Hello Garden Lovers!
Fall is here and the gardening season is winding down, but it’s not too late to plant spring bulbs. Many gardening stores will have stock including spring favourites like tulips, daffodils, hyacinth, and crocus. Spring bulbs bring early colour to your garden and will emerge before many perennials, including spaces that will later be filled by other plants. I have a great spot in my garden next to a couple of day lilies. The space is empty before the daylilies fill out, and the bulbs are done well before mid-July when the lilies are in their prime.
Bulbs should be planted in a sunny spot in the fall according to the package instructions. Backfilling with a mix of compost will help plants thrive, providing a nutrient boost when it’s time to grow. The biggest challenge is keeping the bulbs in the ground. It seems to me that squirrels can’t resist freshly turned earth, and the neighbourhood hares just pile on, digging up and eating these carefully placed treasures. Chicken wire weighted with stones over concentrated planting areas will keep these garden pests out. The shoots will grow right through the mesh, and you can lightly cover the wire with soil, or better yet, leaf mulch to retain moisture, insulate the bulbs and hide wire from view.
Renée Bellavance
