Cutting Bulb Foliage
You may know that cutting bulb foliage down before it fades shortens the life of your bulbs, causing them to produce fewer or no blooms the following year. But, did you know that the foliage of some bulbs fades much more quickly than that of other bulbs? If the thought of looking at strappy green leaves for six weeks in your flower garden is unappealing, plant allium bulbs in the landscape. The foliage of these plants starts to turn yellow as the flowers come into bloom, so you can cut the entire plant down when the flowers fade. Muscari bulbs are at the opposite end of the spectrum: After the foliage fades, it returns in the fall and endures for the winter.
Photo © Jamie McIntosh
Proper Plant Spacing in the Flower Garden
Spring is a time when gardeners are subject to landscape envy. Suddenly, you notice the fire pit, mature shade trees, and vine draped pergola of your neighbors, and you want to have a piece of that. This fervor to accomplish a complete garden in one season can lead to a common garden mistake, planting shrubs and flowers too close together in the ground.
It's difficult to imagine that the 1-quart azalea you bought at the nursery today will soar to eight feet in a few years. However, you must trust the spacing instructions on the label! Failure to do so will result in overcrowding that at best looks unkempt and at worst, leads to plant decline and eventual death. Overcrowded plants are subject to diseases when air circulation and sunlight can't reach all of the leaves.
If the three shrubs you planted aren't giving you the illusion of grandeur you envisioned, instead of cramming them together, fill in the temporary gaps with flowering annuals. In five years when the shrubs mature, you'll be patting yourself on the back for your garden wisdom.
New on About Flowers:
Photo © Jamie McIntosh
Spoiled Rotten Plants
My kids and I enjoy watching Spoiled Rotten Pets, getting a chuckle out of the amazing lengths some pet owners go to in pampering their dogs, cats, and even rats. I wonder if the producers would ever consider a knock-off show about fabulous gardens and their keepers? Do you have any "spoiled rotten plants?" Here are a few habits that might qualify you for the show:
- Deadheading flowering plants every day, in order to maximize reblooming tendencies
- Hand watering plants, taking care to keep water off foliage and to provide the exact amount the plants need
- Providing homemade compost tea each week to boost plant performance and immune systems
- Removing every piece of dropped foliage to deny insect pests and mildew spores a place to hide
Photo © Jamie McIntosh
Late Spring Gardening
My garden frog is confused. Yesterday, he basked in a carpet of flowers in 80 degree weather. Today, he scowls during an aberrant May snow shower. How will the flowers I planted this week endure? Row covers are one way to guard against late frosts; cold frames and buckets also work for smaller gardens. Not foolproof, but better than the fist-shaking and nervous chocolate nibbling I've been engaging in today.
New on About Flowers: Use Recycled Materials in the Flower Garden
Photo © Jamie McIntosh
Celebrate May Day
How is your spring flower garden growing this May Day? Share the blooming bounty by leaving a surprise flower cone or flower basket on a friend's doorstep. I'm squeezing in as much garden time as possible today, as tomorrow's forecast includes all day showers and high temperatures in the 40's.
Photo © Wayne Wilkinson
Control Dandelions
Who hasn't occasionally admired the cheerful yellow flowers of dandelions, popping up in the landscape with other early blooms like tulips and hyacinths? I don't think I've ever seen a bigger one in my yard than this one in the photo, which my daughter watered eagerly along with all of the other garden flowers. Our abundant rains made removal with a small trowel easy, but digging individual specimens is no way to tackle a serious dandelion infestation. Check out David Beaulieu's comprehensive article on dandelion control, and clear more space for desirable spring flowers.
New on About Flowers: 5 Garden Habits to Avoid
Photo © Jamie McIntosh
Late Spring in the Garden
Three weeks ago, with a song in my heart, I rushed to the nursery to purchase pansies and seed starting supplies. Today, Mother Nature showed us she is as mercurial as a teenager is when she blasted our region with frigid winds and a spitting snowstorm. I accompanied my family to the hardware store to spend a gift certificate we received at Christmastime, and I was prepared to spend my share on something for the garden. However, the swirling snowflakes dampened my garden spirit. I know that the chance of frost isn't behind us here until the first of May, but how did we go from flip-flops to snow boots in the span of a week?
I should stop my whining. Our gardening friends in the upper Midwest and alpine regions have weeks of touch-and-go weather to contend with before they can plant the first vinca. If your mind is in zone 8, but your garden is in zone 3, try these tips to deal with winter's final grip:
- Call your utility company and see if they deliver free mulch from tree trimming to customers.
- Buy a fragrant houseplant from your local nursery, and treat yourself to some aromatherapy.
- Sharpen and clean all of your pruning implements.
- Read over your garden journals from past years, and decide what you'll do differently this year to make your garden the best it can be.
Photo © Matt Cardy/Getty Images
Wordless Wednesday: Cambodian Flower Market
Early Weed Control
This weekend, taking advantage of the first seasonal day outdoors in quite a while, I noticed with alarm that there were many things growing in my garden without my permission. The grass seed I applied in the fall had germinated happily in loamy beds. Dandelions were finding a purchase between every stone. Self-seeding volunteer flowers were sprouting by the hundred, waiting for no one to thin them. I got busy quickly, abandoning my pruning shears for hands, hoe, and trowel. The moist soil made weed pulling easy, and the interlopers had nowhere to hide, as many of my perennials haven't emerged yet. Make a point of pulling weeds before they develop strong roots or set seed, and you're less likely to resort to chemical herbicides in your flower garden.
New on About Flowers:
Night Scented Stock
Scented stock is nothing new amongst the springtime offerings at the nursery, but the new stock varieties offer better beauty without sacrificing scent. While the demure flowers of heirloom stock are fine for filling large areas with fragrant flowers, seek out the new types like the 24-inch, double-flowered 'Legacy' series for your containers. Buy an inexpensive six-pack to fill in your hanging baskets, and discard the plants when hot temperatures cause flowering to cease.
Photo © Jamie McIntosh