You may say…”are you kidding”? Why are you just now posting on spring bulbs? Isn’t our bulb planting season long over? In our region (zone 3-5) it is recommended bulbs be planted September through November. Of course weather patterns dictate the timing. Our mild autumn has delivered an incredible opportunity to extend our North Country bulb planting season. This weekend the weather will be most comfortable so get out and dig! And what better time to get super buys on remaining bulbs! As retail scrambles to make room for the Black Friday Craze….you may find deep discounts on bulbs. So take advantage of the weather and sales this weekend.
I find spring bulbs a real comfort and sign of garden season promise after our long winter. These days I am incredibly select in the type of spring bulbs I plant. For years I suffered from “Spring bulb remorse”. I invest time and money planting a variety of spring bulbs….only to find few if any merge for my anticipated spring garden dance. Garden rodents have inevitably feasted upon my labors all winter long! Hey Garden Goddess…….thanks for the winter food!
This forced me to eliminate using any tulips and opt for varieties of daffodils, muscari and allium. in my spring displays. These types of bulbs appear most rodent resistant and tend to multiply (self-propagate) to expand my bloom numbers each year. (now I call that a sustainable garden choice) If I want to see tulips…I head down to Albany for the tulip festival in the spring.
Daffodil varieties offer a wide range of colors, shapes, sizes and bloom times that can make for a terrific spring garden display. The bulb itself is critter proof because it is poisonous to garden rodents. So that bumper crop of rabbits, chipmunks, squirrels, moles, voles,mice and deer that have terrorized your garden all season, avoid the daffodil. In addition to the a fore mentioned attributes, various types of daffodils produce different numbers of bloom per bulb. So you can plan on creating some cheerful indoor arrangements around your home, and not totally eliminate your outdoor display.
I always supplement the daffodils with varieties of Allium and Muscari. The purple and white hues, sizes and bloom textures provide additional interest in displays. The Muscari multiplies nicely and the allium is a strong survivor year to year.
I am pleased to see that the National Garden Bureau agrees with me! They have selected the Daffodil for their prestigious 2017 plant of the year, “Each year The National Garden Bureau Board of
Directors selects crops with which consumers can be successful. Each
crop is easy to grow, genetically diverse and include lots of new
varieties–all traits that will help consumers and their gardens
flourish”. (National Garden Bureau Year of Newsletter Nov. 2016) Thus making 2017, Year of the Daffodil.
Don’t suffer from “spring bulb remorse” in 2017. Choose to keep your garden practices “common sense and sustainable” by selecting durable bulbs. Thanks to the National Garden Bureau for images and “Year of” references. Looking for more information on daffodil planting and bulb types visit: American Daffodil Society daffodilusa.org
