Bulb planting time.

Posted on 2 Nov, 2009 27 comments

Today was bulb planting day at my house. It was also my first day off work for the winter. Yippee!! It has been a lovely, warm(ish) and sunny day……a perfect day for getting my new spring flowering bulbs into the ground. New bulbs…..such a treat. They were an end of season gift from the owner of the GC. :o)

First to go in were 40 mixed crocus which I planted in the corner of the front lawn. It was a job getting them planted as that corner of the lawn was frozen. Still, in they went at last. Next came 6 mixed Hyacinths which I put in the tiny little bed along the side of the front path up against the house. I love hyacinth so I can’t wait until spring so that I can smell their lovely fragrance.

In the front bed along the side of the driveway I put in two clumps of Dutch Iris ‘Silvery Beauty’. I planted 40 mixed Dwarf Iris in clumps here and there in that bed too.

I am trying to improve my botanical name ‘mental’ database so I was looking at the package the Dwarf Iris wondering what the botanical name was. “Ah, there it is”, I thought…..Iris Naines……But wait!!! Perhaps that isn’t right? No, no, no…..that’s the French name…..We have an unusual problem in Canada. As a bilingual country (well, we are supposed to be) everything has to be printed in English and French, so no one gets offended or confused when they are shopping away from their home Province…..don’t get me started (sigh)…. …So therefore, bulb packages have to have the English common name, French common name and the botanical name. Not being able to speak French despite the French speaking Province of Quebec being only a mere 3,000 miles away, and not being all that proficient with botanical Latin, for me, trying to sort out one from the other is not always simple. Iris Naines could have been either/or.

Anyway…..on with the bulb planting….Next I moved to the back garden and planted an Eremurus or Foxtail Lily (Lis a queue de Renard) ‘Cleopatra’. That one got planted in the middle of my rose bed and I gave it a nice coating of mulch on top. Hopefully, the winter won’t kill it. They aren’t as hardy as the rest of the bulbs. I also planted 10 Fritillaria in my rose bed.

Along the side of the garage is a narrow bed where I have several miniature roses and my Clematis terniflora. It is south facing and protected as it is under the eaves of the garage roof. In the centre of this bed I planted 10 ‘Jetfire’ Daffodils, 5 ‘Mount Hood’ Daffodils and 5 ‘Ice Follies’ Daffodils. Further out towards the ends of the beds I put in 12 Tulipa Pulchella ‘Eastern Star’ and 20 Fritillaria or ‘Checkered Lilies’.

Moving further toward the back of the garden, I planted 20 Spanish Bluebells or Scilla Campanulata. They are mixed colours so I should get some pinks, lavenders and whites as well as blue. I put them in under the big Douglas Fir tree where they will be in part sun but in shade during the hottest part of the day.

Lastly, I planted 10 Allium ‘Purple Sensation’ between my two roses ‘Toulous Lautrec” and “Golden Celebrations”. I think the purple will look nice with the yellow roses and the Allium should help protect the roses from some of the insect pests we have here.

And that, was the end of my day of planting. By the time I’d finished the sun had gone down and the temperature was dropping. Hopefully, the bulbs will be nice and snug under the soil and will burst forth with enthusiasm next spring.

Comments

Toto

Sounds as though you are going to have a lovely, colourful spring which will make all your hard work worthwhile.

2 Nov, 2009

Pipsqueak

It will make a wonderful sight in spring. Like the idea of the Eremurus among the roses. Have always wanted to grow them

2 Nov, 2009

Drc726

Roll on the spring Gilli so we can see them.

2 Nov, 2009

Mavisc52

Looking forward to seeing them in the spring ,lots of lovely colours,we had spanish bluebells at my sons school,the purple and lilac ones are nice.

2 Nov, 2009

Ponty

Looking forward to your Spring photos Gilli. We have masses of bulbs to plant and were going to do it yesterday but between showers we had to clear out the house guttering which was blocked. C'est la vie, non?

2 Nov, 2009

Limpet

wow you're going to have some lovely displays when all your bulbs come up! Interesting to see that what we call 'Snake's Head' you call 'Checkered Lily'.

2 Nov, 2009

Gardeningfr..

Bon Jovi Princesse Gilli - Your photos of packets are far better than mine of labels. I look forward to seeing the bulbs burst out of their packets in spring. I was disappointed that you have not planted any rose bulbs this year, you will have to ask the owner for some. I thought you knew I like Alliums so I don't know why you thought they would protect your roses from pests like moi. I noticed on the packets there is a sign of a deer with a line through. Of course I have no idea what this means. Do the deer obey the signs?

2 Nov, 2009

Hollyeves

your going to have a lovely display in the spring......

2 Nov, 2009

Sanbaz

wow you did well getting all them Gilli, you will have a lovely show in spring, cant wait to see them all, its surprising how warm the soil will still be even though ground is frozen, warmer this side of winter than after,:o))

2 Nov, 2009

Clarice

Blimey you did work hard, but you've done it,so well done looking forward to seeing all the lovely colours in your garden next spring, to be honest can't wait for spring to hurry up and come.......

2 Nov, 2009

Doon

Good going Gilli, wow!! and I have not started yet, waiting 4 the sales. Usually can get 50-70% off in Dec-Jan. but then mostly Tete-Tete. I love the latter as we get so much rain in Spring & it beats down the big daffs. Your garden is going to be a riot of" loveliness"
Don't forget to take photos.

2 Nov, 2009

Lily2

Well done Gilli. Lovely feeling once they're planted isn't it? All you've got to do now (where they are concerned anyway!) is sit back and wait for the show. I had Alliums for the first time last year, they were Purple Sensation and they were beautiful....maybe I should go out and get some more now you've made me think of it...lol

2 Nov, 2009

Catfinch

I am very, very Jealous Jilleeee... :( don't know how to say that in French...Jaloux? ok..I looked it up...So are you taking a winter vacation then?..Staying home laying around eating Fe'ves de fe've....lol...I looked up Bon Bons...that is what they say the French word is for them...oh moi...lol..
Is your back aching from all that planting or do you point and hubby plants...lol..yeah ..I know that is a dumb question....he he he...and you can only hope about the GF pest and the Allium bulbs... :o)
Bon Jour Jilleee....enjoy your rest and your dreams of your beautiful Spring..xx ~Cat

2 Nov, 2009

Pansypotter

What a great choice of bulbs, looks as though you are going to have a wonderful display, looking forward to seeing them. I have Purple Sensation and love to dry the flower heads off for indoor decorations, I got a hundred free Alium bulbs from Gardners World all different types so Im looking forward to seeng in Sppring.

2 Nov, 2009

Grindle

lovely selection of bulbs, you're going to have a pretty display in the spring :)

3 Nov, 2009

Gee19

That sounds like a planting marathon, Gilli! Just imagine the lovely display you will have in the spring and all the lovely photos you will be able to put on GoY :)

3 Nov, 2009

Gilli

Thanks everyone.
Toto I hope they all make it through the winter and pop up next spring. It's always a hit and miss with the heavy clay soil.
Pip, I've always wanted to try the Eremurus too. I just got the one blub to see how well it does. It is in the nice well draining soil of the rose bed so should stand a good chance.
I'll have my camera polished up and ready to go come spring Drc and Mavis.
Ponty, Oui, c'est la vie. Too bad about the rain. Hope you have some fair weather so you can get all your bulbs planted.
Limpet, I didn't know Fritillaria were called 'Snake's Head' over there. I just know them as 'Checkered Lily'.
Mon ami Munchkin.....no rose bulbs to be found. They must have all sold out. I am trying the "no deer" sign out to see if they obey posted signs. I'll let you know the results in spring. I know it didn't work for my 'Starfighter' lilies this past summer.
Thank you Hollyeves...I hope so.
San, it always amazes me that the bulbs can freeze and still come back to life. I think if anything kills them for me it is being in the clay soil with poor drainage.
I'm with you Clarice.....we could just skip winter as far as I'm concerned. :o)
Hi Doon. Hope you find some good buys in the sales. Our garden centre closes from Nov to March so ours were all on sale this month. Only 35% off though.
This will be the first time I've tried any Alliums Lily. I hope they do well.
Cat....point and Murry digs?? I wish. No, it was all up to me and my back was already sore from shovelling mulch over all the plants at work. I always thought 'Bon Bons' was kind of French....? As for GF pest and the Alliums...I can but try. If that doesn't work, I can always spray him with soapy water. He he he. Au Revoir, mon ami.
PP....Wow!!! 100 free allium bulbs. Wonderful. You seem to have some wonderful deals on plants and blubs over there. Here everything is so much more expensive and certainly no freebees that I've ever seen.
Thanks Grindle.
It was a marathon Gee....I had a number on my back and everything. LOL. I hope I planted them all correctly. I have a feeling some of the Fritillaria went in upside down. It was very hard to tell with some of those which was the bottom and which was the top.

3 Nov, 2009

Janey

You have been busy Gilli............such a great selection of bulbs, and those Foxtail Lilies...wow.....looking forward to seeing them all next year....I've been planted the snakes head lilies too...they're one of my faves......:o)
X

3 Nov, 2009

Orgratis

What a nice gift from the GC owner! I can't believe your yard is frozen already: boo hoo. I love planting spring surprises in fall: I have yet to put in Thalia and Tahiti daffs, some white dutch iris (that's "iris" in Dutch, and Greek, and Latin, & French, altho pronouned "leehr-r-ees": I checked babelfish!). Have to get some aliums. Spent weeks looking online at bulbs at White Flower Farm, etc only to get some ordinary ones at the local.

5 Nov, 2009

Catfinch

Oh but I love White Flower farms catalogues and online pages...they are so informative about so many plants in their catalogue...and I have been through Litchfield Connetcut where they are located...wonderful...gardening area's there. Wish I had known their gardens were there then!

5 Nov, 2009

Orgratis

WFF ships excellent quality plants and oversize bulbs: one of the best mail order houses, with poetic descriptions.

5 Nov, 2009

Weeds11

You are going to love yourself in the spring! I think we are all going to enjoy your hard work! I planted about 40 0r 50 bulbs and I was already tired, I have a deepened respect for you.

6 Nov, 2009

Gilli

Thanks Janey. I can't wait to see the Fritillaria....I've never seen them in "person" before....just in photos.
Orgratis.....the yard was frozen, but it's not anymore. It seems it was a freak cold snap. The snow on the mountains has disappeared and I think the high temps today were about 13C (somewhere in the mid 50'sF). I haven't heard of White Flower Farms. I'll have to check that out although I'm sure they don't ship over the border. :o(
Weedy....I just hope they all come up. As for the planting.....I was on a roll....couldn't stop until they were all in. LOL

6 Nov, 2009

Catfinch

I do that Gilli..get started and cannot stop something like that..at the end of the day..there is not a thing that is not throbbing..! gonna love seeing pics in the spring.. :o)

7 Nov, 2009

Gilli

Thanks Cj. Throbbing, aching, stiffened and creaking......the joys of gardening. LOL

7 Nov, 2009

Labdancer51

I`m looking forward to see the photos when they come up next Spring. We sell a lot of Jetfire at the GC where I work so they must be a good variety. I`ve planted Allium "Purple Sensation" and a few other varieties besides. I`ll probably forget where I planted them until they come up and remind me...lol! :o)

Sandra x

7 Nov, 2009

Gilli

LOL Sandra, I forget too and end up digging some up at one point or another. I transplanted something (I forget what) and realised I'd also dug up some Dutch iris bulb along with it. I have a feeling I've moved the iris along with the transplant. The one or two little bulbs that were left behind were certainly not the amount that used to flower there. Oh well, it will be a nice surprise next spring.

7 Nov, 2009

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