’ve expanded their color choices, too, from spring-green to a jewel-box palette of pink, purple, yellow, orange, and turquoise.
        One of my favorite tools is the Radius Transplanter, a narrow trowel of brushed aluminum that’s light but strong – and did I mention cool? It’s also a great deal at $9.99, and an even better deal with your 15% “Friends of Old House Gardens” discount. To claim this special discount, simply enter OHG as the “coupon code” on the Payment Information page of the Radius order form. For Mother’s Day or your own garden toolbox, we hope you’ll give our friends at Radius a try! (April 2012)

Weird Winter? How Will It Affect Your Bulbs?

        Warmer, colder, wetter, drier – weird weather seems to have been the norm this winter. Of course heirloom plants have been taking weird weather in stride for decades if not centuries, but here’s how it may affect your plants this spring.
        WARMER? Mild winters allow the eggs of iris borers and spores of fungal diseases to over-winter more successfully, so it’s especially important to remove all of last year’s peony foliage and clean up around your iris before temperatures warm any further. If you mulched your peonies with straw or leaves last fall, loosen the mulch now and make sure it’s not starting to mold.
        NO SNOW? Like a down comforter, snow traps air which makes it a great insulator. If your winter was short on snow, your bulbs and newly planted perennials such as peonies may have gotten a lot colder than usual, which could result in dead or weakened plants this spring.
        Snow also protects the soil from the freeze-thaw cycle that occurs when sunny days are followed by much colder nights. Freezing and thawing can break bulb roots and heave newly planted perennials out of the ground. Check now and re-set any plant that’s been heaved, putting a brick or rock on either side to anchor it. In colder zones you might even want to add a light straw mulch now to protect your plants through the last weeks of winter when the freeze-thaw cycle is often at its worst.
        When snow melts, it recharges soil moisture which is especially important to the mad rush of spring growth. If snowfall was skimpy in your area, water your bulbs and perennials as soon as they emerge this spring instead of waiting till later on.
        MORE RAIN? If your winter – or fall – was wetter than usual, that may lead to better bloom on your daffodils this spring, but it could be hard on other bulbs. The freeze-thaw cycle is most damaging in water-logged soils, and some bulbs such as crocosmia always do best in very well-drained winter soils. Soggy soils are never good for iris or peonies, so if water puddles around yours this spring, drain it away to avoid rot.
        DROUGHT? Bulbs are built to conserve moisture during dry periods and often bounce back after a drought better than most plants, although it may take a while for them to recover completely. Some bulbs like tulips and hyacinths actually bloom better after a dry summer, but even they will suffer without good moisture through fall and winter.
        No matter how weird your winter was, paying attention to how your plants respond will make you a better gardener. And try not to worry. Most of the time, most plants will be just fine – and on the bright side, dead plants give you more room for new ones! (March 2012)

Check Out Your Brand New Hardiness Zone

        Big news! The new hardiness zones map that the USDA has been working on for over a decade has finally been released. It’s based on newer and much more extensive data as well as sophisticated mapping algorithms. Although the USDA claims that the new zones aren’t much different than the old ones, we think you’ll find that they’re similar to the zones on the Arbor Day map which we’ve been using for years. In other words, a lot of people are going to find that their gardens are a half-zone warmer than they used to be – and that means they can grow a lot of plants they never thought they could.
        To check out your new zone, simply enter your zip code (and the site’s case-sensitive security code) at http://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/. Then for a list of all the exciting bulbs you can grow in your new zone, use our easy, awesome Heirloom Bulb Search. (Feb. 2012)

Winter Tips from the OHG Archives

        If you’re storing tender bulbs this winter, put a sticky note on your calendar reminding you to check on them every month or so. If you find moisture condensing on the inside of the plastic bags or boxes your dahlias are stored in, open them slightly to allow the excess moisture to evaporate or you may lose them to rot. Conversely, if your dahlias are shriveling, sprinkle a little water on them and move them to a bag or box that’s more moisture-retentive.
        Here are some other handy winter tips from our Newsletter Archives:
        “Tips for Storing Tender Bulbs (But Only If You Want To!)”
        “Storing Glads in Egg Cartons”
        “How Are Your Forced Bulbs Coming Along?”
        “Extra-Easy Refrigerator Forcing”
        “Bone Shavings & Hartshorn: Victorian Tips on Forcing”
        “Don’t Pack Up Those Xmas Lights: Extreme Gardening in Minnesota.” (Dec. 2011)

Now’s the Time: Fall Clean-Up Beats Iris Borers

        Now is the best time to conquer iris borers – and it’s easy. Cleanliness is the key. In the fall, iris borer moths lay their eggs on iris leaves and anything similar that’s close by. In the spring, the eggs hatch into tiny grubs that crawl up the leaves and then chew their way down into the rhizomes where they wreak havoc. By eliminating the eggs in the fall, you’ll save yourself a lot of grief. Simply wait till after a good hard frost (which kills the adult moths) and then (a) cut back all iris leaves to a couple of inches and (b) remove all dead leaves and stalks as well as any debris and mulch that’s near the plants. To be safe, don’t compost this stuff; burn it or throw it out with the garbage. Repeat this simple, poison-free clean-up every fall and you’ll have very little problem with borers. Now isn’t that easy? Learn more at www.ksre.ksu.edu/news/story/fall_cleanup110410.aspx . (Nov. 2011)

‘Ehemanii’ in Winter: Don’t Store It Dry, Keep It Growing Inside

        Unlike most cannas, our spectacular ‘Ehemanii’ often fails when stored as dormant rhizomes. But no problem! When frost threatens, dig the entire clump and split it into smaller divisions to pot up and bring inside. Make sure each division has at least one stalk that’s just starting to grow. Shorten the other stalks somewhat to help make the plant more manageable and compensate for the loss of feeder roots. Put each plant in your warmest, sunniest window, and keep the soil moist but never soggy. Bottom heat is VERY helpful, especially when it’s first recovering from being transplanted. A seed-starting heat-mat is perfect for this, but you can also put a 100-light string of Christmas mini-lights in a shallow plastic storage box with the pot on top, or improvise. Our ‘Ehemanii’, for example, makes it through the winter on a broad shelf a few inches above a window radiator. Your goal is simply to keep it alive until you can plant it outside again, so don’t expect a magnificent house-plant. If you’re lucky, though, you may be surprised by some beautiful blooms when summer is still far, far away. (Oct. 2011)

Free Bulbs: Now’s the Time to Store Your Dahlias, Glads, Etc.

        It’s easy! You can save money and have more bulbs for next year by digging and storing your dahlias, glads, tuberoses, and crocosmia this fall. Wait until frost “blackens” their foliage, then follow our bulb-by-bulb how-to in the Planting and Care section of our website. Since temperatures and humidity vary from region to region and even house to house, you may have to experiment to find what works best for you – but you can do it! (Oct. 2011)

No Digging Required – Just “Top Plant” Your Tulips

        Although planting bulbs is great exercise, if you’re looking for an easier way to do it, Cornell’s Flower Bulb Research Program has a new idea: “top planting” your tulips. As horticulture professor Bill Miller explains, “In our trials in Ithaca, N.Y. – a very cold-winter climate – we found very good results from shallow roto-tilling of a planting area, placing the bulbs on the soil, then covering with 2 to 4 inches of good mulch.” Not only did every tulip bloom the first spring, the bulbs produced even more flowers the next two years. The researchers used “double-ground bark mulch” but Miller says “any good garden mulch should work equally well.” Another important factor in the tulips’ success was that the planting areas were left bare and received NO watering through the summer. Although most gardeners will have a tough time replicating those conditions at home – to say nothing of the challenges of roto-tilling among established plantings – we’re intrigued enough that we’re going to try adapting the technique in our own garden. If you’re inspired to try it, too, please keep us posted. Who knows, top-planting may be the wave of the future! Learn more here. (Oct. 2011)

Albuquerque Gardeners Get Paid to Save Water by Planting Bulbs

        In an October 3 article titled “Droughtbusters,” TIME magazine spotlights five innovative efforts to conserve that increasingly rare resource, water. Along with mandatory rainwater harvesting in India and purifying toilet water for drinking in Namibia, the article explores how Albuquerque, NM, has reduced its per-capita water use by 38% – thanks in part to hyacinths. Yes, hyacinths! “Since 1996,” it reports, “Albuquerque’s water authority has been paying residents $.75 per square foot to rip out their thirsty lawns and replace them with plants that need little water to thrive. To date, some 6 million square feet of turf have been replaced with agave plants, Joshua trees, hyacinths, and other desert-appropriate vegetation in a style known as xeriscaping.”
        Although we’ve always recommended keeping hyacinths dry in summer – because, like most bulbs, they’re native to parts of the world where summers are parched – it seemed a stretch to call them “desert-appropriate.” As it turns out, Albuquerque includes hyacinths on a list of twelve bulbs whose water needs are rated either low or medium which therefore qualifies them for the xeriscaping rebate: alliums, blackberry lily (Belamcanda), Colchicum, crocus, hyacinths, bearded iris, bulbous iris, surprise lily (Lycoris squamigera), grape hyacinths (Muscari), daffodils, tulips, and rain lilies (Zephyranthes). You can learn more here – or just add “saving water” to the long list of good reasons to plant our bulbs! (Oct. 2011)

How to Make Your Dahlia Bouquets Last Even Longer

        Fall is the glory season for dahlias, and hopefully you’re harvesting fistfuls of their beautiful blossoms every few days now. For us they usually last five days or so with no special treatment, but for even longer vase-life see a pro’s advice at our Bulbs as Cut Flowers page. (Sept. 2011)

Protecting Your Bulbs from Hungry Rodents

        Although some bulbs are rarely troubled by animals (for a complete list, choose “Animal Resistant” in our awesome Heirloom Bulb Search), others may need protection from burrowing rodents such as chipmunks. Here’s one inexpensive solution recommended by Sydney Eddison in A Patchwork Garden:
        “My bulb losses have been considerably reduced by planting tulips in miniature plastic laundry baskets available from hardware stores. I cut out the solid plastic bottoms and replace them with rectangles of half-inch mesh hardware cloth. Then I make a planting hole in the border, install the prepared basket, add a thin layer of earth over the wire mesh, and put in the bulbs. Their roots grow right through the hardware cloth and through the plastic mesh sides of the basket. It is worth the additional trouble. I rarely lose a protected tulip to the mice, voles, shrews, and other small, greedy creatures that ply the mole runs during the winter.”
        For a stronger basket, check out the ones offered by GO-pher-AWAY. An even easier solution is planting bulbs in the crushed shale which is sold as PermaTill or VoleBloc, and you’ll find other tips at our “Protecting from Animals.” (Sept. 2011)

Got Drought? Bulbs Are Built for It

        Our condolences to you if you’re one of the millions of gardeners suffering through the drought that’s afflicted huge swaths of the country this summer. (And our hearts go out to the farmers who are already facing billions of dollars in losses.) It may be small consolation, but bulbs are one of Nature’s clever ways for hanging on to a back-up supply of moisture, safe underground, and surviving when there’s no rain for days and days on end. They have their limits, of course, but when the drought finally breaks, you’ll probably find that your bulbs recover better than most plants. Here’s hoping that’s soon. (Aug. 2011)

Our Readers Recommend: Great Garden Nail Brushes

        Last month we told you about our favorite brushes for scrubbing dirt-caked fingernails and invited you to tell us about yours. Bob Radtke of Wisconsin shared a tip from his plumber. “He told me to clean my garden fingers by turning on the hose just a little, then spraying my fingertips. All the dirt under your nails gets gently washed away. No need for a nail brush!”
        Janet Fisher of Ann Arbor had another frugal recommendation. “This isn’t very classy,” she wrote, “but it works great for me. I just use old toothbrushes. They don’t last very long but they don’t need to – you’re supposed to change your toothbrush every three months.”
        Laurel Schreiner of Amherst, NY, took that suggestion a step further. “While nail brushes work on the hands and nail edges, I find an old electric water pic really cleans the cuticles and under the nail itself. My hands are then ready for a manicure and polish.”
        “Have I got a nail brush for you!” Pat Stover of Little Rock, AR, emailed us – and when two other readers recommended the same brush, we couldn’t wait to try it. Pat describes it as “perfect, gentle, and extremely effective,” and says that even after years of use “it’s still as good as new.” Sandy O’Rorke of Oregon, IL, and Cindy Brown of Pittsfield, MA, have also used this brush for years. “It’s the best I have found,” Cindy says, “and you can’t beat the price.” It was originally developed as a surgical scrub brush, and versions of it are widely sold as vegetable brushes, but the one Pat, Sandy, and Cindy swear by is sold by Lee Valley Tools. Two of them cost just $1.70, and they come with a money-back guarantee. We’ve been using them for a couple of weeks now, and though Kelly and Josh think they’re great – “the best I’ve ever used,” Josh says – Scott and Vanessa have been less impressed, saying the bristles are too soft to get all the dirt out from under their grubbiest nails. So we can’t guarantee you’ll love it, but it’s definitely worth a try. (Aug. 2011)

Desperately Seeking a Great Garden Nail Brush

        If you’re a gardener who loves to get your hands in the dirt, you know how important a good nail brush is – and how hard it can be to find one that can keep your fingernails looking decent and won’t wear out after a month or two. We’ve been disappointed by all sorts of them, including plenty of expensive ones. But here are a couple we’ve been using since last summer that have proven their worth.
        Although it’s not pretty (we found it at the Auto Barn, after all), the Eppco Heavy Duty Two-Sided Hand and Nail Brush is, well, dirt cheap at $1.69 each, and its bristles are stiff and long-wearing. We especially like how the angled row of extra-stiff bristles on one side scrubs even the toughest gunk from under our nails. A much more attractive brush that has also given us many months of excellent scrubbing is the Compact Hand and Nail Brush by Fuller Brush. Although its bristles aren’t quite as stiff as the Eppco’s, they scrub well and hold up well. It’s more expensive at $7.99, but it’s worth every penny.
        If you’ve found a brush that’s worked well for you over the long haul, please share the good news with us at Charlie@oldhousegardens.com or our new Facebook page. And happy scrubbing! (July 2011)

Try This at Home: Fresh Peonies Months from Now

        In the early 1900s, peonies reigned as one of the country’s leading cut-flowers, in part because they can be stored in bud for months. Yes, months! And it’s easy. Here’s how you can do it yourself, in an article adapted from The American Cottage Gardener magazine by our good friend Nancy McDonald.
        “Choose perfect buds of semi-double to double varieties (the heaviest ‘bomb’ types and singles don’t work as well). In the cool of early morning or late evening, cut buds on six-inch stems, just as the petals begin to loosen but are not yet open. Place in gallon-size, zip-lock freezer bags. I put ten to twelve buds per bag, with half the heads facing one way and half the other. Wet a small, new, cellulose sponge or clean dishcloth, wring it out so it’s just barely damp, and put it in the bag. Gently work as much air as possible out of the bag and seal it. Store flat in your refrigerator. You may wish to put the bag in a plastic storage box, so the buds don’t get bruised by people rummaging for that last chicken leg. Make sure everyone in the house knows that they are not to be eaten.
        “After the peonies outdoors are just a fragrant memory, start enjoying your stored ones. Cut an inch of stem (underwater is best) and put the peony in water all the way up to the bud. Within half an hour it will begin to open. Arrange in a vase or float in a bowl of water (a charming way to display peonies anytime). Floating ones seem to last longest. Trim stems an inch shorter each day, if needed. Using this simple technique, I have stored buds for as long as three months, and dazzled everyone with bouquets in early September.” (May 2011)

When Bulbs Don’t Bloom: Top 10 Reasons Why

        Most bulbs are easy to grow, and of course we guarantee everything we sell 100%. But sometimes even the best bulbs don’t bloom well. If that ever happens in your garden, it might be because:
        1. Leaves removed too early. (To multiply and recharge for future bloom, bulbs need to photosynthesize. The more the better, so leave foliage alone until it yellows.)
        2. Planted too late. (Bulbs need to establish good roots before the ground freezes. Bulbs stored too long, especially small ones, may dry out so much they struggle or fail.)
        3. Fall was too dry. (Good root growth in the fall is essential for good bloom in the spring, and roots can’t grow well in dry soil.)
        4. Too much shade. (Most bulbs need plenty of sun, more the further north you garden. As nearby trees and other plants grow, once sunny areas may become too shady for bulbs.)
        5. Soil too wet. (In heavy, clay, or water-logged soils, many bulbs struggle or rot. Plant in sandy to average soils, improve heavy soils with organic matter, or plant in raised beds. Even average soils can be too damp for some bulbs during their summer dormancy. This is especially true for tulips in the rainier eastern half of the country and in gardens that are regularly watered.)
        6. Over-crowded. (As bulbs multiply they can become so congested that they’re starved for moisture and nutrients. Gently dig and divide.)
        7. Too small. (You’ll never have this problem with our bulbs, but under-sized bulbs are widely sold. In difficult conditions, even the best bulbs can dwindle until they’re too small to bloom.)
        8. Wrong climate. (Both winters and summers can be too cold or too warm, too wet or too dry, depending on the type of bulb. Tulips, for example, need a certain number of winter hours below a certain temperature or they won’t bloom, and they rebloom best where summers are dry.)
        9. Under-fed or over-fed. (Bulbs can starve in nutrient-poor soils, but over-rich soils cause problems, too. Too much nitrogen, for example, spurs leaf growth at the expense of flowering. Let a soil test guide you.)
        10. Animals, insects, or diseases. (Burrowing rodents and daffodil flies can eat bulbs, leaving little trace, while other pests attack their flowers and foliage. Learn more here.)
        Whew! The good news is that most bulbs are tough and adaptable. And once you understand what they need, it’s even easier to keep them blooming gloriously year after year. (April 2011)

Easy Tips for Making Your Spring Bouquets Last Longer

        A few spring flowers in a vase can light up any room, bringing the beauty of spring inside where you can enjoy it up close and without getting cold or wet. To make your daffodils, tulips, and other bulb flowers last longer in bouquets, check out our friend Linda Beutler’s simple, expert tips at our “Bulbs as Cut Flowers” page. (March 2011)

Better Blooming Rain Lilies in Pots

        “How can we get our rain lilies in pots to bloom en masse instead of a few at a time?” we asked our good customer and rain lily breeder John Hubstenberger of Jonesboro, Arkansas.
        “Almost all rain lilies bloom well in pots,” John told us, “and most varieties will bloom repeatedly if the growing season is long enough. By stressing the bulbs, it is possible to synchronize their bloom cycles – and 50 Zephyranthes in full bloom in a 10-inch pot are really a sight to see. However, in my experience maximum bloom occurs when the plants get lots of TLC, regular watering, and fertilizing when in active growth. I like to use Carl Pool’s BR-61 with trace minerals for fertilizer. I think warm temperatures, lots of sun, and regular watering give more flowers in the long run than drought and flood. (Some varieties seem to benefit from a bit of chilling when dry and dormant, too.) Of course Mother Nature gives them drought and flood, but in a pot maximum bloom comes from consistent care.” (March 2011)

A Master’s Advice for Choosing Daylilies

        Christopher Lloyd grew thousands of plants in his world-famous gardens at Great Dixter, and he evaluated them all with the discriminating eye of an artist. For choosing daylilies that look great in your garden – not just in a catalog close-up – he offered this advice in Christopher Lloyd’s Garden Flowers:
        “Don’t be carried away by a single bloom seen out of context....
        “While being dazzled by large blooms, remember that small-flowered Hemerocallis are the most prolific. Furthermore, their individual flowers tend to die off discreetly, whereas large-flowered kinds really need dead-heading every morning, to prevent the colony from becoming slovenly....
        “As with so many ‘improved’ plants, enlarged flowers are often matched by an increase in leaf size and coarseness. Watch out for this. Then again, the naked flowering stem should present its blooms well above the foliage, this being the graceful effect that gives the flowers style....”
        To see exactly what he’s recommending, try a couple of our graceful, prolific, Christopher-Lloyd-style daylilies in your garden this spring. (March 2011)

Our Favorite Heirloom Garden Sources

        January is seed catalog month, and our mailbox has been overflowing with temptation. For a list of some of our favorite mail-order sources for heirloom seeds and plants, check out our “Groups and Sources” page. And if we’ve missed one of your favorites, please let us know! (Jan. 2011)

Amazing ‘Atom’ and Tips for Perennial Glads from Zone-5 Idaho

        Our customers are continuing to report success in over-wintering their glads outside. Daniel Ostenberg, for example, emailed us this past August:
        “I live near Naples, Idaho, 35 miles south of Canada. It’s zone 5. I forgot an ‘Atom’ glad two winters ago while digging the rest of them and it came up the next spring. We did have good snow cover that winter and it wasn’t cold long before it snowed. I do have a neighbor nearby who mulches her glads every fall with six inches of straw and never digs them and she says they do fine. [Idaho’s relatively dry weather and well-drained, alkaline soils probably play a role in this success, too.]
        “Also I saved some little bulblets from my ‘Atom’ last fall and planted them this spring in a container and four out of five of them are blooming. I didn’t think they would bloom the first year.
        “One of the best gardeners I know told me that glads love calcium nitrate but she couldn’t find any. I’m an ex-apple farmer from the East Washington apple country, and I always get calcium nitrate from the ag-supply companies in apple country. I use it on my glads and get it for her for the 1000 glads that she grows. Orchardists use a lot of calcium nitrate. Trees love it.
        “I’m going to leave one each of a few other kinds of glads in the ground this fall and mulch them heavily with straw and see what happens. I’ll let you know next summer how it turns out.” (Dec. 2010)

Bulbs in Winter: Tips for Forcing, Tips for Storing

        You can enjoy spring flowers all winter long by forcing just about any bulb to bloom indoors. Some are so simple even kindergarteners can do it, while others need more finesse. For inspiration and tips, see our Forcing Bulbs How-To page and our Forcing Bulbs newsletter archives.
        Storing tender bulbs like dahlias, glads, and tuberoses is easy, too. For our tips, see the “Winter Care” sections throughout our spring-planted Planting and Care page. (Nov. 2010)

Pleasures of the November Garden

        If the short, cold days of November have you feeling a bit gloomy about your garden, here’s a pep talk from one of the 20th century’s greatest gardeners, Vita Sackville-West, creator of England’s iconic Sissinghurst Gardens.
        “If it is true that one of the greatest pleasures of gardening lies in looking forward, then the planning of the next year’s beds and borders must be one of the most agreeable occupations in the gardener’s calendar. This should make October and November particularly pleasant months, for then we may begin to clear our borders, to cut down sodden and untidy stalks, to dig up and increase our plants, and to move them to other positions where they will show up to greater effect. People who are not gardeners always say that the bare beds of winter are uninteresting; gardeners know better, and take even a certain pleasure in the neatness of the newly dug, bare, brown earth.” (Nov. 2010)

Can Aspirin Help Heal Your Plants?

        We’re not doctors, and we can’t vouch for the accuracy of this report from CleanAirGardening.com, but we found it intriguing and thought you might, too.
        “It sounds like a weird idea, but recent research suggests that the old adage ‘take two aspirin and call me in the morning’ works just as well for plants as it does for us. Not only does aspirin appear to speed germination, it seems that it can also boost a plant’s immune system, helping it resist the onset of fungal and bacterial diseases. This may also be why adding an aspirin to a vase of cut flowers helps them stay perky longer: the aspirin fights microbes that would otherwise enter through the cut ends.
        “It turns out that most plants naturally start synthesizing salicylic acid, the active ingredient in aspirin, when under stress. Sometimes, though, they don’t make enough to help in time, and as a result they fall prey to disease. That’s why a couple of aspirin occasionally can help an ailing plant. But don’t overdo it: 1.5 uncoated aspirins tablets in two gallons of water are sufficient. You should add a few teaspoons of liquid soap to the mix to help it stick to the plants, and apply it as a foliar spray every three weeks or so.” (Nov. 2010)

Try a Simple Fall Clean-Up to Thwart Iris Borers

        Now is the best time to conquer iris borers – and it’s easy. Cleanliness is the key. In the fall, iris borer moths lay their eggs on iris leaves and pretty much anything else that’s close by. In the spring, the eggs hatch into tiny grubs that crawl up the leaves and then chew their way down into the rhizomes where they wreak havoc. By eliminating the eggs in the fall, you’ll save yourself a lot of grief. Simply wait till after a good hard frost (which will kill the adult moths) and then trim all the leaves off your iris and remove all debris and mulch from around the plants. To be safe, don’t compost this stuff; burn it or throw it out with the garbage. Repeat this simple, poison-free clean-up every fall and you’ll have very little problem with borers. Now isn’t that easy? Learn more at www.ksre.ksu.edu/news/story/fall_cleanup110410.aspx . (Nov. 2010)

Canna Virus: Your Questions Answered

        As announced earlier, we’ve regretfully decided to stop selling cannas due to a relatively new and little-understood virus that’s attacking cannas worldwide. Many of you emailed us in sympathy and support (thanks!), and we were happy to hear that many of your cannas are still healthy and happy.
        You also asked us a lot of questions, so for answers we turned to our friend Keith Hayward of the UK National Collection of Canna. The virus devastated cannas in Keith’s part of the world years before it caused major problems here in the US, and Keith is utterly frank. Learn more here. (Sept. 2010)

High Heat Stresses Your Bulbs, Too

        High heat has plagued much of the country this summer. Some bulbs like it, but others suffer. Dahlias, for example, have struggled or failed in many gardens where they usually thrive. That’s because they come originally from the mountain plateaus of Mexico where days are hot but nights are dramatically cooler. When nights are too warm, dahlias just can’t grow well. Some varieties are more sensitive than others and can even die. The good news is that if you can keep them going till temperatures cool (which has to happen sometime, right?), they’ll kick back into gear and bloom gloriously till frost.
        Glads may develop kinked stems in unusually hot weather as they sag a bit during the day, unable to fully replenish the water evaporating from them, and then grow upright at night when evaporation slows. This is most often a problem with glads like ‘Atom’ that have thin, wiry stems. To help, keep your glads well-watered and protect their shallow, wide-spreading roots from disturbance. Tiny sucking insects called thrips proliferate when it’s hot, too, and can leave glad leaves and blossoms mottled, or even prevent buds from opening. For tips on control, see oldhousegardens.com/Thrips.asp
        Heat affects flower color, too. Deep-colored lilies such as ‘African Queen’; may be paler in high heat, bicolor dahlias such as ‘Deuil du Roi Albert‘ may bloom temporarily as solids, and the rosy tones of ‘Kaiser Wilhelm‘ and others won’t develop fully until the weather cools.
        Of course some bulbs love the heat. In many gardens this summer, cannas, tuberoses, and rain lilies have been especially happy – and we hope you’ve been enjoying them. (August 2010)

How Winter-Hardy Are Your Glads? Our Readers Report

       Although most experts say gladiolus won’t survive winters north of zone 8, our customers kept telling us that theirs were returning like perennials in zones 7, 6, and even 5. So we asked our readers, “Have your regular glads survived zone-6 or colder winters? And what do you think made that possible?” Many replied (thanks!), and now you can read what they said along with our conclusions at oldhousegardens.com/Hardy-Glads.asp.
       Although warmer, shorter winters are probably the biggest reason why so many glads are surviving in colder zones, other important factors seem to include reliable snow cover, winter mulch, deep planting, good drainage, micro-climates, plenty of sun, and the time-tested vigor of heirlooms. To add your two-cents to the discussion, email charlie@oldhousegardens.com. And if you’d like to experiment with glads as perennials in your own garden, we suggest starting with the tough little one our readers recommended most: ‘Atom’. (August 2010)

The Frugal Gardener: To Multiply Your Glads, Plant Cormlets

        If you dug and stored your glads last fall, you probably noticed lots of tiny cormlets (or cormels) clustered around the bases. Ranging in size from a BB to larger than a pea, these mini-corms will grow to blooming-size in a year or two.
        Getting them to sprout, though, can be a challenge, due to their nearly impermeable shells. You can nick or gently crack the shells, but it’s easier to dissolve them by soaking in full-strength household bleach for a few hours just before planting. Plant in full sun, 1-2 inches deep and 1-2 inches apart, depending on size. Keep the soil moist but not soggy till grass-like foliage emerges and, for optimal growth, throughout the summer. With good care, any cormlet larger than a pea will grow to blooming-size by the time you harvest them in the fall, and the smaller ones by the following fall. Good luck and have fun! (May 2010)

Garden Tips for Right Now

        Crocus, snowdrops, and other bulbs start to emerge earlier than many gardeners realize, especially in warm spots where the snow melts first. Matted leaves and winter mulch can distort their growth, so get out there EARLY and gently loosen or remove.
        Rabbits and other animals love to eat crocus, so you may want to spray emerging buds with a repellant like Ro-pel. Check to see if you have some on hand before you need it. Tulips and lilies are two later-emerging animal delicacies that may also need spraying.
        Now is a good time to wash any pots that you’re planning to start dahlias or cannas in, too. Finish by sterilizing them for a couple of minutes in a mix of 10% bleach and water. (March 2010)

Daylilies Unfazed by Sidewalk Salt

        “Sidewalk salt has a way of killing almost everything it touches,” writes Diane Selly of Minnesota’s Earthworks Gardens, and “with the extra snow and ice this year, you may be using more than usual.” Diane recommends switching to sand whenever possible, and adds that “some plants are salt tolerant and work great as edging plants along sidewalks or driveways: most daylilies, some hostas, some roses, some heucheras, and some ornamental grasses.” (Feb. 2010)

How Many Bulbs Do I Need for This Space?

        To easily answer that question, check out our new web-page, “Bulbs per Square Feet: For Pattern-Beds or Anywhere.” There you’ll find a few simple charts and formulas to help you figure out (a) the square footage of any planting area and (b) how many bulbs you’ll need to fill that space, be they crocus at 3 inches apart, lilies at 18 inches apart, or anything in between.
        But we didn’t stop there. Hoping to inspire you to try a bit of historic pattern-bedding, we added . . . (Oct. 2009)

Bulls-Eyes and Stars: Planting a Victorian Pattern Bed

        With antique images and advice from historic catalogs, our new web-page “Bulbs per Square Feet: For Pattern-Beds or Anywhere” will show you how to plant bulbs in true Victorian style. It’s easy and fun – and not just for Keukenhof or the lawns of Victorian mansions. Take a peek! (Oct. 2009)

The Frugal Gardener: Tips for Saving and Storing Dahlias, Glads, Etc.

        You can save money and have extra bulbs to share by digging and storing your dahlias, glads, cannas, and tuberoses this fall. Wait till frost blackens their foliage, then follow our easy how-to in the Planting and Care section of our website. Remember, though, that temperatures and humidity vary from region to region and even house to house, so you may have to experiment to find what works best for you. (Oct. 2009)

Crocus in Lawns: Our Readers Teach Us How to Make it Work

        Last month we asked, “Have you ever had long-term success growing crocus in your lawn?” So many readers responded – thank you very much! – that we ended up with a dozen single-spaced pages of information to sift through trying to figure out why sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. You can read our conclusions and a condensed version of what gardeners from across the country told us at oldhousegardens.com/Lawn-Crocus.asp. But beware: It may tempt you to plant a few crocus in your own lawn this fall. (Sept. 2009)

Crocus, Yes! But in the Lawn? Maybe

        Crocus are inexpensive, and they multiply without care. You can tuck them into even the most crowded garden. And their blooms pack a lot of punch at the dawn of spring.
        Susan Reimer gave this big little bulb some well-deserved attention in the Baltimore Sun recently. Then in her engaging blog, “Garden Variety,” she asked both Becky Heath and us if we recommend planting crocus in the lawn. Becky said yes but we said no because we’ve never seen them do well there long-term. We’re always eager to learn, though, so we thought we’d ask: Have you ever planted crocus in your lawn, how did they do there, and would you recommend it? (August 2009)

Divide Iris and Defeat Borers: Now is the Time!

        If your iris plantings have become over-crowded, or you want to share some with friends, now is the time to dig and divide them. “It’s easy, and fun,” our friend Ken Druse wrote recently at RealDirtRadio.com. “I dig up my iris rhizomes with a garden fork when they are dormant – now. Most of the soil will fall off the thick rhizome and reveal slender roots. I trim back the leaves into ‘fans’ and cut off the oldest section of rhizome (which will not bloom again). I dip the rhizome (holding it by the leaves) in a 10% solution of household chlorine bleach for about ten seconds. I set them out to drain on some newspaper, and then replant with the top of the rhizome just at the surface of the soil. Sun-baked rhizomes bloom best.”
        “Older varieties of bearded iris do not need dividing as often as newer ones,” Ken adds. To see the six heirlooms we’re offering, click here. To learn more about dividing iris and combating borers, listen to Ken’s July 3 podcast. (July 2009)

Book of the Month: The Truth About Organic Gardening

        Cool-headed, down to earth, and funny, Jeff Gillman is a hort science professor who’s trying to help gardeners make their own, educated decisions about gardening organically or not. Instead of polemics, he offers clear explanations backed up by plenty of facts and a broad context for weighing the pros and cons.
        Most of the book is devoted to an item-by-item discussion of all sorts of organic and synthetic choices for improving the soil and controlling weeds, insects, and other pests. For each option, Gilman includes its Environmental Impact Quotient, a number which quantifies (as best as possible) just what it says, and he ends his discussion of each with a handy three-part summary of Benefits, Drawbacks, and The Bottom Line.
        The Truth About Organic Gardening is currently ranked as Timber Press’s #11 best-selling book. Though I borrowed it from our local library, after reading it I was so impressed that I bought a copy for my staff to read and for future reference. I expect we’ll be using it a lot, and my guess is you would, too. (June 2009)

New Hope for Zone-Stretching Gardeners

        A brief note in the current April issue of Garden Gate magazine tells of a new development that could have North Dakota gardeners growing cannas year-round:
        “Scientists at Miami University and the University of Alabama have developed a spray called Freeze-Pruf which improves a plant’s cold tolerance by 2.2 to 9.4 degrees F, depending on the species. This solution works kind of like antifreeze by lowering the level at which a plant’s tissue is damaged by cold. . . . [It also] prevents ice crystals from forming in a way that damages plant cells. It’s been used successfully on palms, house plants, bananas, citrus plants, and a variety of flowers, . . . [and] it’s safe for vegetables, too. Spray Freeze-Pruf once in the fall, right before a freeze, to extend your tomato [or dahlia!] season. Or improve your temperature zone by about 200 miles for your favorite banana. . . . Developers expect to have Freeze-Pruf available for purchase within the year.” (Apr. 2009)

The Frugal Gardener: Investing in Your Garden Pays Off

        There’s always something interesting to read at GardenRant.com. Jeff Gilman, an associate professor of horticulture at the U of Minnesota, cited some recent research about “What Landscaping is Worth”:
        “Readers probably realize that nice landscaping can help sell your home, but exactly how much extra is this nice landscaping worth to buyers? Well, 75 homes in Lubbock, Texas, were examined to determine how much and it turns out that a high quality landscape increases the sales price by 5.7% compared to average landscapes. Then comparing average landscapes with excellent ones, the difference in sale price is a whopping 10.8%. Furthermore, the authors calculate that every $1.00 spent on the landscape returns $1.35. I’m obviously investing in the wrong place.” (Apr. 2009)

The Frugal Gardener: Multiply Your (Plant) Wealth

        Plants multiply, and when times are tough that’s an especially good thing. Our good customer Henrietta Gulish of Columbia City, Indiana, writes: “I save all the little corms that my glads produce and plant them. I also split my daffodils and daylilies, and now I have a lot more of them.”
        Iris, dahlias, cannas – lots of heirloom bulbs multiply vigorously. Not sure how to keep the tender ones through cold winters? You’ll find easy advice in the Planting and Care section of our website. (Mar. 2009)

Got Too Many Plastic Pots? Try This!

        If your pile of empty plastic pots and cell-packs is getting dangerously high because you hate to send them to the landfill, here’s an earth-friendly solution. Last fall our friends at Milwaukee’s Boerner Botanical Gardens and UW-Extension hosted a Plastic Pot Recycling Weekend. They invited local gardeners to bring in their empty plastic pots, cell-packs, garden trays, hanging baskets, fertilizer and mulch bags, greenhouse poly film, irrigation drip tape, and landscape edging to be shredded on site by a company that makes plastic lumber for decking and outdoor furniture.
        With the help of 50 Master Gardener volunteers, the event netted a staggering 21.5 tons of plastic! Another weekend is already in the works, and we’re hoping maybe you’ll be inspired to help get one started in your neck of the woods. To learn more, email patrice.peltier@ces.uwex.edu or call 414-525-5638. (Feb. 2009)

The Frugal Gardener: No Need to Buy a Monet, Just Garden Like Him!

        For the last twenty years of his life, Monet painted only one subject: his gardens in Giverny. Many bulbs played a leading role in those gardens, and it seems his taste for bulbs was shaped, at least in part, by financial difficulties in his early years.
        In Monet: The Gardener (2002), Sidney Eddison writes: “Today, water lilies continue to float on the pond at Giverny. In May, irises in every imaginable shade of blue and violet bloom in their long, narrow beds; in June, roses smother the metal arches along the front walk. By midsummer, gladioli stand tall among the nasturtiums, which have begun their headlong rush toward the middle of the path. And in the fall, dahlias lavish their rich colors on the beds. The gardens, now open to the public, are the property of the Academie des Beaux-Arts. But Claude Monet still owns them.”
        In the same book, Robert Gordon writes of Monet’s early career: “Given his precarious finances and the temporary nature of his abodes, many of the plants he chose were annuals . . . or corms, such as gladiolus, which can be dug up in the fall and saved from year to year. At Argenteuil, Monet planted gladiolus corms by the hundreds. In a painting simply titled Gladioli of 1876, . . . [Monet’s wife] Camille . . . gazes wistfully at cheerful ranks of pink, red, and bicolor flowers. . . . Two years later, in a work depicting Monet’s new garden at Vetheuil, gladioli appear again, but this time growing in decorative blue-and-white ceramic containers – a reminder of the impermanent nature of these early gardens. The same containers ultimately found a home at Giverny.” (Jan. 2009)

Don’t Pack Up Those Xmas Lights: Extreme Gardening in Minnesota

        Last winter when we wrote that hardy bulbs are rarely bothered by mid-winter thaws, our good customer Bonnie Dean of Minnesota offered a different perspective:
        “I live in Minneapolis. Occasionally we get a week of spring-like weather in February, once as high as 76 degrees. The bulbs are fooled – up they come! By the time the shoots are about 3 inches high, the usual teens to twenties temperatures come back and stay for weeks. In those situations, the plants do die. Or they end up blighted and stunted, taking years to recover, if at all.
        “But I found a way to circumvent this. Each year when I pack away the Christmas decorations, I make sure a few strings of the small lights are kept accessible. Then, when a prolonged mid-winter thaw is followed by even more hard, hard cold, I get out the lights. I plug them into the outside outlet and string them along the ground, around and between but not touching the emerging daffodils and tulips. (I am careful to remove dead leaves on the ground so there is nothing flammable near the lights.)
        “Then, using old pizza boxes or whatever cardboard I have on hand, I make long low ‘tents’ over the plants and lights. Over that, to keep out the wind and keep in the warmth, I put old blankets, worn out bathroom rugs, frayed towels, whatever – even old painting tarps. I keep the lights plugged in until the temperature approaches 32 degrees more consistently, as long as it takes.
        “The little bit of warmth from the bulbs keeps the soil just warm enough to keep the tender shoots alive. So, instead of shriveling in the hard winter, the shoots hold their own and even grow a bit. As a result, I have the most showy, prolific and early daffodils in the neighborhood. Some years, I have had the ONLY daffodils in the neighborhood!
        “Please share this idea with your readers. Here in Minnesota, even hardy bulbs can lose their zip when the weather fluctuates as much as it does these days.” (Dec. 2008)

If Javelinas Roam Your Garden, Plant Iris!

        Though we didn't include bearded iris on our recent list of animal-resistant bulbs, our good customer Louise Coulter of Payson, Arizona, emailed us to vouch for them:
        “In my area which is at 5,000 feet in Arizona’s northern section there is an animal called javelina or wild pig. With cloven hoofs, tusks, and large foraging families, it devastates unprotected bulbs in gardens – except for iris. Seems they can’t eat iris. So at thousands of homes here, where the yards are unfenced, iris naturalize and are ubiquitous. Seems the local nurseries obtained a limited color palette of them each year, so one can almost tell how old the bulbs are by their color. For years one could only get shades of variegated purple and a lovely pale salmon.” (Nov. 2008)

And You Thought You Had Animal Problems!

        On her fall order, our good customer Frances Webb of Tuolumne, California, added:
        “Your bulbs all bloomed well and were spectacularly beautiful. I lost one dahlia to a gang of thug quail, though. Charlie may want to visit.”
        Charlie is a very tough cat, but even he’s afraid of California’s quail gangs. Does anyone have any suggestions for controlling these terrifying thugs? (late Oct. 2008)

Do Animals Eat Your Bulbs? Try These!

        For a quick list of bulbs that animals rarely eat, click the “Animal Resistant” box at our easy Advanced Bulb Search.
        Daffodils and snowflakes (Leucojum) are usually completely animal-proof, and other bulbs that most animals won’t touch include alliums, Camassia, glory-of-the-snow (Chionodoxa), Colchicum, Crocus tommasinianus, winter aconite (Eranthis), crown imperials, snowdrops (Galanthus), hyacinths, Spanish bluebells (Hyacinthoides), Ipheion, grape hyacinths (Muscari), silver bells (Ornithogalum nutans), and Scilla siberica.
        Tulips and lilies, unfortunately, are a favorite on most animal menus. For tips on keeping them safe, see “Protecting from Animals” in our online Planting and Care. (Oct. 2008)

Easy Tips for Making Your Bulb Bouquets Last Longer

        We found the expert, down-to-earth advice in Garden to Vase: Growing and Using Your Own Cut Flowers so helpful that we asked author Linda Beutler if we could post excerpts from it at our website. She was glad to help (thank you, Linda!), so check out our new “Bulbs as Cut Flowers” page at oldhousegardens.com/bulbs-as-cut-flowers.asp . There you’ll find both cut-flower fundamentals and bulb-by-bulb specifics (“harvest peonies in the ‘soft marshmallow’ stage,” for example) for everything from Abyssinian glads to tulips. (Sept. 2008)

The Frugal Gardener: Don’t Bury Your Money in the Backyard, Plant Bulbs!

        In troubled times like these, flower bulbs are one of the smartest investments you can make. And what other luxury costs so little? For a few dollars you get months of anticipation, weeks of beauty, fragrance, and pride when they bloom, and – as long as you meet their simple needs – they multiply happily year after year. We’re keeping our fingers crossed that the Fed knows what it’s doing, but we’re also hoping that you’re like us – and that nothing’s going to stop you from planting some very special bulbs this fall. (Sept. 2008)

“So Natural an Act”: Words of Wisdom from a Garden Artist

        Robert Dash is not only a highly regarded artist but the creator of a remarkably personal and inventive garden on Long Island called Madoo. In an April 2006 article in Horticulture, Dash offered the following “best advice for fellow gardeners” and we liked it so much that we’ve been trying to squeeze it into our newsletter ever since.
        “To garden is so natural an act that you need only follow your instincts; have no fear and plunge right in.
        “Follow your first, not your second, idea.
        “Expect mistakes; mistakes are not errors if you learn from them.
        “Walk your plot in all kinds of light, all times of day, all kinds of weather, as often as possible – paying particular attention to slight changes of level and, above all, shadows.
        “Gardening, remember, at its best, is a form of autobiography, an art of the wrist, like painting, enacted on the earth.” (Jul. 2008)

Book of the Month: Garden to Vase

        If you like picking bouquets from your own garden — and who doesn't? — here’s a refreshingly down-to-earth guide full of great advice for getting all sorts of flowers to look better and last longer when cut. Did you know, for example, that your daffodils will stay in top shape much longer if you let them sit for twenty minutes in a bucket of water while their gooey sap drains out? And Garden to Vase goes way beyond technical advice. Author Linda Beutler writes as if she were your next-door neighbor, offering tips for collecting vases, using what you already grow, and making cut flowers an everyday pleasure in your home. She’s funny (did you catch her OHG-inspired Christmas carol in our December newsletter?), encouraging, irreverent, and real. “Don't be afraid to get this book dirty,” she writes, and we plan to do just that. (Jan. 2008)

Suite101.com Debuts Garden-Catalog Reviews

                At Suite101.com, the popular on-line magazine, Angela England has launched a series reviewing highly-rated garden catalogs and websites – and we’re proud to say she chose us for her very first review!
        Our website, she writes, “is like a good cottage garden,” and she praises our “very helpful” newsletter, among other things. To read it all – and her other reviews – go to garden-catalogues-nurseries.suite101.com/article.cfm/old_house_gardens_review.
        And then if you’re in the mood, email us your own review. We’re always looking for ways to improve! (Dec. 2007)

Let Our New Site Search Help You Find the Right Bulbs For . . .

        Thanks to all of you who gave our brand-new site search a trial run! We appreciated your rave reviews and your suggestions for improving it.
        We’re especially proud of our Advanced Bulb Search which allows you to choose bulbs by color, hardiness, date of origin, bloom-time, and more. Why not give it a whirl right now and see how helpful it can be! (Nov. 2007)

Tip of the Month: Storing Glads in Egg Cartons

        Here’s a creative and earth-friendly suggestion for storing gladiolus bulbs from Lena Hart of Bayfield, WI, writing in Fine Gardening magazine:
        “I have discovered an excellent storage container [for glads]: an egg carton. I simply fill it with a dozen cleaned bulbs and write the variety name with a permanent marker in the corresponding spot on the cover, the way candies are labeled in a box. The individual cells keep mold and diseases from spreading, and the carton takes up just a little space on a basement shelf.” We’d only add that, if you're using styrofoam egg cartons, be sure your bulbs are good and dry before storing them.
       For more advice on winter storage, see our “Planting and Care”. (Nov. 2007)

Trim Your Flower Beds with a “Victorian Edge”

        Writing in the May 2007 Fine Gardening, Kate Feely recommends an edging technique that’s been used by generations of gardeners:
        “Your best bet is the natural or Victorian edge, also referred to as a Victorian trench. This is the most cost-effective edge available, requiring only time and elbow grease.
        “To attain this edge, use a sharp spade to make a vertical cut in the turf at the edge of a bed. Remove soil to a depth of 3 to 4 inches, at a 45-degree angle to the freshly cut vertical edge. With a rake, smooth the soil to slope toward the border plants; this creates a beveled cut. Smooth out the remaining soil. If need be, you could rent a bed trencher for a day or hire a local landscaping company to create a trench for you.
        “To maintain a clean line, the beds should be retrenched in spring or as needed. A Victorian edge will blend into any landscape and is as effective as any product for providing a barrier to grass and weeds and for containing mulch.” (Nov. 2007)

Save Water: July is Smart Irrigation Month

        July is a peak month for watering, so it’s a good time to think about using water wisely. Here are some tips from the Irrigation Association:
        “Water only when needed. Saturate root zones and let the soil dry. Watering too much and too often results in shallow roots, weed growth, disease and fungus.
        “Consider drip irrigation which allows water to seep into the soil, minimizing runoff and putting moisture at the root zone where plants can use it.
        “Water when the sun is low or down, winds are calm, and temperatures are cool to reduce evaporation.” Mid-day watering can waste up to 30%! (July 2007)

If You Mulch with Starbucks, Will Your Bulbs Bloom Sooner?

        Here’s a timely tip from our good customer Marianne Montgomery of Fort Wayne, IN:
        “Where I live there aren’t many trees so I mulch my newly planted bulbs with a mix of top soil, peat humus, and composted cow manure mixed with a balanced, slow-release fertilizer and Starbucks coffee grounds. Does everybody know that Starbucks bags their used coffee grounds into ten-pound bags and GIVES them away? They’ll even carry them out to the car for you!” (Oct. 2006)

If Mega-Lo-Mart Has Bulbs in August, Why Wait for Ours?

        Big-box stores start selling bulbs in mid-August, so why don’t we ship ours till October 1? Mostly it’s a matter of quality. During their summer dormancy, bulbs go through a complex series of changes to get ready to grow and bloom again. For them it’s like getting a good night’s sleep, and if you skimp on it, their performance suffers.
        It’s also that we’re tiny and our bulbs are rare. When everyone in the Netherlands is trying to get their bulbs washed, inspected, and shipped all at once, the big guys tend to end up at the front of the line.
        But don’t worry. Though we ship orders in the order we receive them, we also expedite orders to customers in the coldest zones, and even there early October is a great time for planting. (Sept. 2006)

Extra-Easy Refrigerator Forcing

        Here’s an almost unbelievably easy way to coax fragrant hyacinths into bloom on your winter windowsill. Though books and experts may tell you it’s impossible, our customers showed us that it really works. Simply refrigerate your bulbs DRY IN A PAPER BAG for at least ten weeks, then put them on water AT NORMAL ROOM TEMPERATURE to grow roots and leaves and bloom. Easiest of all are ‘Lady Derby’ and ‘L’Innocence’; other varieties may need more time in the fridge. We’ll send instructions with every order, or you can read them online right now. (2006-07 catalog)
       For more info on forcing, see the “Forcing Bulbs” page in our Newsletter Archives.

Patriotism Helps Protect Cemetery Bulbs

        Here’s a seasonal tip from our friend Marty Ross, a terrific garden writer from Kansas City and now Virginia:
        “One of my editors told me this trick for establishing bulbs around gravesites: When the daffodils come up, he pokes an American flag into the soil among them, and leaves it there for a couple of months. The mowers go around it.” (March 2006)

Link of the Month: Your Hardiness Zone Has Changed

        Have your winters seemed warmer lately? They probably are! An updated version of the USDA Hardiness Zones Map shows dramatic changes. Most gardeners will find they’re now in a warmer zone than on the old map, which hadn’t been updated since 1990. Developed by the National Arbor Day Foundation, the new map is based on 1990-2004 data from the same 5000 National Climatic Data Center stations used for the old map. You can see the changes and check out your new zone at arborday.org/media/zones.cfm. Scroll down for links to a full press release as well as a comparison map that morphs from old to new, showing the northward march of warmer temperatures.
        Global warming is nothing to celebrate, but what gardener hasn’t longed to grow some plants in his or her garden that weren’t quite hardy there? Now, perhaps, you can. (Jan. 2006)

Mid-Winter Thaw and Your Bulbs are Emerging? No Problem!

        Our usual high in mid-January is 30 degrees, but tomorrow it’s supposed to reach 50 here and some of our bulbs think it’s already spring. Are we concerned? Not at all, and if your bulb foliage emerges earlier than you think it should, you generally don’t need to worry either. Bulbs have been around for eons and they’re built for unpredictable weather. Even when it snows on tulips and other hardy bulbs in bloom, they’re rarely damaged, and emerging foliage is even tougher. So relax and have faith in Mother Nature. (Jan. 2006)

        Not sure how to store your favorite tender bulbs this winter? Our best advice can always be found under “Planting and Care” at our website, where bulbs are listed in alphabetical order by season. Remember, though, that temperatures and humidity vary from region to region and even house to house, so you may have to experiment to find what works best for you.
        For dahlia storage recommendations from four other experts, check out http://dahlias.net/seabox/savem.htm at the Colorado Dahlia Society’s excellent website. And send us your best tips! We’re always eager to learn. (Nov. 2005)

Oops! How to Avoid Damaging Bulbs When Digging

        Here’s a tip by Diane Jeffery clipped from an old issue of Fine Gardening:
        “After digging up one lily bulb three times last spring while planting new perennials, I came up with an idea to prevent this in the future. I took a clear, liter-size, plastic pop bottle and cut the top and bottom off. Then I cut the tube into circles about an inch wide. Now, after planting bulbs, I sink one of the clear plastic circles into the ground in the spot where the bulbs are planted, pushing it down so that it’s level with the ground. Next spring, when I’m ready to plant or move my perennials, I’ll dig up the plastic ring rather than a lily bulb.” (Oct. 2005)

Got Frost Already? No Problem!

        The first killing frost does NOT mean you have to rush and get your bulbs planted. Soil cools down much more slowly than the air, and it’s usually weeks after the first killing frost before it’s ideal for planting most bulbs. Here on the border of zones 5 and 6, for example, we routinely plant until Thanksgiving, though we often have a killing frost in early October. So relax. You’ve got plenty of time. (Sept. 2005)

Counterpoint: When Is Animal Control Just Plain Cruel?

        A while ago we published some tips from our readers for protecting bulbs from animals. This response from our good customer Denise Cowie of the Philadelphia Inquirer made us think twice about some of those suggestions:
        “I was dismayed by the ‘helpful hints’ to get rid of ‘pests’ by using liberal amounts of cayenne pepper and, even worse, habanero peppers. If the gardener has to wear gloves to handle this stuff, and has to be warned not to get it anywhere near face or eyes, imagine what this does to innocent animals who have no intention of harm, but are just looking to do what nature dictates. I want to protect my bulbs as much as the next person, but some of these suggestions seem potentially cruel. A squirrel or cat that gets this stuff on its paws, then possibly into its eyes, would be in agony.” (Aug. 2005)

Brutal Weather Affects Your Bulbs, Too

        Much of the country has suffered through high heat this summer, with torrential rains in some areas and severe drought in others. All of this affects your bulbs, of course.
        DAHLIAS come originally from the highlands of Mexico, so they tend to slow down when the heat cranks up and then pick up the pace when it starts to cool down again. Some are more sensitive to heat than others, and if it’s bad enough they can die from it.
        CANNAS, on the other hand, thrive in heat, as long as they have plenty of water. Many Northern gardeners are enjoying cannas this summer like they haven’t seen in ages.
        GLADS may grow with kinked stems in extra-hot weather as they sag a bit during the day, unable to keep their cells full of water, and then grow upright at night. Thrips (tiny sucking insects) often proliferate when it’s hot, leaving glad leaves and blossoms pale or mottled, and even preventing buds from opening. Insecticidal soap is one mild control.
        Heat affects flower color, too. ‘Black Dragon’ and other lilies may be paler in high heat. Bicolor dahlias like ‘Deuil du Roi Albert’ may bloom as solid colors in extreme heat, while ‘Kaiser Wilhelm’ and others often turn rosier as temperatures cool.
        Ample rainfall is hard on dormant TULIPS, HYACINTHS, and other bulbs that are originally from parts of the world where summers are dry. So if your summer has been wet, expect a reduced display from them next spring. Summer drought, on the other hand, often leads to glorious spring bloom from bulbs, especially tulips. (Aug 2005)

Cool Yourself Off with These Must-Have Whites

        We can’t offer you a popsicle in this July heat, but white flowers can be almost as cooling, so here are some of our favorites for your consideration. White flowers are especially lovely in the early evening and diverse enough to devote a whole garden to, as Vita Sackville-West proved to the world at Sissinghurst. (July 2005)
        [Our Advanced Bulb Search will give you a complete list of all of our white flowers. How simple is that? Enjoy!]

They’re Also Great in Pots

       Most of our spring-planted bulbs are as easy and fun to grow in pots as they are in the garden.
       Pots on decks and paving can get very hot, and CANNAS like that. They’ll want lots of water, so try mixing hydro-gels into the soil or keeping their saucers filled with water. They’ll also get big, so plant accordingly.
       We often plant GLADS in black plastic nursery pots and then when they bloom we set them into the border wherever a fresh burst of color is needed.
       We do the same with TUBEROSES, and always advise growing them in pots in the North to give them maximum heat and sun. When they bloom, set pots wherever you can best enjoy their fragrance. In winter, simply store pots dry inside. Then when spring returns, bring them back outside to bloom again.
       We grow all of our ELEPHANT EARS in pots so we can soak them daily without wasting water and drenching their neighbors. ‘Illustris’ and ‘Fontanesii’ thrive when their saucers are constantly full of water, or grow them in glazed pots without drainage holes.
       RAIN LILIES are great in pots, too, even in the North. See our website for one Wisconsin gardener’s 100-year-long success story with the pink ones.
       DAHLIAS like cool soil and they grow big. For best success, keep both in mind when potting and placing them.
       Tempted? Got pots? To get started, order a few bulbs now! (2005-06 catalog)

Tips for Success: Earwig Control

        Our good customer Laura Baxter or Zillah, WA, writes:
        “One of the best and most organic ways of controlling earwigs is to get a cottage cheese or similar container, use a hole-punch to make holes just under the rim, put a few tablespoons of vegetable oil in the bottom, fill it a third of the way up with soy sauce, put the lid back on, and bury it up to the holes. The earwigs love this even more than flowers, and when they fall in they drown. It really works, and without poisoning the earth.” (2005-06 catalog)

When Your Bulbs Are Blooming, Ask Yourself . . .

        Now is the time to grab a pen and paper and take a long, leisurely walk in the garden. Take notes, take pictures, place markers, draw maps and start itemizing the places in your garden that need more spring flowers. If you wait until fall when it’s time to plant, chances are you will have forgotten what and where bulbs are needed. Take our catalog with you and make lots of notes for your next order. Later you’ll be so glad you did! (April 2005)

One Customer’s Vibrant Bedding Plans

        Our good customer Diane McCue of Wethersfield, CT, wrote in response to the Victorian bedding plans we offered in our last newsletter:
        “My summer garden plans include a giant circle planted with tall cannas in the middle, then dwarf Mexican sunflowers, and then about 40 dark-leaved basil plants. Another circle will be peach-colored cannas in the middle with ribbon-grass bunches around the outer rim. Last year the giant circle was red and bronze ‘Roi Humbert’ canna in middle surrounded by a shorter canna, then some spider plants (cleome), and then large yellow marigolds. Every year it’s different!” (April 2005)

New, Improved Charts Help You Compare Our Bulbs

        We’ve expanded the handy bulb-comparison charts from our catalog and posted them at our website. At the end of every bulb description there’s now a link that reads “Chart to compare,” and we hope you will. Take a peek at our Comparing Heirloom Dahlias chart, for example, to see how helpful they can be! (March 2005)

Get Inspired by a Real Victorian Pattern-Bed

        A hundred years ago and more, Victorian gardeners were enjoying many of the same, vibrant, spring-planted bulbs and annuals that are thrilling gardeners again today. So how about jazzing up your lawn this year with a Victorian-style island bed?
        For inspiration, take a look at a real 1880s pattern-bed. You could reproduce it in the middle of your own lawn with castor-beans in the center ringed by cannas (our heirlooms, of course!), then elephant ears, coleus, and finally dusty miller.
        Or experiment with other plants, old or new, of similar stature and flair, planting the tallest in the center and working outward in concentric circles until you finish with a low-growing annual for a colorful, clean edge. We’ve made some alternative plant suggestions online, but we’d love to hear yours, too. Or email us a photo of your results this summer! (March 2005)

Link of the Month: Finding Expert Local Advice

        A great local resource for gardeners is your Cooperative Extension Office. Every county has one; there’s even one in Manhattan! Most have a help line staffed by Master Gardeners who can identify plants and pests for you and answer many, many gardening questions. For the phone number of your county’s, go to the new www.csrees.usda.gov/Extension/index.html and click on your state. (Dec. 2004)

Do Rodents Eat Your Crocus? Here’s a Solution!

        Joe Eck, writing in Horticulture (March/April 2004), says:
       “Crocuses . . . gladden hearts of gardeners and bees, who travel great distances to find their pollen-rich anthers, almost the first, for them, of the year. But Crocuses can be heartbreakers, since far less benign creatures than bees are partial to their corms. . . . For this reason, we learned years ago to plant all our crocuses in black plastic nursery cans [pots], each covered with a lid of hardware cloth, its corners bent down to clasp the edges. The cans are buried so that the rims and lids lie about two inches below the surface of the soil, and the crocus corms are planted deep, up to eight inches, which prevents them from splitting into tiny cormlets too small to flower. A two-gallon can will hold a dozen species crocus corms comfortably and still leave room for multiplying. Our oldest crocuses planted in this way have been in their cans for 15 years undisturbed, and still flower abundantly each spring. Also, the perennials that come later grow happily over and into the cans, seeming to cause the crocuses no discomfort at all.” (Oct. 2004)

Voles, Yellow Labs, and Bulb Safety

        Our good customer Faye Bailey Timm of Chesapeake, Virginia, writes:
        “Our problem with voles has been alleviated by planting EVERYTHING with Permatil (ground up slate). We also keep our yellow lab away from young flowers by posting two-foot-high green stakes by them. This provides a visual barrier until the plant is large enough to speak for itself. The dog’s presence has slowed down the rabbits, though now we have the dog issue instead!” (Oct 2004)

Too Much Heat? How Will It Affect Your Bulbs?

        The thermometer hit a record high of 85 here this past Sunday, 25 degrees above normal, and we bet you’ve had some sizzling days this spring, too.
        High heat affects bulbs in many ways. It rushes them into bloom, which is fun, but it rushes them right out of bloom, too. Hyacinths that might last a week or two in cooler temperatures topple in a couple of days. It may also keep bulbs from reaching their normal height, especially first-year bulbs with under-developed root systems. The rims of daffodil cups or tulip petals may wither to a crisp, and normally jewel-like colors may fade.
        If the heat persists too long, bulbs may think summer is coming and head into dormancy before they’ve fully recharged themselves. This is one reason the Dutch excel at bulb-growing. Spring there stays cool a long time, giving bulbs plenty of time to bulk up for the future.
        Though you can’t air-condition your garden, you can help your bulbs by keeping them well-watered when it gets too warm. And try not to worry. Bulbs have been dealing with erratic spring weather for millennia. (April 2004)

Protecting Your Plants from Armadillos

        Our creative customer Sharon Black of Paris, Texas, writes:
        “I finally found a solution for armadillos. In the spring, I place what we Southerners call hog wire on top of the prepared soil in my beds. This wire is constructed with 4 x 4 inch square openings and can be cut to fit with wire cutters. I place decorative flat stones over the edges of the wire. Most annuals do OK when one is planted in each square. For larger plants, I just skip a square. Once the plants grow a little, the wire can’t be seen or it can be covered with mulch right after planting. The ’dillos can’t break the wire that is between the plants and soon get frustrated and give up.” (April 2004)

Seasonal Tip: Fertilize Early, Before Bulb Foliage Emerges

        Like all plants, your bulbs will do better when their nutritional needs are met, and that usually means fertilizing them every now and then. If you didn’t scratch some fertilizer into the soil above your newly planted and EXISTING bulbs last fall, early spring is another good time to do it, before or as soon as the foliage emerges. Don’t wait too long or you’ll find it’s hard to keep fertilizer granules from lodging in the whorls of emerging leaves where they can burn the tender foliage. Balanced, slow-release fertilizers are best (aim for 8-8-8), but anything other than high-nitrogen lawn fertilizers will work fine. Fertilizing is especially helpful in revitalizing old, crowded clumps of daffodils that no longer bloom well. (Feb. 2004)

Record Cold – How Will It Affect Your Bulbs?

        Our condolences to our friends in the Northeast as they struggle with record cold! Yes, you can expect some losses, especially among newly-planted bulbs. The colder the weather is, the longer it lasts, and the barer the ground is, the deeper the soil will freeze. We’ve had bulbs survive 20 degrees below zero here for one night with a foot of snow blanketing them that years later were killed by temps that never got below zero but that simply lasted for an unusually long time.
        Though heart-breaking, winter losses open up new opportunities for the gardener. And hopefully you’ll lose less than you might expect. All of our tulips, lilies, crocus, and many of our diverse treasures, if well-established, are recommended for zone 5 with its ten-year-average lows of minus 20 F, and many will be fine in zone 4 — or even zone 3 at 40 below! Remember plants have been facing brutal, unpredictable weather for eons, and no matter what, spring WILL be beautiful. (Jan. 2004)

How Are Your Forced Bulbs Coming Along?

        While the bulbs you’re forcing are rooting, a temperature between 35 and 50 degrees is essential. If it’s not cold enough long enough, the bulbs can’t do the chemical reactions they need to do to grow and flower. You’ll know you’ve short-changed them if the flower stems are weirdly short, sometimes blooming while barely out of the bulb itself. But if the temperature is too low, rooting and growth can be VERY slow. A max-min or high-low thermometer (available from many good garden centers) is one easy solution.
        Also be careful that bulbs you’re forcing in soil stay evenly moist. Early on or when temperatures are low, bulbs often grow slowly and use little water. Later they often grow more quickly and pots can dry out quickly. So check your pots regularly and keep a finger on the soil. (Jan. 2004)
        For more info, see the Forcing sections of our Archives and Planting & Care.

From Our Customers: Protect Your Bulbs with Hot Peppers

        Cayenne pepper is a key ingredient in the pest-protection arsenal of our good customer and garden writer Ethel Fried of West Hartford, CT. She writes:
        “The major threat to bulbs in my garden is tree rats (otherwise known as squirrels). To discourage them I sprinkle the planting hole liberally with cayenne pepper. Then before planting I spray my bulbs with Ro-Pel, place them in the planting hole, cover them with an inch or two of soil, sprinkle on more cayenne, fill the hole, and sprinkle more on top. This turns my planting areas a ghastly orange color – but only temporarily – and it works.
        “When new shoots appear in the spring, I sprinkle them with cayenne a few times, too. Once they’ve sniffed or tasted the hot stuff, the squirrels tend to leave them alone.” Ethel also recommends “mixing squirrel-resistant bulbs like daffodils, alliums and Crocus tommasinianus in with the more susceptible tulips.”
        Pam Sayre of Dearborn, Michigan, says ground cayenne works better than flakes, and that it needs to be renewed after rains. But for especially valuable bulbs, Pam recommends even hotter stuff:
        “Get a pair of disposable or washable gloves to wear while you work with the very hot peppers such as habanero or the African peppers grown as ornamental plants. Take a ripe pepper and slice it into strips about one-fourth inch wide. Place your bulb or tuber in its hole, cover it completely with soil, add a pepper strip, and fill in the hole. Water and fertilize as usual. Do NOT touch your eyes or face until you have washed your hands thoroughly with soap and water, and wash or dispose of the gloves carefully. Once the plants are well established, you don’t need to renew the pepper unless you dig again in the same area or the critters get real hungry.” (Sept. 2003)

Your Tips for Squelching Garden Pests

        Wow! So many of you emailed us great suggestions for dealing with pests that we’ll share them a few at a time over the next few issues. Thanks to all!
        Debbie Caldwell of Farmingdale, Maine, has a most unusual suggestion: “Praying. To the individual spirits of the animals and the plants. This usually includes planting a little extra for the animals and other pests, while talking – praying – to them about it as you do it.” Debbie also recommends laying chicken wire flat, “not on posts,” all around your garden.
        Joan Lindsey of Falmouth, VA, offered a simple solution: “Get a cat – or several cats – and they will patrol the garden and keep mice, voles and rabbits out.”
        But Esther de Ipolyi of Houston, disagrees. “Cats,” she says, “are the most destructive force in my garden.” Esther keeps both cats and dogs away organically by sprinkling cayenne pepper around the edges of her garden. “I buy it in bulk cheaply at Middle Eastern grocery stores,” she says. She also recommends buying “long thin wooden skewers at the Asian markets – 100 for $1. Break them in half and stick them into the garden every few inches” where cats may be tempted to meddle. For smaller pests, Esther says possums are great. “I’m happy when they visit at night and eat the slugs! Bless them!” (Sept 2003)

Tips from Our Customers: Stretching Your Hardiness Zone

        Joss Moroney of Boston writes: “I use the brick wall of my house that faces south to plant the really tender stuff. The east wall works well, too. I wintered over ‘Bishop of Llandaff’ last winter by mistake, and I always winter over my glads. Planting things deeply helps, and I also mulch carefully. I get bags of leaves from my neighbors in the fall. At the solstice I get Christmas tree branches from a nearby vendor and fling those over the leaves to hold them in place. Then I pray for snow!”
        Kathy Hill of Dallas seconds that advice: “We’re in zone 8a but I have successfully grown several zone-9 plants. I plant them close to the house where they get heat from the bricks plus protection from the wind. But the major thing I do to stretch my zone is mulch, mulch, mulch. I add three inches or more of cedar mulch in the fall before it gets cold, and I believe that does more to stretch my zone than anything.”
        Bev Youngs of zone-4 Sault Ste. Marie, MI, praises a different mulch: “Our first winters here were pretty “normal” – about 100 inches of snow. The last two years have been pretty mild. This year, in fact, I’ve been shoveling snow onto bare spots in the garden because the snow cover is what protects those plants I have that are on the zone edges – crocosmia, for example, and even zone-6 ‘St. Brigid’ anemones. I’ve learned to pay close attention to cultural instructions, too. Healthy plants survive the cold better.” (Feb 2003)

Tips for Success: Too Dry?

        If you haven’t seen rain in way too long, one bit of good news is that bulbs are built for drought and most of yours should be fine. Some, like tulips and hyacinths, may even perform better than ever next spring, since they prefer dry summers – as in their ancestral homelands.
        Even tulips and hyacinths, though, need good moisture while in growth – from fall till six weeks after bloom – so be sure they get that or their performance will suffer. Newly-planted bulbs are especially vulnerable.
        Cannas and elephant ears like LOTS of water. In our trial gardens here we build a ring of soil around each plant and fill it with water every day or two, or we set pots of them in saucers kept full of water. Regular fertilizing helps these heavy feeders, too. (Sept. 2002)

Stop the Flop: 5-Second Staking

        To keep a wayward hyacinth upright, cut a thin bamboo stake about 12 inches long and run it along the stem from the top down into the soil a few inches (not so deep that you hit the bulb). The florets will clasp the stake, and you’re done! (2002-03 catalog)

Keeping Cannas in Pots Well-Watered with Less Work

        Our good customer Melissa Oldsberg of Chaska, MN, writes:
        “I like to plant my cannas in large pots on the deck, but they like a lot of water and can dry out quickly there. So I use ‘rain gel’ granules in my pots. They’re a potassium-based, ‘super-absorbent polymer’ (which works much better than the sodium-based kind). Only one small teaspoon of granules will easily keep a pot of cannas moist for 7-10 days.” (2000-01 catalog)

Bone Shavings & Hartshorn: Victorian Tips on Forcing

        In his 1863 Flowers for the Parlor and Garden, popular Victorian garden writer E. S. Rand gave some unusual tips for forcing hyacinths:
       “If small bits of powdered charcoal be mixed with the earth, it imparts great depth and brilliancy of color to the flowers, and a dark, rich green to the foliage. Bone shavings or horn scrapings assist a full development of foliage and flower. If the plants are watered once a fort-night with a very weak solution of glue, or a few drops of hartshorn added to the water, the same effect with be produced.” (1999-2000 catalog)

Re-blooming Hyacinths After Forcing Them

        “Can I plant my hyacinths in my garden after I force them indoors?” That’s a question we’re often asked. Here’s one testimonial from our long-time customer Bonnie Jean Malcolm of Essex, Massachusetts, writing of gardening at her former home in the San Bernardino Mountains of California:
       “I force my hyacinths in hyacinth jars. After they stop blooming, I take them out of the water and lay them on a paper bag and let them dry. . . . In the fall, I plant them outside with plant food (whatever kind I have). . . . I had read that one should just throw away forced bulbs, as they never did well, but I couldn’t bear to throw away such lovely bulbs. . . . Mine settled in and multiplied and I got good blooms.” (1999-2000 catalog)

To Hide Yellowing Bulb Foliage, Tasha Tudor Recommends “Enthusiastic Fillers”

        Tasha Tudor isn’t just the beloved author and illustrator of 1 is One, Corgiville Fair and scores of other children’s books, she’s also an avid gardener with a special love for heirloom flowers – including our bulbs! In the April 1998 issue of Horticulture magazine, Tovah Martin shares some of Tasha’s advice for making yellowing bulb foliage virtually disappear:
        “Spring arrives late in Tasha Tudor’s New England garden, but when it comes, it arrives with an onslaught of bulbs. . . . However, the bulbs don’t last forever . . . , so Tasha plans ahead for summer.
        “Even before the foliage of the bulbs . . . begins to turn brown, an underplanting is gearing up to mount the stage and steal the show. Of course, Tasha will insist that she doesn’t underplant specifically to hide the dying bulb foliage. The forget-me-nots and Johnny-jump-ups . . . now appear in profusion of their own accord. But at one time, they were certainly planted to take up the tempo as the bulbs fade.
        “Meanwhile, other enthusiastic fillers take full advantage of Tasha’s hospitality. Feverfew seeds in wherever it finds open ground. Annuals are also tucked here and there in promising nooks and crannies. Sweet alyssum is Tasha’s favorite and most frequently employed annual for the purpose, slipped into the soil wherever it can fill a gap. Later the dianthus flushes out; valerian (Valeriana officinalis) adds flowers, and lady’s mantle (Alchemilla mollis) adds leaves. By June, you would never guess that the garden was once running rampant with narcissus and that beneath the lush garden, bulbs are slowly slipping away.” (1999-2000 catalog)

Garden Wisdom from E. A. Bowles

        One of the greatest bulb connoisseurs of the twentieth century, E. A. Bowles was also an insightful gardener. In his 1914 My Garden in Spring, he writes:
       “Right letting alone and right meddling are the beginning and the ending of good gardening, and . . . the simplest effects are just precisely those which defy money and ambition and effort and everything but tireless patience, attention, and knowledge bought at first hand with pain.” (1998-99 catalog)

Garden Wisdom from Gertrude Jekyll

        Gertrude Jekyll may have been the most influential gardener of the twentieth century. Here’s one of her simple planting techniques that I’ve found very helpful in my own gardening, as explained in Judith Tankard and Martin Wood’s fine Gertrude Jekyll at Munstead Wood:
        “One of the secrets of the border’s success [at Jekyll’s home] lay in the style of planting. All her borders were habitually planted in ‘long rather than block-shaped patches’ because, as she observed, ‘a thin long planting does not leave an unsightly empty space when the flowers are done’ [or the bulbs’ foliage is yellowing], especially if the borders were built up in layers, using long narrow-shaped drifts that interlocked and overlapped one another.” (1998-99 catalog)

1927 Advice: What to Plant with Your Bulbs

        In his popular 1927 Book of Bulbs, F.F. Rockwell offered four lists of flowers to grow with bulbs:
        Annuals to sow between bulbs in early spring: Shirley poppies, California poppies, annual candytuft, godetia (Clarkia), larkspur, lobelia, annual phlox (P. drummondii), moss rose (Portulaca), and Schizanthus.
       Plants to set out between bulbs in spring: alyssum, pansies, English daisies, lobelia, annual candytuft, wallflowers, Siberian wallflowers, and forget-me-nots (Myosotis alpestris)
        Hardy ground-cover plants to plant with bulbs: rockcress (Arabis), aubretia, basket-of-gold (Aurinia), snow-in-summer (Cerastium), dwarf or creeping Gypsophila, creeping mint, and mossy saxifrage.
        Plants to use after removing bulbs: China asters, tuberous and wax begonias (in partial shade), cannas, godetia (Clarkia), geraniums, heliotrope, lupines, marigolds, snapdragons, verbenas, zinnias, and violas. (1996 catalog)

Companion Plants for Spring-Blooming Bulbs

        Spring can be even more beautiful when you combine your bulbs with some of these old favorites, listed roughly in the order of their flowering:
        Hellebores, aubretia, basket-of-gold, Dutchman’s breeches, bergenia, Virginia bluebells, primroses, cowslips, creeping or moss phlox, bleeding-heart, honesty, forget-me-nots, English daisies, candytuft, woodland phlox (Phlox divaricata), fringed bleeding-heart, lemon lily (Hemerocallis flava), spiderwort, Jacob’s ladder, and dame’s or sweet rocket – for a start! (1995 catalog)

For articles on other topics, see our main Newsletter Archives page.