Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer

By Dee Milligan Dee Milligan
Level: Basic

Hi! Late 40's Kiwi woman living in sunny California with my American man. Since moving from New Zealand 8 years ago, I have adopted California ...

I am neither a hobby gardener or gardening enthusiast. My motto has always been "First to admire, last to participate". On the rare occasions that I have done any gardening, mainly weeding of flowerbeds, it has become a chore that almost drove me crazy. I am too particular, and will not rest until the soil is completely weed free, clump free and stone free. Unfortunately, it is this 'anal' attention to detail that has prevented me from enjoying what I believe to be a great pastime, and for some very therapeutic.

I love flowers and have always been of the mind that they are far more beautiful in a garden than in a vase. It's not that I don't appreciate the gift of flowers, but I prefer seeing those same flowers flourishing in a flowerbed, mainly because they will last longer, but also I have an abhorrence at the thought that the life of the flower is over once it has been cut from its stem and life-giving roots.

One of my favorite childhood memories is of lying on my back beneath a large tree and looking up at the brilliant blue sky through the branches and leaves. Sadly, I haven't done that for many, many years. Yesterday, for some unknown reason, I was reminded of that childhood pastime and it made me realise how busy I had become. The seasons have passed by so quickly, it seems, and I am now considered middle-aged at 48. I am quite content to be middle-aged at 48, because to me it means I am going to live to be 96 and have all the time in the world still to lie beneath a great old tree and enjoy the twinkling sun through its leaves.

Where would we be without the beauty of plants? From magnificent trees that have withstood the seasons for over a hundred years, to a single flower, lasting only a short few days or weeks?

If gardening is something you enjoy, I envy you, and applaud you. Thank you for feeding my appreciative soul. If not a gardener, stop and admire someone's loving handy work and be thankful for it.

Close MLA Style Citation:
Milligan, Dee "Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer." Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer. 18 Sep. 2010 EzineArticles.com. 29 Sep. 2010 <http://ezinearticles.com/?Fall,-­Winter,-­Spring,-­Summer&id=5057581>. APA Style Citation:
Milligan, D. (2010, September 18). Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer. Retrieved September 29, 2010, from http://ezinearticles.com/?Fall,-­Winter,-­Spring,-­Summer&id=5057581 Chicago Style Citation:
Milligan, Dee "Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer." Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer EzineArticles.com. http://ezinearticles.com/?Fall,-­Winter,-­Spring,-­Summer&id=5057581

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Preparing For Your Spring Color Explosion

I was in a home improvement store the other day and was thinking Wow the Christmas decorations should be going up in a week or so. I know that sounds a little bit crazy as it is only the 2nd week of September but I could not help to wonder as I was looking at all the Halloween merchandise on display. Seems like the stores are getting earlier and earlier when it comes to merchandising for the next big holiday. That is what led me to write this article.

The months of March Through May are usually the most colorful times of the year in the garden. The Spring flowering bulbs are a blaze with a riot of color. Early perennials are blooming and the early Spring flowering shrubs are wearing their coats of many colors. The only problem is that there are a lot of people that don't realize that the tulips, daffodils, crocus, hyacinth, Allium, and all the other spring flowering bulbs need to be planted just before Halloween to get that great spring color show. You would not believe the amount of times I get asked where you can get some of them flowers to plant every spring.

Just as impressive are the spring flowering shrubs azaleas and rhododendrons are well known as is one of the earliest to bloom with an explosion of bright yellow the forsythia. Vanhoutte spirea commonly called bridal veil puts on a spectacular show of pure white that looks like a giant snowball. The absolute most popular though has to be the lilac. It comes and a variety of colors and give off magnificent scents. Now is the time to be planting your shrubs in early fall where the cool wet weather will help them to get established roots before winter.

To plant your shrubs dig a hole twice as wide as the root ball then mix in a couple of shovel fulls of compost to the soil. Set the plant in the ground with the top of the root ball even with the soil line. Back-fill with the soil tamping to eliminate air pockets and water well. Be sure the plant stays moist till the ground freezes.

To prepare your flower beds for spring bulbs work up the soil and mix in a couple of inches of compost. Dig it in at least 6 ". Once the bed is prepared you are ready to plant your bulbs. A good rule of thumb is to multiply the width of the bulb by 2 to get the right depth to plant the bulbs at. Remember to consider height of the plant when planting don't hide the crocus behind the daffodils or you won't be able to enjoy them. Another hint is to plant bulbs in cluster they look more natural and are more interesting that way.

So now is the time to get started on your spring flowering garden.

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How to Design a Spring Border

Through the seasons

This is a spring display, but it can be livened up at other times in various ways. As the spring flowers fade, there is no need to deadhead, but you can tidy away the dying foliage and make sure the plants are happy. Some, especially the auriculas, will develop seed capsules. If you collect some of the seed as it ripens in July, you can grow young plants for future years. As the tulips fade, remove their seed capsules. You can lift the entire bulb and store for next year, or leave in position.

Summer bulbs will extend the season. Alliums should have been planted in autumn, but gladioli and galtonias can be planted in April, as can nerines for the autumn display. Then, towards the end of summer, you could put in some autumn-flowering crocuses. For winter interest, try honesty for its silvery seed pods and snowdrops. The foliage of border pinks looks good all year and you have the summer flowers to look forward to.

All the shrubs have good year-round value, but you could improve the summer season by including a few tender perennials. Osteospermums, especially purple or pink varieties, would continue the colour theme, or you could add heliotrope for scent and a Solanum rantonnetii for an exotic effect. Plant them at the end of May.

Towards the end of the first summer you should be able to divide some of the perennials to replant and bulk up their numbers. If they are still too small, postpone lifting until the next autumn. Eventually a clematis such as 'Etoile Rose' could be grown into the holly for summer delight. In some cases it is better to use thermal blankets for plant transplantation. Annuals such as blue pimpernel, night-scented stock and mignonette will do well among the spring plants.

Trouble-shooting Poor soil

Do all you can to improve the soil. Avoid walking on it if it is heavy, and when planting you should take trouble to make the planting holes large. Then add generous quantities of potting compost. The holes act as containers for your plants, which spend their first season or two growing in this compost, rather than in the poor soil.

Windy

Holly is great for windy locations, but it is worth building a netting windbreak around your tree for the first year while it is becoming established. In a strong wind is better to close the zone with acrylic thermal blankets. Instead of planting daphnes, you could consider a small burnet rose, Rosa pimpinellifolia, such as 'Dunwich Rose' and dwarf forsythia such as Forsythia viridissima 'Bronxensis'.

Too wet

Most of these plants will tolerate damp feet, except the auriculas and the daphnes. If your soil is boggy, you could grow some of the plants in containers. Meanwhile, bank up the bed, add a lot of bulky material and mix it in well.

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Time To Think Spring Bulbs

For the longest time, bulbs were largely ignored. The one notable exception was, of course, saffron. Saffron comes from the stamen of Crocus sativus. Today it seems to have been reduced to little pricey tubes used in Middle Eastern cooking. But, in its day, saffron was used to dye cloth, to flavor and color food and even as a substitute for gold leaf in illuminated manuscripts. In the 10th century, the Saxon medical books advised using it, mixed with oil, after bathing. It took until the end of the War of the Roses in 1485 before people began noticing the beauty and horticultural benefits of bulb.

Roses have been cultivated for more than 5,000 years. Bulbs are relatively new to the game.

The tulip first made it to the west in 1554 appearing in Vienna and Prague. Twenty years later, they made it across the English Channel.

An interesting historical note: Sixty-five years later, tulips triggered one of the world's first financial crisis in The Netherlands. At its peak, some hapless soul traded 1,000 pounds of cheese, four oxen, eight pigs, a dozen sheep, a bed and, lastly, a suit of clothes for a single Viceroy tulip!

Hyacinthus began appearing in English gardens a few years after tulips in 1576. Daffodils (narcissus), surprisingly didn't arrive until the early 1600s. I say surprisingly since their origins are found in the Pyrenees between France and Spain. I guess no one was looking.

Spring-flowering bulbs are a blessing to the beginning gardener since they are fully self-contained. All the nourishment they need is already in the bulb. When you plant them in the fall, you can pretty much forget about them until they pop up come spring. It is a further reminder that our plants are doing lots of hidden activity throughout fall and winter.

In addition to not needing much care, they are relatively inexpensive and, in many cases, readily naturalize. The one caveat is bulbs don't like to be in heavy, wet soil. Too much water in the ground can cause them to rot.

There are spring bulbs for just about every garden need. They come in an array of shapes and colors. I'm going to share my favorite spring bulb and it is a hard choice but I am expecting a bulb shipment next month of a hundred Tulipa gregiannii and T. Kaufmanniana. This are small, early primitive tulips I've learned to love. They don't grow much taller than 4 or 5 inches with a spectacular bloom some think look a lot like water lilies. You can see pictures if you Google Tulipa kaufmanniana but the pictures don't do them justice!

I think virtually every garden could use some of these. If you do plant them, your visitors will be blown away. Remember, you heard it here!

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