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[Image] This image of double grape hyacinths (Muscari armeniacum 'Fantasy Creation') was not taken today but back in early May. Hopefully all of the politics and campaigning hasn't distracted you from planting spring blooming bulbs out in the garden. It's not too late! We just planted over 2,000 bulbs (including those above) in our woodland walk garden over the past couple of days. Many garden centers and other retailers have bulbs for sale. Consider planting some ASAP and even give some thought to planting some bulbs out in your turf. These "bulb lawns" as they're termed are a nice way to get color in your dormant lawn before it greens up[Image] and needs to be mown. At the bottom of this blog posting is an article I wrote on bulb lawns that might spur some interest in this approach.
Another nice day of weather with much accomplished. Janice, Kay and Barb did lots of perennial clearing and tidying up in the woodland walk garden. Larry helped with the lights show and worked on various tasks. Jerry has been working on pruning and cutting back select shrubs. Rick and Tony planted bulbs and helped with the lights show as well. Tuesday is usually a smaller crowd but we get a lot done. I did some shopping for additional lights and strung more cords. Nice shot to the right in our parking lot of maiden grass (Miscanthus sinensis 'Blondo'). This variety has beautiful "plumes" and reminds many of pampas grass (which is not hardy here). This grass looks great thru the entire winter. Nice shot today of the alpine garden. Our dwarf and miniature conifers are looking good.
This is the time of year that we start to receive full-color catalogs extolling the virtues of tulips, daffodils, hyacinths and other bulbs in our spring landscapes. Garden centers will be carrying a full line of wonderful bulbs that when planted this fall, will be a colorful component in our gardens as winter recedes and spring begins to awaken. Traditionally incorporated into our traditional beds and borders, many bulbs will also establish well in our lawns and come and go before the first mowing. Incorporating bulbs into the lawn is not a new concept and has been perfected in Europe. These “bulb lawns” in North America are becoming more popular as they can be quite affordable and are very low maintenance.

Spring blooming bulbs come in a wide spectrum of sizes, colors, blooming times and of course, cost. Bulbs considered for a bulb lawn need to be very early bloomers that will emerge, bloom and start to go dormant prior to the first traditional mowing of the surrounding turf. This concept is different from establishing larger bulbs such as daffodils into meadow areas because the surrounding grass cannot be cut until July because of the persistent bulb foliage. See the accompanying chart for some great bulbs that will establish well in our lawns and provide spring after spring of enjoyment before it’s time to fire up the lawn mower.

Many of what are termed “minor bulbs” will thrive in the lawn setting and are quite small and easy to plant into an established lawn. You can plant these bulbs in patches or randomly scatter them around an area, planting them where they lie. When choosing a lawn space to establish bulbs, target areas that don’t have a lot of foot traffic during the year, primarily in spring. Soil compaction on your turf will affect the health of your bulbs. The majority of these minor bulbs will tolerate most soils provided that they are well drained (no standing water) and not heavy clay. A normal lawn fertilizing regimen will also benefit the bulbs beneath the lawn, particularly a September application.

Planting of these bulbs should be accomplished in October but can be done later if the ground is not frozen. Estimate the height of these bulbs and understand that you’ll have to plant each bulb three times the height of the bulb. For instance, a 1” tall bulb should be planted 3” deep. Use a narrow trowel or a pointed dibble that will allow you to penetrate the turf and plant the bulb at the appropriate depth. Another option is to take a plug aerator around your turf. This aerator will remove ½” wide plugs that can be 1” or more deep, thus saving all of your efforts to get thru the turf to plant bulbs. These holes are then started for you and you can widen them as needed. This aeration will also improve the health of your lawn.

As you plant bulbs in the holes throughout your lawn, sprinkle Milorganite fertilizer over all of the holes before you cover them up. This fertilizer gives the bulbs a boost but also has an odor that will deter rodents from digging up your newly planted treasures. Provide pulverized topsoil or other material to smooth over all of your holes as needed when you’re done. The tops of the bulbs lying in the holes should be covered by soil. Keep newly planted bulbs watered until the ground freezes. You should be rewarded in spring with a plethora of blooming bulbs emerging from the lawn. Leave these bulbs, and their foliage as long as possible before mowing. Most should be done prior to Mother’s Day allowing for mid to late May mowing.

The warm days of April and May bring our gardening senses alive and we all enjoy watching our lawns turn a lush green in response to warming rains. Why not “dress up” your ubiquitous lawn with drifts of color offered by fall-planted bulbs. Your lawn will be none the worse for wear and once established, a bulb lawn offers enjoyment for countless springs. [Image]
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