Planning Ahead
Today after work (sigh-inducing side note: summer vacation is over and I have to admit that I am not actually a full-time gardener), I put the finishing touches on the perennial border design. The summer plants are all in and doing well, but in the fall I need to plant the bulbs that will come up first next spring.
This is actually a great time to get this done, because the perennials are all still quite compact in their first year, and that allows me to see very clearly all the spaces in between them to tuck tulips and daffodils. The idea is that these bubs will come up in early spring, and then their dying (but unclippable) leaves will be covered over by the perennials that are just coming up. I may have to fill in some of spots left by no-longer-flowering tulips with some annuals like pansies or snapdragons, but that will be a game-day decision in May.
Anyway, I don't have any photos to show yet, but I can show the website photos of what I am buying from the Netherland Bulb Company. You'll have to use your imagination until I have real photos in the spring.
First, remember the plan for how the house will be painted eventually?
Now imagine a long ribbon of these orange Emperor tulips following the curve of the brick path that leads from the driveway to the front door:
Instead of the flowers you see here with the tulips, they will be underplanted with blue Siberian Squill, which should (hopefully) bloom at the same time. I saw this in action at the Paul Revere House back in April and was totally inspired by seeing two of my favorites mixed together. The squill should also highlight the (future) blue front door:
Then, mingled in the perennials around the back of the border and the driveway side will be lots of these bi-colored daffodils. They may or may not bloom at the same time as the others, but the colors all will go together just in case.
This plan lets me get in some other colors I really love in a totally different season, so it avoids being too busy or clashing with the white and red of the summer. And I'll probably have leftover daffodils for cutting or to run along the side porch or something, which will be exciting come spring.
This is actually a great time to get this done, because the perennials are all still quite compact in their first year, and that allows me to see very clearly all the spaces in between them to tuck tulips and daffodils. The idea is that these bubs will come up in early spring, and then their dying (but unclippable) leaves will be covered over by the perennials that are just coming up. I may have to fill in some of spots left by no-longer-flowering tulips with some annuals like pansies or snapdragons, but that will be a game-day decision in May.
Anyway, I don't have any photos to show yet, but I can show the website photos of what I am buying from the Netherland Bulb Company. You'll have to use your imagination until I have real photos in the spring.
First, remember the plan for how the house will be painted eventually?
Now imagine a long ribbon of these orange Emperor tulips following the curve of the brick path that leads from the driveway to the front door:
Instead of the flowers you see here with the tulips, they will be underplanted with blue Siberian Squill, which should (hopefully) bloom at the same time. I saw this in action at the Paul Revere House back in April and was totally inspired by seeing two of my favorites mixed together. The squill should also highlight the (future) blue front door:
Then, mingled in the perennials around the back of the border and the driveway side will be lots of these bi-colored daffodils. They may or may not bloom at the same time as the others, but the colors all will go together just in case.
This plan lets me get in some other colors I really love in a totally different season, so it avoids being too busy or clashing with the white and red of the summer. And I'll probably have leftover daffodils for cutting or to run along the side porch or something, which will be exciting come spring.
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