Tag: bulbs

To Knot or Not to Knot

~ Loreeebee ~ 9 Comments

What do you do with the unsightly foliage from your spring bulbs once their flowers fade and the petals fall off? Some garden experts say you are supposed to leave the foliage intact until it turns yellow allowing the bulbs to store energy for next spring. Others tie the foliage into knots. I had not heard of this trick until recently when a client asked me to knot hers. I did as requested, and it looked quite neat and tidy, but I don’t think will look so nice when they start to yellow.

I tend to plant my bulbs amongst perennials that will grow taller than the yellowing bulb foliage so it will not be visible while waiting for it to wilt and die off.

If you do decide to knot the foliage, the trick (I learned this after several attempts) is to restrict each knot to just a few leaves.

to knot
to knot

So, the question is do you knot or not?

Save your banana peels for bulb planting

~ Loreeebee ~ 1 Comment

Yes, you read that right.  Now is the time to save your banana peels for bulb planting.  Over the years I have tried many things to deter squirrels from digging up the bulbs I plant in my clients’ gardens as well as my own.

Placing a few strips of banana peel over the bulbs in the hole you have dug seems to be the best method I have found, especially for single (and expensive!) bulbs like Lily trees …

Another trick is to plant daffodils and tulips in the same hole as that seems to deter squirrels too because they do not like daffodils…

daffodils

We eat lots of bananas in my home, so I collect the peels in a plastic baggie and store the baggie in my freezer until I am ready to plant the bulbs…

Try my banana trick and let me know if it works for you.  Now is the perfect time here in zone 4 to 5 for planting bulbs!

Snow day for Gardens4u

~ Loreeebee ~ Leave a comment

Today is a snow day for Gardens4u.  I tried hard to get all of my clients’ gardens ready for winter and bulbs planted this week before the snow hit, but will have to wait for better weather before I get them all done.  Fortunately, the weather forecast for the next two weeks is promising to be warmer and greener:

I have been hesitant to cut back most plants in their gardens (and mine too) because everything has looked so nice up until yesterday.  We have had a beautiful fall season with extended bloom on most perennials and annuals.  This snow will take its toll on these perennials and annuals, so they will be ready to be cut back when I get to them next week.

For those of you wondering if it is too late to plant bulbs, you can plant them until the ground freezes.  Plant them pointy side up, or if you are not sure which side is up, on their sides.  I sprinkle cayenne pepper in the holes with the bulbs and over the soil on top of the holes to deter the squirrels from digging up the bulbs.  Another trick is to plant daffodils in the same hole as the tulips.  Squirrels hate daffodils.  Someone told me to try putting banana peels in the hole with my tulip bulbs to deter squirrels.  I haven’t tried that trick yet, but it may be worth a try.  Don’t forget to water your newly planted bulbs.  If your hose has been disconnected and outside water turned off for the season, get some water from your kitchen sink to sprinkle over the planted bulbs.

The snow is pretty today, but I am glad it is not here to stay.  Yet…