In any discussion of ‘bulb’ plants, the most important distinction to make is between hardy and tender bulbs. Hardy bulbs, including tulip, daffodil, crocus, etc., are planted in the fall and can be overwintered in the ground. Tender bulbs, like gladiola, dahlia and canna, are planted in the spring and must be dug up each... Continue Reading →
Prepare Now for Winter Blooms
A colorful bowl of bright red tulips or yellow daffodils can bring a touch of spring to your home in the middle of winter. With very little effort, you can create several containers now and enjoy a good supply of flowers during the dreary days of January and February. Many types of bulbs can be... Continue Reading →
Daffodils for Early Spring Color
Planting flowering bulbs is a fall tradition for many gardeners, and there is still plenty of time to get your bulbs in the ground this fall. In eastern Nebraska, bulbs can be planted from late September through the end of October, ideally when soil temperatures are below 60°F degrees. This allows the root system to develop before the ground... Continue Reading →
Autumn Lycoris Brightens the Late Summer Garden
Late summer can be a ho-hum time of year for landscape perennials. Colorful flowers of the early spring and summer bloomers are long-gone and mid-summer bloomers are looking ragged after the tough months of July and August. Fall bloomers like asters and chrysanthemums haven’t started blooming yet. One plant that pops out at this time... Continue Reading →
Leave Foliage on Spring Flowering Bulbs
Spring flowering bulb foliage is important for next year's bloom. Bulb leaves such as tulip, daffodil and hyacinth manufacture the sugars and carbohydrates that accumulate in the bulb, producing large flowers. Removing the foliage soon after flowering lowers the quality of next year's bloom, leading to smaller or non-existent flowers. Bulb foliage isn't particularly... Continue Reading →