Now that the rains have returned, you can turn off your sprinklers. But,  if you have containers, you still need to water them - especially if they are under eves or on covered deck.  I have containers with only annuals and I also have containers with shrubs, ornamental grasses, and perennials as well.  My containers with annuals are fading fast, but I am still watering them. I watered all my containers on 10/9 and was really surprised at how dry the were! I most likely will not need to water again for a week or two.  I have seen too many clients lose plants  in the middle of winter due to lack of water. Also be careful when you water. This time of year I water early in the day so the foliage and dry out before nightfall.  This will help reduce infection from plant diseases like powdery mildew.

A Jonquilla Daffodil 'Suzy'

Daffodils

Daffodils are the most widely grown of all the flowering bulbs. They are hardy and manage to survive even with neglect; they are the perfect bulb for the lazy gardener. Daffodils grow in full sun to part shade, needing only 4 to 6 hours of sun a day. This means they thrive when planted under deciduous trees. Deciduous trees do not put on their leaves until after the bulbs have bloomed and gathered enough energy to produce and store food for the next season.

Daffodils prefer a well-drained sandy soil and most hate ‘wet feet’ The perfect place to grow most daffodils is an area that will not receive water in the summer. They like the cool wet spring weather, but like it hot and dry in the summer. They are good companion for a water-wise garden.

Daffodils reproduce by readily forming bulblets. This is why we see so many daffodils growing around old farm houses, abandoned fields, and roadways. Deer, and moles don’t eat daffodil bulbs. Moles may push them out of the ground just to annoy you, but they do not eat them.

October is a great time to purchase and plant daffodil bulbs. Most growers recommend planting daffodil bulbs with bone meal or a specialized bulb food. The American Daffodil Society recognizes thirteen separate and distinct divisions or groups of daffodils. These are some of my favorites:

Trumpet Daffodils naturalize well and have a long blooming season. They are characterized by one flower per stem, with the trumpet being longer than petals. ‘King Alfred’ is the most beloved and well known of all the daffodils blooming early in spring. More than other divisions, the trumpet daffodils tolerate clay soil.

My favorite daffodils are the Jonquilla Narcissi, because all varieties are sweetly scented. They are the most fragrant of all the daffodils. They have two to six flowers per stem with small cups. They are ideal for both cuttings and naturalizing. I have grown ‘Stratosphere’ in my garden and just love the sweet scent. ‘Quail’, another favorite of mine, has long lasting and abundant flowers that are a rich bronze-yellow.

Tazetta Daffodils are great for the border, as cut flowers, and indoor forcing. They are the oldest known form of the daffodil genus, and are a bunch-flowering daffodil. This multi-flowering bulb has a reputation as a vigorous grower and are fragrant.‘Falconet’ is a superb American daffodil which produces up to eight fragrant flowers per stem that are bright yellow with orange cups. ‘Martinette’ is also fragrant with many blooms per stem. It has a rich bright golden color and brilliant orange cup.

There are a lot of opinions on just how long to wait before you cut back the foliage in spring. Some growers say to let all the foliage turn brown before removing it. Others suggest waiting until a third of the foliage is brown before cutting the foliage back. A good rule of thumb that I use is to give the foliage 6 full weeks before cutting it back. The six weeks count down starts from the time the foliage first emerges.

Local nurseries are now selling spring flowering bulbs. If you cannot find the varieties mentioned in this article, the following mail-order bulb sellers offer a good selection of daffodils:

JOHN SCHEEPERS, Batum, Conn; 1-860-567-0838; www.johnscheepers.com
McCLURE AND ZIMMERMAN, Friesland, Wi; 1-800-883-6998; www.mzbulb.com

Author Mary Jo Buza, is a landscape designer. She over 20 years experience designing, and teaching gardening in the South Sound region.

Species Tulips'Little Beauty' &'Little Princess'

An Unusual Addition to the Spring Garden – Species Tulips

Species tulips are very different from the hybrid tulips we all known and love. Species tulips are less well-known and will perhaps never approach the popularity of hybrid tulips. But, if you are tired of replacing hybrid tulips every year – consider species tulips.

Species tulips are smaller in size than their hybrid relatives, as most grow only 4 to 12 inches tall. Their foliage is attractive; many have mottled leaves, or leaves that are gray to blue-green. Species tulips are prolific bloomers with each stem having up to seven flowers. The flowers are delicate and refined with brilliant colors that includes red, yellow, magenta, and lilac. Species tulips bloom very early in spring, from late March to April.

Species tulips are more specific in their needs than hybrid tulips. They require a well-drained gravelly or sandy soil that drains quickly. They love a location that bakes in the summer with little to no water. If you have these conditions, they will naturalize easily in your landscape. They are native to hot dry climates of North Africa, Asia, and in southern Europe around the Mediterranean Sea.

Consider planting species tulips in an established landscape that no longer requires frequent irrigation and receives hot afternoon sun in the summer months. An established rock garden is also a great place to plant species tulips. Here their small stature will really shine. Plant them in the right place and they will bloom year after year with colorful flowers and in time, may even increase to form spectacular colonies.

There are many varieties and species of these delicate tulips. Below is a short list that will further peak your curiosity about species tulips:

Tulip batalinii ‘Bright Gem’: will bloom in April and grows about 6 inches tall. The flowers are bright bold yellow with a blush of orange.
Tulip batalinii ‘Red Gem’: the flowers are an intense vermillion red. Flowers last and last if the buds are left uncut. It is only 6 inches tall and blooms in late April or early May.
Tulip clusiana ‘Tubergen’s Gem’: this award winning variety has bright red and yellow petals. Outer petals are bright red and the inner petals are yellow. It grows 10 inches tall and blooms in April.
Tulip humilis ‘Magenta Queen’: this award winner is lilac-purple with the base of the outer petals have a touch of green and has black at the base of the interior petals. Grows only 4 to 6 inches tall.
Tulip humilis ‘Persian Pearl’: has deep magenta-rose petals with a buttercup yellow star on the inside of the flower. The outer petals have a silvery-gray-flush. Grows 6 inches tall and blooms in April.

I suggest you plant them in groups of 12 to 20 bulbs, this way they will have a powerful impact in the spring garden – just when we need assurance the most – that winter is over and spring is on its way!

Because of their small stature I recommend planting them in highly visible places, near an entrance, patio, or along a pathway where their refined appearance and small stature will be appreciated. They are especially well suited to containers, where the exquisite flowers can be easily admired.

RESOURCES FOR SPECIES TULIPS

JOHN SCHEEPERS, Batum, Conn; 1-860-567-0838; www.johnscheepers.com

McCLURE AND ZIMMERMAN, Friesland, Wi; 1-800-883-6998; www.mzbulb.com

Author Mary Jo Buza, is a landscape designer; she has over 20 years experience maintaining, designing and teaching gardening in the South Sound region. For more information on a custom landscape design or consultation call 923-1733. Or check out my website:www.maryjobuza.com

MARY JO IN HER GARDEN WITH ORIENTAL LILY BULBS

Oriental lilies look dramatic both in the garden and in a vase.  Their beauty is distinctive and unique – recognizable by both the gardener and the non-gardener alike. While they appear exotic and fragile they are actually quite easy to grow.  Lilies all grow from bulbs that live many, many years. Their reputation as an excellent cut flower is well deserved.  They will hold their flowers up to three weeks in a vase.

 Glance through any bulb catalog and you will find an incredible array of oriental lily species and varieties well suited to grow in our gardens here in the PNW. They start to bloom mid July with each stem bearing three to twelve blossoms. The individual flowers are four to six inches across and are available in a range of colors including; yellow, orange, coral, white, and pink.  Asiatic lilies are not fragrant, unlike their relative the Oriental lilies.

 Oriental lilies are distinguished by their wonderful heady fragrance that can perfume a room or a corner of the garden. Their large pendant flowers are six to ten inches across. The flowers are shades of pink, red, and white.  They bloom later than the Asiatic lilies, braving the heat of August. The top selling Oriental lily is ‘Star Gazer’ with a crimson bloom outlined in white. Other classic varieties include ‘Casa Blanca’ and ‘Pink Paramount’.

 Growing your own lilies at home costs a fraction of what you might pay for cut lilies in the store.  Typically you purchase and plant your lily bulbs in the fall.  Lilies do require a well-drained soil, supplemental water in the summer, and at least a half day of full sun.  If you have a soil that drains poorly you might consider planting the bulbs in a raised mound.

 When you purchase your lilies, it is important to plant them right away.  Unlike other bulbs they are never completely dormant. Generally it is best to plant bulbs three times the thickness if the bulb itself.  For both Asiatic and Oriental lilies a planting depth of four to six inches is safe.

 Companion plants not only provide complementary flowers for the lilies, but also provide some shade and cooling for the lily roots.  Good companion plants for a cutting garden include Aster, Campanula, Cornflower, Dahlia, Delphinium, Phlox, Purple Coneflower, Iris, Liatris, Pincushion Flower and Veronica.  

 Author Mary Jo Buza is a landscape designer and has more than 20 years experience creating, installing and maintaining landscapes in Olympia. For more information on a custom landscape design, here services as a garden coach call Mary Jo at 360-923-1733.

If you are like other vegetable gardeners here in the PNW you probably have lots of tomatoes, but the only problem is they are all green!  My number one tip for ripening your tomatoes is to stop watering your plants in mid to late August. This forces your tomatoes into ripening. Tip number two: cover you tomatoe plants  with clear plastic at night. I will cover my tomatoes around dinner time and remove it in the morning. This will protect you plants from early frost and also provide more heat to help your tomatoes to ripen. Using this method, I will have tomatoes riping well into October.  If the weather really turns nasty I will keep the clear plastic cover on 24 hours a day.  I like to use recycled dry cleaning bags they are the right size and shape.

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I’ll be posting articles and other useful tidbits soon.