Spent the weekend planting spring bulbs....

[Lauralee]

I just spent the entire weekend planting trees and reworking our flower beds.

We planted:

Dahlias

Gladiolas

Hollyhocks

Peruvian Daffodils

Cannas

Lillies

I am fairly new to gardening, but I grew up with my grandmother teaching me endlessly about her flower garden...Gee wish I had listened! Please give me your tips for success with these bulbs. I live in zone 7, in East Texas. In a typical winter, we get one or two tiny (2 days maybe) spells below freezing, with icy precipitation only happening once every several years.

I know that the Lillies need some shade.

I know that the Cannas need lots of water.

I see that some of these taller ones may need staking....not sure how to stake a gladiola?

I want to add a layer of pine bark (mulch?) over the beds where I planted the bulbs....will that help or hurt?

I hope it is not too late in the season to have planted these.....some of the packages said plant in Jan/Feb. But we were still having freezing temps last month (its been a VERY unusual winter) and this was the first weekend that I could get to it.

I have read, read and reread the literature that came with the bulbs.

What are your gardeninc secrets????

 

[kaykay]

is it that time already?? wow you were busy!

hey what is the best kind of bulb for ground cover. is it tiger lilies?? I cant remember?? we have that creek and we got all the weeds etc down and now i need to plant something to keep it covered. its sun/shade.

 

[justjinx]

Day lilies make great ground cover.

The mulch will not hurt the plants.

Glads you can use tomato cages on to "stake them".

cannas we have to dig up for the winter here (south central WI).

hollyhocks stay upright pretty well.

can't wait til our snow is gone so i can do some planting--i love iris plants!

jennifer :saludando:

 

[Just Us N Texas]

Bug must have bit several of us over the weekend. I planted a climbing rose, Golden Showers. We planted two crepe myrtles and an ash tree a few weeks ago. I visited the nursery earlier in the week and saw a tulip tree that I wanted so badly, but it wasn't in the budget. I have never had one, and I don't know how to take care of it either. I want to plant some fruit trees too! A couple of peaches and apples. I'm thinking about a couple of grapes also. Of course, it is that time of year that makes you want everything.

I love all the bulbs that you planted, especially the cannas. I know you are supposed to take the bulbs up in the fall, but when I did that in Ky., I lost all my bulbs. I had left them in the ground for several years, then someone kept after me about digging them up for the winter, I did, and as I said I lost them. Can't give you any hint on the Dahlias, as I have never had much luck with them. My only gardening advice would be to plant them, mulch them, talk to them, and let them grow. Water when dry. The Daffodils are easy, just put them in the ground and they will grow anywhere. Our common ones are blooming and have been for about 3 weeks. We dug up some clumps and put them along a fence line last year, and they came up with no special care or attention this year, and they are so pretty! Good luck.

 

[backwoodsnanny]

I am soooo envious of those of you who live in warmer climate. It will be another month or two before we can plant anything. But Im sure you are not tooo late. I do Glad bulbs as late as May 15 and still get nice flowers. I end up filling in with alot of annuals because we stay frozen so late in the spring. We still have at least 2 ft of snow cover everywhere except where its plowed and that is mud well not this morning its frozen again but by afternoon it will be mud again.

 

[Sterling]

Well we were out yesterday too :aktion033: ....we're in a thaw and the weather people are telling us the worst is over...meaning they don't foresee anymore deep freezes or snow storms for this year...but I say March is an unpredictable month...so I never say never!

:

Sounds like you have a great collection of bulbs. I'm not putting any in the ground this year. Last year we did Daffodils and so this year along with the daffodils coming up we have Hyacynth and Tulips. I loose a few every now and then to what I'm thinking might be grubs. They eat the bulbs underground...very annoying and frustrating. So as far as bulbs go I'm cautious not to go all out. But I do enjoy planting my annual flowers and watching the perennial butterfly bushes come up and bloom. I love Cannas, just don't like having to pull them out and overwinter them. One year they took beautiful, one year they took not so flambouyant. But I love to see the Canna farms in the area with all the sharp colors. Have you seen the striking Orange ones? :new_shocked:

We also got the pond filter going with the Zyme and all...the little Lillypads are starting to throw shoots so it won't be long before pond plants start coming up. The fish are starting to revive after the long hard winter. Oh I DO love spring!!!

:

 

[Magic]

I hope it is not too late in the season to have planted these.....some of the packages said plant in Jan/Feb. But we were still having freezing temps last month (its been a VERY unusual winter) and this was the first weekend that I could get to it.

The bulbs that specified planting in Jan/Feb may not flower this year. If they don't though, they will likely do so next year if they are perennials (like the daffodils). I think that the rest of what you've planted should flower this year though.

Here we can't plant anything in Jan/Feb-- the ground is usually frozen solid and under a bunch of snow, lol! So my bulbs were planted in November for the most part. I've got irises, daffodils, tulips, crocus, and peonies planted. Been perusing the gardening catalogs, isn't it fun to choose what to plant?

:

 

[Lauralee]

BUMP

 

[RainSong]

I have some weird gardening behavior... I just sorta plant willy-nilly, and most stuff does wonderfully. I have some sort of weird green-thumb... I went out and planted sprouting bulbs last week, need to plant some more (irises, this time) soon.

I planted a lot of the flowers around the house, and the only one I planted that never did anything... was a Bleeding Heart

Bulbs are usually pretty easy, I've found, and I absolutely love them (esp. irises). Them and roses...

I'm the one who ends up doing a lot of the pruning here. I did the roses when we moved, and again a week ago- need to fix the one the snow started tearing up, though. It's so muddy here that it's naaaasty, but we have some pretty flowers popping out- Crocus, Daffodils, Hyacinth... even our pear and apple trees (pear... bush?) are starting to bud and show color!!

I love gardening... I'll miss it if I can't do it when we move. I do have a nice array of indoor plants, but they just are not the same. Last year was my first year in AGES where I got to plant much, and I ADORED growing my pumpkin and midget corn (ROFL.. that was an accident).

The flowers are the nicest, though... I'm rambling, though, so I shall go..