> Grape Hyacinths Buy Now for Fall Planting! Without fail, whenever any of us venture into a Walmart, we are greeted by a kindly, gently smiling, usually older face that welcomes us into Walmart USA. The key words in this past sentence, as they apply to Grape Hyacinths, are WITHOUT FAIL, GREETED, GENTLY SMILING and OLDER for these…
Critter Resistant Spring Bulbs – Species Tulips, Part II
SPECIES TULIP – SYLVERSTRIS IN BUD For those of you who have deer, squirrels, bunnies, chipmunks and other critters that like to decimate the spring garden before it even sprouts, there are actually many bulbs that are critter resistant, in fact, there are tulips that are critter resistant. These tulips are known as Species Tulips. These are the original…
Five Stunning Alliums
Rarely Seen – Allium Karativiense For those of you who know me personally, you know that I have several gardening books that I treasure. The authors are researchers whose horticultural knowledge and experience can be trusted, and their books are a glorious visual celebration of the topics detailed within. When the topic of bulbs arises, my all-time favorite book is…
Shallots, For Best Results Plant These Little Buggers in the Fall
Basket of Shallots Many of our winter hardy vegetables – onion and elephant garlic sets, parsnips, salsify, etc. – can be planted in both the spring or the fall, but to be really successful with shallots, you should try to plant them in the fall. Shallots are sold as sets, but unlike onion sets where each ‘set’ is a…
Critter Resistant Spring Bulbs – Species Tulips, Part I
Species Tulips Before we start into this newsletter, I must issue the following disclaimer: I am about to describe for you 4 species tulips that I will tell you deer don’t eat, BUT all of you need to know that when deer are stressed enough, they will eat anything and everything. This includes thorny holly leaves, cactus and the lovely…
The Second Season – Flowers, Vegetables & Herbs To Be Planted Mid-summer For A Late Autumn Harvest: Part XIII Poppies!
Order Poppy Seeds Now Plant Them in November For A Magnificent 2019 Garden There are 4 species of poppy that are well known to gardeners: Papaver orientale, Papaver nudicaule, Papaver rhoeas and Papaver somniferum. Three of these are legal to grow. The fourth, P.somniferum, the Opium Poppy is not legal to grow. However, it is interesting the way…
Allium Karativiense
Circa 1876. 5” spheres of ivory florets with pinkish-purple highlights and red-edged foliage. A good forcer.
| Type | Spacing | Planting Depth | HZ | Height | Bloom Time |
| Allium | 10-12 in. | 8-10 in. | 5-9 | 8″ | Early to Mid-Season |
Allium Rosenbachianum
Circa 1894. This exotic giant has 5-8” globes formed from loosely arranged umbels of dark violet florets with darker midveins and white anthers. HZ: 5-9 36” June
Allium Schubertii
Circa 1896. Individual, purplish-rose florets dangling from tiny purplish-rose stems that vary in length from 1/2” to 8” give the flowers a fireworks-like appearance.
| Type | Spacing | Planting Depth | HZ | Height | Bloom Time |
| Allium | 20 in. | 8-10 in. | 5-8 | 16″ | Early to Mid-Season |
Allium Sphaerocephalon
Also known as “The Drumstick Allium.” This is a flower for every garden with dense, 1-2”, egg-shaped, crimson to purple flowers. In the garden, as a cut flower and in a dried arrangement, these flowers last for a long, long time.
| Type | Spacing | Planting Depth | HZ | Height | Bloom Time |
| Allium | 4-6 in. | 6 in. | 4-9 | 24-30″ | Late Season |