Gardening is always a leap of faith and an act of hope, no more so than in the fall. Fortunately, it’s also a lot of fun, and Tay Maidens is here to help make the most of planting flowers now, that will bloom in the spring. Maiden’s a shift lead in the nursery at Salisbury Greenhouse in St. Albert.
Planting bulbs in the autumn is about thinking ahead — deciding what to plant is the first step.
Maidens recommends four favourites. “Start with at least two different kinds of tulips,” she advises. Tulips are among the first to bloom, and picking two or more will probably mean they won’t all bloom at exactly the same time. She says to include some daffodils in your bulb garden; these bloom close to the same time as the tulips, and add a slash of buttery yellow. “They are hardy and they are so nice as cut flowers,” she says. Tulips and daffodils bloom early to mid-May in most years.
Next, Maidens suggests hyacinths. Technically, she says, they are a little delicate to grow in the Edmonton area, but they will do better in a slightly protected area of your yard. “I add a light mulch, a good covering of leaves or straw,” she says. She advises gardeners to avoid wood mulch as it can damage the foliage of the emergent plants. Hyacinths reward the careful mulcher with blooms towards the end of May.
To round things out, try some alliums. These are bulbed plants of the onion family. Most decorative alliums will provide about four spherical blooms per bulb, typically purple. “These bloom later in the summer,” Maidens says, “about mid-July through the end of August.” These showy blooms are worth the wait, and last longer than you might expect. Alliums are more variable in size, so look at the package and consult with nursery employees like Maidens.
Plant your bulbs in the fall in well-drained soil in a spot that gets lots of light, and do it before the deep frosts set in. “Plant the bulbs in groups and space them about three inches apart,” she says. “They look better if you don’t crowd them.
“There is a little variance to how deep you plant bulbs,” Maidens says, advising gardeners to check the package, “but a rule of thumb is plant them about two and half inches deep.”
To set them up for success, water your newly planted bulbs well, more than once, before winter sits in. And that light mulch she talked about as necessary for the hyacinths won’t hurt the others.
Finally, in spring, fertilize in early May with a bulb-specific fertilizer. “These are designed to focus on root development,” Maidens says.
“Last year the City of Edmonton said that most of the region is classified as zone 4,” Maidens says. This means overwintering plants must be able to tolerate temperatures of -32 C. “I think I would say it’s more like zone 3B,” meaning we require plants to tolerate temperatures that go even lower, just in case.
Gardeners, after all, are known to temper their hopes with caution.
Salisbury Greenhouse
52337 Range Rd 232, Sherwood Park | 780. 467.5743
101 Riel Dr, St. Albert | 780.419.6812
salisburygreenhouse.com
