Fall Bulb Planting

Believe it or not, right now's the time to think about gorgeous Spring color in your garden. Daffodils, crocuses, hyacinths, irises and tulips all bring splashes of blue, white, purple, yellow, pink and red to days that can still feel cold and dreary. By planning and planting now, you can have the best results for your efforts.

Just when should you plant your bulbs? Ideally after the first frost, so that the cool weather keeps them safe from damage. The zone that you live in controls your planting time, so check with your nursery to ensure that you are planting your bulbs during the right time for your zone. You can also check here at http://www.ufseeds.com/Find-Your-Zone_700ff99396dedad5f.html

Where's the best place to plant? We recommend that you plant your bulbs at least 5 feet out from your foundations, as heat from the buildings can damage them. Make sure your soil is well-drained, and that it's pH falls between 6.0 and 7.0.

How far apart, how deep? Generally, large bulbs can be planted 8 inches deep and 6 inches apart. Small bulbs should be planted at 5 inches deep and about 3 inches apart. All bulbs should be planted pointy-side up. It's best to put a bit of fertilizer in the bottom of each hole you dig before you put in the bulb. After covering your bulbs with soil, mulch about 3 inches deep over the top to protect your bulbs.

In our area, the deer think bulbs are a tasty addition to their diet, and will paw up bulbs that are shallow - especially irises and tulips. So, take care to plant properly and enjoy your results!

Inadvertant Mud Slinging

As we hop our "Grasshopper" mowers between the raindrops these past few weeks, we share in your frustration - cutting the extremely long grass, while NOT striping the lawn with a thin strip of mud that draws up the wheels with each pass, is a nearly impossible feat. 

Some lawns are just too wet to cut - mowers and feet both sink into the ground. Soon, we will fondly remember all the water, as we enter the hot dry season coming up here.

Till then, anyone invented the hovercraft mower yet?

Are You A Dead-Header?

Summer's here, and with it comes a rainbow of color in flowers. Beds filled with purple and fuschia petunias, yellow and orange marigolds, zinnias in sizzlin' hot summer shades and hanging baskets filled with multi-colored annuals - and all of them require dead-heading to keep their blooms coming. The more old blooms you can take off, the more consistent color you'll see. 

Don't forget to fertilize, using your choice of a vast array of fertilizers out there. But that's another blog for another day.

And keep watering regularly, after we stop getting deluged here in the Northeast, of course. Later in the summer, especially, guard against the soil becoming too dry and you'll enjoy your flowers well into the Fall.