November, with cooler air and soil temperatures, is the perfect time to plant spring flowering bulbs. After dormant perennials have been cut back and spent annuals have been removed from the garden and added to the compost pile, it is time think about bulbs. In the Midlands, crocus, hyacinths, daffodils and tulips are the easiest to grow and are the most rewarding. They can be found in most garden centers, or they can be ordered from many bulb catalogs. Choose high quality bulbs that are firm and plump and show no signs of moisture or mold. It is easier to choose the best bulbs as individuals rather than in a large group of bulbs in a bag. Remember, the bigger the bulb, the bigger the bloom.
Crocus bulbs are very small and are very effective if planted in large numbers in large containers. A beautiful faux bois container that imitates an old log is a unique way to display these old fashioned beauties. Since the bulbs and blooms are so small, an ideal way to enjoy the blooms is to elevate the container in which they are planted so that their blossoms are closer to eye level. A large group of crocuses planted in a hanging basket is a wonderful addition to a porch or pergola.
Another way to incorporate crocuses in the garden is to plant them in large swaths under trees or in a natural area of the garden, which requires hundreds of bulbs. There are wonderful varieties that naturalize and will bloom for many years. “Jeanne d’Arc” is a beautiful crocus that grows four to five inches with larger blooms than usual. A combination of crocuses that would be lovely in a container or in a swath under a group of trees is “Flower Record,” “Pickwick” and “Yellow Mammoth Remembrance.”
Hyacinths are the most fragrant of the bulbs that grow well in the Midlands. They thrive in containers or in the ground. A pleasing combination is to underplant a container of pansies or violas with a group of hyacinths. It is exciting to see the hyacinths come up through the pansies or violas and add another color and fragrance to a container. The names of the different varieties of hyacinths are almost as beautiful as their blooms. A number of attractive white varieties include “Carnegie,” “L’Innocence” and “Madame Sophie.” A fragrant and sturdy pink variety is “Splendid Cornelia.” “Blue Giant” and “Blue Jacket” are also fragrant and add wonderful shades of blue to the garden or container. Hyacinths, like tulips, are best removed from the garden or container each year and new bulbs replanted for beautiful bloom and fragrance next year.
Tulips are the quintessential bloomers in the spring garden. In the Midlands, tulips do have to be replanted annually as the Columbia climate is too warm for them to re-bloom year after year. Early- to mid-season blooming varieties do best here, and it is worth the effort to replant these magnificent bloomers. Tulips look beautiful and stately in a formal urn or just as lovely in a worn whiskey barrel. They can be planted in the ground in a color block pattern (large groups of one color) or a variety of colors planted randomly in a more naturalized setting. They also do well underplanted in a container with pansies and violas. Tulips average in height from 10 to 24 inches. “Pink Impression” is a tall sturdy variety with pink blooms that grows to 20 inches. “Darwin Red” has solid red blooms and grows on sturdy 18 to 14 inch stems. To add drama to the garden, try Angelique tulips that have double, ruffled-edged light pink blossoms that grow up to 24 inches tall.
Daffodils are the easiest and most rewarding of all bulbs to plant in this area. In the ground, they look better and more natural in large, irregular groups. There are varieties that naturalize very easily, and the bulbs will multiply each year. One way to achieve a natural look is to prepare the area where they are to be planted and just toss the group of daffodil bulbs to the ground. Plant them where they land, and they will offer a beautiful, natural display in the spring. Daffodils bulbs are usually three to four inches in diameter so they should be planted about eight to 10 inches deep. A group of crape myrtles underplanted with naturalizing daffodils makes a wonderful exhibit in the spring.
Daffodils also thrive in containers and put on a wonderful spring show with tulips, pansies and violas. Most daffodil bulbs grown in containers do not bloom well the next year, so they should be composted and new ones planted each year. The blooms of daffodils planted in the ground should be cut when the petals begin to fade and before they go to seed. Seed formation drains the food the bulbs need to produce next year’s bloom. The leaves should be left to die back naturally to store food in the bulb. Planting daffodils with day lilies is a good combination because the new shoots of the day lilies will help hide the dying daffodil fronds. Some varieties to consider are “Ice Follies,” a white strain with a yellow cup, “King Alfred,” a tall, strong daffodil that is solid gold, “Mount Hood,” another strong, tall all-white variety, and “Sir Winston Churchill,” my personal favorite, which has a double blossom and lovely cream colored fragrant petals.
Why not plant some containers with all the bulbs? A very pleasing combination at the front door would be “Jeanne d’Arc” crocuses, “Blue Giant” hyacinths, “Apeldorn” tulips and “King Alfred” daffodils, yellow pansies and light blue violas. Use a complete potting mix and add 1/4 cup of a slow release granular fertilizer. Plant the daffodils in the middle and circle with tulips, hyacinths and crocuses around the perimeter. Overplant with the pansies in the center and violas circling the pansies. This will be a car stopping addition to any front entrance.
Spring flowering bulbs do best in well-drained fertile soil in full sun. The bulbs usually have an obvious pointed top that should be planted facing up. Don’t worry if they are planted upside down; they will find their way to the surface. Generally, bulbs should be planted two to three times deeper than the bulb is tall; so if the bulb is two inches in diameter, it should be planted four to six inches deep. Clever, narrow bulb planting shovels have the inches engraved on the scoop of the shovel. Bulb planting drills are very helpful for planting large groups of bulbs for naturalizing. Bulbs should be mulched with two to three inches of high quality mulch such as shredded pine bark or soil conditioner. Water them well immediately after they have been planted to eliminate any air pockets in the soil.
To keep squirrels from digging up and eating the bulbs, try a piece of chicken wire or mesh over the soil and cover with three to four inches of mulch. When the bulbs start to sprout, the chicken wire or mesh can be removed.
Those crocuses, hyacinths, daffodils and tulips will be building their strength underground all winter just waiting for the right moment to break through the soil. There is no happier sight for the gardener than to see beautiful green shoots crack through the cold winter soil and announce that spring is on the way.
November Gardening Chores
Make notes of any perennials or annuals that did not thrive this fall so that adjustments can be made next planting season.
In your garden diary, record what is blooming and when. Record successes and failures.
Remove tired or dead annuals from the garden. Compost if there is no sign of disease.
Cut back dormant perennials, except those that provide an interesting winter silhouette such as ornamental grasses.
Rake fallen leaves from the lawn and garden beds. Compost or use as mulch.
Add a fresh layer of mulch to beds.
Divide any crowded perennials and add to another bed or share with another gardener.
Bring in any terra cotta pots that could freeze in the cold temperatures. Empty, clean and store in a frost-free location.
If any green tomatoes are still hanging on the vine, pick and store in a brown paper bag. They should ripen in a few days.
