Now is the time to
plant tender summer/fall blooming bulbs. I have gladiolus (which are not a true
bulb but a "corm" - never too old to learn something new) that I took
up last fall and stored over the winter in my cellar (a fairly cool dry place).
My attic also stays cool and does not freeze (but the mice always find their
way in). Before replanting, I separate any that doubled or grew
"babies" (which won't bloom till next year). I selected a spot (where
Johnny-Jump-Ups grow) that was already cultivated that needed only to have the
buried rocks removed (they seem to grow over the winter). You can see the rocks
are temporarily piled on the stump in the picture below. Next I used the green
long handled bulb planter to make 4 inch deep holes. That is deep enough for
the small (an inch to inch and one half) to insure they won't emerge until
frost danger is past. It has a lever which opens the bottom to release the
dirt. If any of the hole sides fall in, I used the long handled trowel to clean
out the hole. Both are shown below (do you see a pattern here with long
handles?). Also see a bottle of natural Deer & Rabbit repellent which
contains garlic, rotten eggs, etc, that is available in several sizes at Agway.
I bought it originally to keep the squirrels from digging up my tulip bulbs. I
sprayed some on the glads after I dropped them (root side down) into the holes.
I put a small amount of compost into each hole (in lieu of mixing it into the
whole bed) before covering the bulbs. Because we were expecting ample rain (to
start them growing) I skipped watering them. To view an excellent Lowe's video
on spring and summer bulb planting,
click here. If you watch it
through, it suggests a video on raised beds. For even more info about planting
and storing bulbs, click here.
If you have peonies, iris, hostas, etc. (like I do), hopefully you cleared away last years stalks. If not, do it now, being careful to avoid damaging the new shoots. Also consider putting up support fencing now before your peonies get too large, and definitely before they develop their heavy blooms (which would otherwise cause them to droop to the ground). I use a 2 foot high green fence (which is almost invisible in the picture below) for part of mine and two shortened tomato cages for a small group to the right of the tree. The tree came up unnoticed in the bed about 40 years ago (but is vary noticeable now).
Take time out to
smell the flowers - Mr. C.
