More on Bulbs and Fall Plantings

I'd like to share some tips from The Old Dirt Dobber's Garden Book, published in 1944, today. We are almost running out of time to plant bulbs, rhyzomes and corms in the Northern areas. It's not too late to dig up Iris and replant them if need be. They don't do as well crowded in clumps, so it's a good time to divide. Lilies of all varieties can be planted and divided as well. I also do this in the spring with success. Mr. Williams has this to say:

Fall is the best time to plan all varieties of lilies. The bulbs should be kept out of sunlight, preferably stored in damp sand or moss until time for actual planting. When the scales of the lilies dry out excessively, they frequently take two or three years to recuperate sufficiently to bloom. Do not worry about whether your soil will grow lilies; any good garden soil in which you've been growing annual, perennials or vegetables will suit them.

Note: I've found this is true too. The only problem I've run across is they don't do well when crowded, or when weeds become to thick. The north side of our house had three or four types of lilies planted when we purchased it, but they were overgrown with thick weeds, and crowded. Each year I dug up a clump or two, divided and moved to new flower beds where they flourished. However, there were so many, it took me several years to get them relocated since I had to dig new beds around our property.

More from Mr. Williams:

Water standing around bulbs will increase the likelihood of rot. An easy solution to this essential requirement is to put one inch of sand in the bottom of each hole, set the bulb on this sand, and then surround and cover the entire bulb with sand before filling in the hole with top soil.

Do not allow any fertilizer to come into contact with the bulb itself. Any of the good commercial fertilizers or well-rotted stable manure may be mixed with the top soil in filling in and covering the area where lilies are planted.

Notes: I used compost and organic fertilizer when planting bulbs or new plants.

More on planting:

The depth of planting for lily bulbs varies according to their size, and a safe rule to follow is to plant them four times their depth in light soil, and three times their depth in heavy soil. The applies to all except the Madonna lily, which is shallow-rooted and should not be put more than two or two and a half inches below the surface of the ground. Madonnas should be planted in August or early September to allow for the fall growth of leaf rosettes which remain green throughout winter.

Notes: The Madonna lily, L. candidum, is an heirloom plant and one of the oldest around. It's white/cream colored and grows similar to an oriental lily. Once established it's very hardy and will thrive in fertile soil.

I love growing lilies, and can't imagine not having them in my landscape. Check your local garden nurseries for deals this time of year, and divide what you have only if they seem to be crowded and blooming less each year. Otherwise, leave them alone and enjoy!

On OFL I also have tips on growing Oriental lilies:
http://oldfashionedliving.com/lily.html

~Brenda

An Adventure in Bulbs

One of my favorite garden writers is Louise Beebe Wilder because of thoughts like the one below. She was speaking about Fritillarias and how they can be difficult to grow:

I have at times thought that like some persons, they do not, themselves, know what they want. Just plain cussed, as our farmer friends would say.

I own a copy of Adventures with Hardy Bulbs, from which this quote comes from. It was written in 1936 by Mrs. Wilder, and illustrated by her husband Walter. Today I wanted to share a little bit from her book about naturalizing bulbs, plus a few of my own thoughts.

"...to naturalize bulbs means to merely plant them in an informal and unstudied manner in contradistinction to their use in formal beds."

"it means to broadcast them on a generous scale in woods, in meadows, by pond and streamside, along winding paths, on rough banks or about the outskirts of the garden, to suggest, as best we may, Nature's handicraft, not man's."

These bulbs tend to naturalize well: galanthus, scillas, crocuses, muscari, daffodils, most tulips, alliums, and anemones. One method to use for naturalizing is to pick a location then simply toss the bulbs out by the handful, starting with one to two dozen bulbs. Grab the kids and dig under where each bulb landed. Each bulb will have it's own depth listed on the package, but it's usually at least 2-3 times the length of the bulb itself. Don't worry about spacing. The whole point is to make the planting look "natural". This is what Mrs. Wilder has to say:

"...we must clear our minds of the idea of boundaries, forget the girdle of the garden hedge, get right away from the memory of straight lines or of beds."

One word of warning: you will NOT be able to mow the area until the foliage has browned after they bloom. This could take a month, sometimes longer, so bear this in mind when choosing a location. Consider the edge of a wooded area, or out of the way places that can be enjoyed when the blooms are out, but can be left alone for awhile afterwards.

The last thing to consider is the combination of bulbs you will use for naturalization. Choose bulbs that will compliment each other when it comes to color and size. Small daffodil varieties will mix well with other short bulbs, but will be overwhelmed if sharing a space with a tall, larger variety of bulbs. Here is one last bit of advice from Mrs. Wilder:

"It is losing a great opportunity not to give a floor of bulbous plants to such flowering trees and shrubs as Dogwoods, Almonds, Forsythias, Crab-Apples, Japanese and orchard Cherries, Witch Hazels, Magnolias, Peaches, Laburnums, Lilacs, Mock Oranges, Thorns and Azaleas. The shade of most of these is not too heavy for even the sun lovers to survive."

If you've never attempted to naturalize before, consider starting with a small out of the way area using inexpensive varieties of bulbs this fall. If it goes well, a larger area can naturalized the next year. Plan ahead, be creative and have fun!

On OFL we have a list of bulbs to plant for early spring bloom:

http://oldfashionedliving.com/bulbs6.html

~Brenda