Hallelujah, we’re back to more seasonal weather this week. The leaves are putting up a beautiful autumnal show, garden clean up is underway and, because gardeners are always optimistic and looking ahead, planting for spring has begun.

In my garden, all the tender perennials are tucked safely in the greenhouse which is filled to bursting. The meadow has got its annual mowing just in time for bulb planting. In the herb garden, apart from the still thriving Swiss chard, boxwoods and hellebores, the plants have been cut back. All that remains to be done here is the application of a good layer of compost mulch. The peonies along the side path have also been cut back. I have three new peonies waiting to be planted in the mix. In the front perennial beds, I’m letting the plants be for another couple of weeks. They look quite seasonal with the fading asters, the bright yellow foliage of amsonia, waving ornamental grasses and assorted seed heads.

All this work is leading up to the rather exhausting project of bulb planting. While the previously mentioned tasks signal the end of the growing season and the coming of winter, bulb planting demonstrates the certainty that spring will come again. Despite the guaranteed aches and pains that follow this annual activity, one cannot help feeling cheered by visions of happy bulbs sparkling and ushering in the spring. It is exactly such dreams that keep me going.

My order of about 700 bulbs arrived recently. The Eremurus I ordered require planting as soon as possible. The rest of the bulbs will be attended to in due course. While I absolutely crave the fox-tail lilies in my garden, my previous two attempts to grow them have been utter failures. Apparently, my garden does not meet their standards. This time will be my third and final try. I’m keeping fingers crossed tightly. I admit to a sense of desperation.

As promised last week, here are my tips for planting bulbs:

First and foremost, I order my bulbs by late June/early July. It allows me to go through the catalogs at a pleasurable pace and ensures that I get the specific bulbs I want in the quantity I want.
If you have not ordered any, local nurseries still have bulbs available. Hurry on there and get your share. No garden should be left out of a spring showing of bulbs.
Resolve to get your act together for next year’s bulb order.

When to plant : the rule of thumb is planting should happen after the soil temperature has dropped to about 55 degrees. In Europe, there is a timeline for different bulbs – snowdrops in early October, daffodils in late October, tulips in November, alliums in December etc but thankfully, here in the North-East, the various spring blooming bulbs can be done all at the same time once the temperature of the soil is suitable.

Select bulbs so that there is a sequence in the flowering. Starting with early bulbs like scillas and snowdrops to alliums and lilies into the summer.

Choose your bulbs wisely. No tulips in deer country but alliums and daffodils will do great. Similarly, don’t order small bulbs like scillas and snowdrops for areas thick with evergreen groundcover as the diminutive beauties will struggle to emerge through and gain visibility.

Plant the bulbs at the correct depths. Generally, that means three times the height of the bulb. When in doubt go deep. Except in the case of peonies and iris rhizomes – they need shallow planting or you will be rewarded with lush foliage but no flowers.

To achieve a cohesive yet dramatic look, order a larger quantity of of a few types of bulbs rather than a meager amount of a variety of them.

Invest in the right planting implements. It’ll make the work easier. Really.

The planting instructions that the bulbs arrive with are mere guidelines. I find it much more effective to plant my bulbs a bit closer than advised and in a mixed/scattered manner. In this way, I achieve a more natural, organic look.

To encourage reblooming and naturalization, after the blooms are done, let the leaves be. Do not braid them, tie them or remove them till they are completely yellow and done. Those leaves must be left to work hard to replenish the bulbs so they are fed and ready for the next time around.

When it comes to tulips, I consider them as annuals since most do not return the following year. However, I let the leaves die back and do not remove the bulbs. Every now and then, the tulips do make a comeback and gladden my heart no end. Restores my faith.

Enjoy my watercolor renditions of some favorite bulbs:

Hyacinth

Tulip

Daffodil

Scilla

Crocus

Iris reticulata

Lily

Iris

(c) 2016 Shobha Vanchiswar

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