Every year I grumble about planting fall bulbs. I am never craving flowers in October - the mums are in full swing and the last of the dahlias and roses are still hanging on. It is inevitably wet and cold on the day I set aside to do it. I trudge through the process each fall, muttering to myself all the while that this seems like an awful lot of work for a few weeks of flowers.
But then November comes, and everything is brown. Then December rolls into January, and the prospect of spring blooms seems pretty darn good. By the time the first buds explode into bloom in March, I am genuinely thankful that I spent all that time crawling around in the mud.
We sell a few different types of fall-blooming flowers at The Eucalypt. This is a primer on how, when and where to plant them, and what to do with them once they're done blooming.
RULES OF THUMB
There are a few universal truths when it comes to fall planting.
Bulbs must be planted in well-drained soil. This means that there is no standing water on the soil in the winter. If bulbs are planted in a soggy area, they will rot. This is an inescapable fact.
Narcissi, tulips and allium are tough as nails when it comes to the cold, and do not require mulch.
Do not cut down green foliage if you want to see your bulbs return next year. Wait until the foliage starts to brown significantly before removing it. If the brown foliage is really obvious, the solution is to plant more late-spring plants in the bed, to cover the fading leaves of the early spring bloomers. Damn it...you'll just have to buy more plants.
Bulbs should be planted at a depth that is approximately three times the height of the bulb. If you are planting bulbs in the same hole that are multiple sizes (ie little dwarf narcissi along with huge trumpets) you can get away with putting them all at the depth of the largest bulb, though a thoughtful bulb-parent would toss a bit of soil on the big guys before scattering the small ones. (I am not a thoughtful bulb-parent.)
You can toss some bone meal in the bottom of your planting holes if you want, with a bit of soil sprinkled on top before the bulbs go in (never let any part of a plant have direct contact with any fertilizer). No fertilizer is required in the spring although, like any other plant, they will appreciate a top dressing of well-rotted manure.
NARCISSI
Commonly known as daffodils, narcissi are one of the earliest signs of spring. Many gardeners dismiss the entire genus because they are not keen on the typical Bright Yellow Trumpet Daffodil, but to do so is to miss out on a huge selection of truly gorgeous flowers that are anything but typical. Narcissi come in peach tones, apricots, whites, creams, oranges, and every imaginable shade of yellow, from the palest butter to the brightest taxi cab. The palette is broad, but still entirely complementary - any combination of narcissi will look lovely. Petals are single, double, trumpeted, split and bell-shaped. Flowers range from the diminutive one-inch blooms of the miniatures to the huge five-inch blooms of the statuesque doubles.
As a fundamentally lazy gardener, narcissi are my favourite fall bulbs because they need only be planted once and I never have to think about them again. Narcissi multiply every year - horticultural-type people call this "naturalizing", I think just because they like making up words - and are one of the few plants that are completely deer resistant. (A fawn may take a nibble or two early in the season, but as their little tummies are hurting them later on they will make the association and steer clear in future.)
Different types of narcissi bloom at different times. The very first to poke their heads up are the little dwarfs, usually in late February, and different cultivars will bloom all the way into late April. This means that if you plan your narcissi plantings, you can have a garden full of narcissi from February on until the tulips really get going in May.
Narcissi prefer to be in full sun, but will tolerate a fair bit of shade. Aim for a spot that gets at least 4 hours of direct sun a day in February. The plants will have more energy, and will therefore bloom and multiply more effectively, if they are in full sun (6+ hours per day).
When we install new narcissi beds, my preferred method is to assemble early, mid and late-blooming varieties (a couple varieties of each, preferably different heights, colours and flower shapes), dump them in a wheel barrow, and mix them all up. Then we dig wide holes, remembering to aim for a depth about three times as deep as the height of the largest bulb we are planting. (Determining the height of a narcissus bulb can be a bit of a headscratcher, as they have a prominent point on them. Aim to plant these bulbs three times the height of the bulb as measured to about halfway up the point. Don't overthink it.) We then use a plastic pail to scoop out enough bulbs to fill the space with bulbs positioned about 5 inches from one another. (The pointy bit of the bulb should be facing upwards, but if it's sideways the plant will figure it out. They're quite clever.) Then all the displaced soil gets put back on top and we're done. The result of this planting method is constantly-evolving bed that is in bloom from early March through May. Different heights keep the eye moving, and different flower shapes provide texture and charm. All we need to do after planting is snap the heads off of spent flowers when we walk by (I chuck them in the back of the bed - they rot down fast).
For all perennial or naturalizing plants, it is very important to allow the foliage to grow until it starts to brown. This means that if you cut the flowers to enjoy inside (and you should, they are absolutely fabulous and have an outstanding vase life) you must leave the leaves alone. Similarly, when the flowers are done, cut the flower stem down or pop the head off, but do not cut back the leaves. They can be cut back once they start to obviously brown. Fellow lazy gardeners take note: if you have enough subsequent spring plantings, you can get away with leaving the narcissi foliage all season and cleaning it up at the end with all the rest.
TULIPS
Tulips have been one of the most intensively-bred plants on the planet for hundreds of years. The result of this breeding is the massive selection of amazing tulips on the market today, many of which are quite different from one another. At The Eucalypt we strive to offer tulips that are particularly interesting or hard to find, and we are ruthless in paring down our order list. We offer a broad selection of double or peony tulips, as well as fosterianas, botanicals and novelties such as parrots or double fringed tulips.
Generally speaking, tulips should be regarded as annuals. However, some tulips will naturalize to some degree, providing several years of colour. Fosterianas are the best known "perennial tulips" and will return quite reliably. The 2021 selection of Fosterianas includes Exotic Emperor, Flaming Purissima and Disneyland Paris. We have found that Gregii tulips (ie Purple Bouquet) also have a good rate of repeat, as well as the Viridifloras (Spring Green, Purple Doll). We have parrot tulips in our beds that have returned for four years now, and will be planting more from this year's selection to complement them (Apricot Parrot, Amazing Parrot, Secret Parrot). Double tulips may return for a second year of show, but should be augmented with a few more bulbs to avoid a sparse bed.
We are a bit more controlled with our tulip planting than with our narcissi. We choose varieties from each of early, mid and late bloomers, and make sure that the varieties for each bloom period complement one another in colour and form. We then place the early-bloomers where we want them, followed by the mid-season bloomers and then the lates. Tulips are different from narcissi in that they do not multiply to nearly the same degree, and are usually much smaller bulbs. Accordingly, they can be planted right up against one another - and indeed they should be to give the appearance of a full bed. For fabulous, lush beds, ignore completely any spacing advice you read on store-bought tulips.
If you are planting tulips at the same time as narcissi, you can place your narcissi, cover with about an inch of soil, and then place your tulips. It is fine if the tulips crowd the narcissi or each other.
Tulip foliage is a lot more prominent than narcissi foliage simply because the leaves are wider. If you like to replace your tulips each year, you can pull the whole bulb once the flower is spent. If you want to give them a shot at returning, snip the flower stem off and leaves the foliage until it starts to brown. This is very important - the bulb will not have enough energy to bloom next season if the foliage is removed too early. Once the leaves start to brown, you will probably want to cut them back, as they get a bit slimy and are not as easily camouflaged as the thin narcissi foliage.
Tulips are as beloved by deer as they are by humans. If you live in an area with deer pressure and do not have a fenced garden, it is important to start spraying Bobbex or Plantskyyd as soon as leaves start to emerge. You may feel like a complete idiot spraying little one-inch bits of tulip leaves, but it is very important to establish your garden as a disgusting place for deer at the very outset of the season, or you will have a difficult time keeping them off as spring wears on. We have Bobbex available for purchase.
ANEMONES & RANUNCULUS
Both of these gorgeous species are part of the buttercup family, and they have a lot in common when it comes to cultivation. Firstly, they are propagated not by bulbs but by creepy little things called corms. They are small and ugly and dry and if you have not seen them before you are going to open your bag and think "what the hell are these?!". Please rest assured that we are not messing with you, and these evil-looking little claws will eventually produce amazing flowers.
To plant ranunculus, pick a spot in full sun with good drainage. The same advice applies to anemones, although they appreciate a bit of shade from the afternoon sun. If you pick a spot that stays wet through winter, the corms will rot. Drainage is key! Once you have selected your spot, you can help your corms along by setting them in a bowl of room-temperature water for 2-4 hours. This is not necessary if we have a wet fall, but we have had a couple of strange, dry years recently, so we recommend it just in case.
When it is time to plant, dig a hole about 4 inches deep. Place the corms around 4 inches apart. If you're feeling particularly maternal, you can place the corms so the creepy pointy bits are facing down, but it really doesn't make much difference. (When we are planting a bed of them, they just get dumped in; I haven't noticed any growing upside-down yet.) Fill the hole up and find yourself a glass of wine.
You may notice a bit of greenery sprout in the fall. Just leave this alone - it will rot away over the winter. Cut it back once it's slimy if you are feeling energetic.
A final note about ranunculus: on Vancouver Island, we are at the edge of ranunculus winter hardiness. If we get a very nasty winter with extended freezes, they might not pull through. A thick mulch will help to protect them over the winter.
ALLIUM
We have two fabulous allium for the 2021 season: Summer Drummer and Allium sphaerocephalon (drumstick allium). Both should be planted in full sun and look much better planted en masse than they do speckled about the garden. Allium naturalize beautifully, and are completely deer proof. Stick to the rules laid out above when it comes to planting depth, soil drainage, and removal of foliage.
Everyone once in a while we have a spring like we did this year, where the weather warms up early and then turns cold again. In such years, allium foliage will start to come up, but then may become damaged by the cold. If you see brown tips on your allium foliage as the result of a cold snap, simply get in there with a pair of scissors and trim off the brown ends. This will save you looking at brown tips for three months and still allow the plant to get the energy it needs.
FRITTALARIA
This is a stunning family of plants, for many reasons. The fritallaria we have on offer this year, Frittalaria meleagris, is perhaps the most diminutive of the bunch, and is also perhaps the most charming. The checkered flowers are almost unreal. A small plant, topping out around ten inches, it's a lover not a fighter, so don't stick it in with the brawny narcissi or you will find it crowded out. Frittalaria meleagris is a great choice for the fronts of beds in shade to part shade, or containers on bright shaded porches where they can be appreciated close up. The same rules of thumb as we outlined above apply to this species.
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