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| Daffodil greens. Hostas are growing behind, so I won't need to band them to make room for other flowers. |
I love my spring blooms. Nothing is more welcoming after winter than bright spots of color, and spring bulbs are like wonderful gifts from nature. They're easy to care for and naturally prolific with a few easy steps:
Cut flowers. Feel free to cut blooms for indoor bouquets. It actually strengthens the bulbs to be flowerless.
Deadhead flowers. Once the flowers have died, cut away the dead flower. It allows the plant to divert its energy to the roots, allowing for more bulbs.
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| To get healthier plants, clip away dead blooms. I left these just for this post ;) |
Allow the greenery to die out before removing. It's tempting to cut away the greenery once the flowers are gone, but don't. Allowing the plant to yellow and wither on its own will get you more bulbs. It will also make the older bulbs healthier.
Band them if you need to plant around them. Wrap a rubber band around large growths of green, like with daffodils and hyacinths to allow them to die away and make room for summer plants.
Separate flowers that have no room to spread. These flowers will naturally grow and spread, but when the idea is to keep them contained in a flowerbed- you may need to separate the flowers.
To separate:
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| These are getting thick and could be thinned. Tulips and hyacinths need a new home. |
Plant 6-8" deep. Planted too shallowly, and fluffy bunnies might show up thinking you set out a buffet just for them.
Most plant sites recommend moving bulbs in the fall when the bulbs are heading into dormancy, but soon enough for the roots to take hold before winter. I tend to move them whenever I need to make room, and I've never had a problem.
I don't have a green thumb, and I have a yard full of flowers that I started from a few starts.
This is an A2Z post brought to you by the letter P
These are wonderful tips. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeletePoints To Ponder
My pleasure!
DeleteGreat tips! Unfortunately, I do not possess 'green' fingers and manage to kill everything in the garden. I have no idea what I do wrong. Plants just don't like me. Lovely post!
ReplyDeleteMy husband has less success than I do. I swear, he over thinks it. I do well until I get caught up in a book and forget to water them.
DeleteHi Elizabeth - my mother was the most brilliant gardener ... sadly I've never had a garden here ... but I suspect I'd be the same - one day I shall spread my wings to having some outdoor space ...
ReplyDeleteGood tips you've given us .. cheers Hilary
I read somewhere, of you want spring plants in pots for balconies or terraces, plant the bulbs, allow them to grow, then once they've gone dormant, dig up the bulb, wrap them in paper towels and store them in the fridge until the next spring.
Delete(Or I suppose you could put the whole pot in the fridge, but that would take up a lot of room.)
My garden is where I go to re-align my priorities in life. Peaceful and always in need of a bit of attention, it gives me a lot of comfort and encouragement.
ReplyDeleteSame here. It's good that there is always a little something to do. Weeding and caring for plants is a great way to breathe some fresh air and get great new ideas.
DeleteThere was a time when I was an avid gardener. I had quite an herb garden for several years. These days my garden is confined to my windowsill but that's good, too.
ReplyDelete@Kathleen01930
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Window sills count too. My grandmother would grow tomatoes in pots on her porch. Where there is a will, there is always a way.
DeleteSounds like you do a lot of gardening Liz. Never figured you for a gardener. Only thing we ever grow is herbs - we should try growing tomatoes on our balcony, the ones we buy don't taste of anything.
ReplyDeleteYou'd be surprised to know I do the lawn mowing and weed eating too. I enjoy time spent in the yard. When I was little, I followed my grandma on the farm. I suppose it rubbed off on me quite a bit.
DeleteGrowing tomatoes in pots is so easy. I grow regular sized in my garden and cherry tomatoes in a planter. I love tomatoes, and you're right- there is nothing better than fresh from the sun.
Thanks for the information. I'm going to show it to the hubby. He's the family gardener.
ReplyDeleteI don't trust my hubby with the plants. He over-loves and kills them every time.
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