At this time of year we are usually marking meeting dates on our calendars, but not this year!聽 There are still no meeting dates set for the Yorkton and District Horticultural Society.聽 But that doesn鈥檛 stop gardeners!聽 We are keeping busy with various things, and you can read all about it by visiting our website at www.yorktonhort.ca聽 As soon as things change and we have a meeting date, we鈥檒l let you know!
The weather has been good so far, perfect for tidying up our yards and perhaps moving some perennials.聽 But this is also the time when we can be planting bulbs for next spring.聽 What a delight it is to see those beautiful green leaves coming up after a long, cold winter!聽 And that pop of color from the first tulips or daffodils is a real treat!
So where do we begin?聽 Now is the time to plant bulbs, they like the cooler soil.聽 Finding a good location is the first step.聽 Look for a sunny spot with well-drained soil.聽 Dig up the area first to loosen the soil, and perhaps add some compost, if you have it.
When we buy our bulbs, we should look for nice plump bulbs that aren鈥檛 bruised or scratched.聽 Some might have a sort of papery shell, just leave that as is.
The best impact of bulbs is planting them in clusters or drifts.聽 Please don鈥檛 plant them in rows.聽 This has no visual appeal, and as lovely as the blooms might be, they look unnatural in a row.聽 Sometimes gardeners might look at a bag of twenty five bulbs and think, oh, that鈥檚 way too many bulbs for me to plant.聽 But you know, that would make a most appealing cluster, and it wouldn鈥檛 be too many at all.聽 Think about this: if we had 25 bulbs and planted them three inches apart for a great visual impact, that鈥檚 an area roughly 15 inches square.聽 We could spread them out a bit more, but if they are too far away from their neighbors we lose the 鈥渨ow鈥� factor when they begin to bloom!
Bulbs should be planted in a hole at least three times the height of the bulb.聽 This often works out to be about six inches deep, or deeper for bigger bulbs.聽 Don鈥檛 plant them too deep, or they will come up later than we hoped.聽 But they must be planted deeper than planting onions, for example. Check what the package says about the depth, and how far apart the bulbs should be.
And here鈥檚 an important point: be sure to plant them right side up!聽 They are not like potatoes that can get tossed into the ground any which way.聽 Bulbs have a definite top and bottom: the slightly pointed end goes up.聽 When we are planting them, we should set them firmly in the hole with the pointed end up.
Once all our bulbs are planted, fill in the hole and water gently.聽 And of course, mark the area with sticks so that you know where to watch for them in the spring.聽 Going ahead to next spring, once the flowers are finished blooming, we should deadhead them, but leave the leaves till they die back naturally.聽 The leaves continue to build strength in the bulb for the following year.
I know I shared the story with you of how Toby and I planted orange tulips the last fall he was with us.聽 I鈥檓 happy to tell you that those tulips are still blooming each spring, and a wonderful reminder of very happy times. We have since added another cluster of orange tulips, and they look so cheery!
Thank you to everyone at Yorkton This Week for their great work.聽 Let鈥檚 pray for health for all and happy times ahead.聽 Have a great week, and get out there and enjoy the fall garden!
