Summer Season Gardening Checklist

Now that spring has come to an end, I find that I need to get my garden ready for summer. Today I went into the garden with a clipboard so I could make a checklist.   

Before I knew it my list was two pages long and I knew by looking at the lists of tasks that I would need my husband's help to get the gardens manicured and ready for the summer season.

My yard and garden checklist:

1. Cut back spent flower blooms
2. Remove all weeds and grasses from flower gardens by doing a hand pull
3. Prune spring-blooming shrubs
4. Cut back overgrowth on trees
5. Plant zinnia flower seeds 
6. Update Moroccan tile planter gardens with heat-seeking petunia wave flowers or sun-loving herbs
7. Add a thick layer of organic mulch to all gardens, around shrubs and trees
8. Use a vinegar solution to kill weeds growing in garden paths and flagstone patio
9. Remove spring tree droppings from gutters
10. Control yard and garden pests; mosquitoes, fleas, ticks, and chiggers with organic pest control; garlic or Diatomaceous  Earth food grade.
11. Add outdoor accessories and patio lights to make the yard and garden more appealing

Note: A good way to get garden jobs done is to divide the yard into sections, then complete one section before moving on to the next one.

Preventing Bug Bites While Gardening

If I was ever going to enjoy the garden again I knew I would have to take steps to prevent the bugs from biting me.  This year the biting bugs; mosquitoes, chiggers, ticks, and fleas have taken the fun out of gardening. Two days ago while doing a hand pull in my hosta garden I was bitten by, several bugs.

I was so itchy that I stopped what I was doing and ran inside to take a hot shower with Yardley of London antibacterial hand soap, flowering English lavender herbal scent.  The hot soapy shower killed the germs and safely removed the roaming chiggers from my skin and lessened itchy mosquito and other bug bites.

Normally I spray myself before going out to the garden with deep woods off but I know that with the wildlife; deer, raccoon, skunk, wild turkey, groundhog, coyote, and bobcat coming into my yard that there are probably other biting bugs lurking.

I decided to address the bugs in my yard and garden by treating my entire yard with a concentrated garlic formula that will safely kill and repel mosquitoes, fleas, ticks, chiggers, and some wildlife from my yard. I found an all-natural product at amazon.com MOSQUITO BARRIER – LIQUID SPRAY REPELLENT -1 GALLON.  I read the reviews and they were favorable plus I liked that it was natural 100% garlic and would not harm my family or my pets.

Granted this organic pest control costs more but I will tell you it is worth it.  There is a garlic smell and it is potent but the smell is what repels and kills the biting bugs and you get used to it.

Gardening Today: Cutting back Brush

Gardening today took me to the side yard where there was a lot of underbrush as well as low-hanging tree limbs that needed to be trimmed. 

For this project, I needed my rose-trimming gloves.  I found a pair of Terra Professional rose gloves at Amazon.com that I really like because these rose gloves protect my hands and my lower arms from cuts and scratches.  When I have my hands in the brush you never know what you will find and the wild roses will really hurt if I don’t protect myself.

Then to tackle the tough weeds and tall grass that was growing under the shrubs I used my Black & Decker 14-inch curved shaft electric string trimmer.  This trimmer does a good job of taking down the overgrown brush.  When it comes to manicuring the yard I don’t mind doing the trimming as long as I do not have to use a gas-operated trimmer.

Whenever I take on big projects I always wear safety glasses because my trimmer might hit a rock and push it back into my face and that would not be good. I also wear thick weave jean or khaki pant that is tucked into my garden boots.  

It is best to dress for this garden clean-up job because of the snakes, rodents, and other garden pests.  It’s a good idea to spray your clothing with deep woods off to prevent chigger and tick bites.

I went out early to clean up the yard and it was completed by noon.  Now all that needs to be done is for my husband to follow up with trimming back the low-hanging branches by the chain link fence as they are growing in to thick and blocking the sunlight. 

I am glad the brush is cut back because while working I found mole holes.  I had some scoot mole repellent in the garage so I used the garlic and Castor oil concentrated treatment and sprayed the surrounding area by attaching my hose to the formula. The moles will move on now that I used a safe environment repellent.

Other garden cleanup posts by Author:

How to Dress when Working in Yard and Garden

Pavestone Adds Definition to Flower Garden

Today I am working on my side flower garden and decided to make it more interesting so I added 12-inch pavestone and also a pea gravel boarder. 

My husband had some stones leftover from a retaining wall that he did and I thought that the stone would add definition to my lily garden.  (See photo above).  The curving stone wraps around the lilies until it meets with the pea gravel path.

I thought about doing two layers of stone but thought that the one layer was fine.  I like the way the stone breaks up the garden. This is an easy way to add definition and also make the flower garden more eye appealing

For this garden project, I used a 12-inch pavestone retaining wall cement block that we bought at Home Depot for $1.78.  This cement block also looks good as a tree ring and outdoor fireplace ring.

See in this photo how I added a ring of pavestone cement retaining wall blocks around a host garden.  I think that you will agree that it is a great way to accent your garden.

Pavestone cement wall block around hosta garden

View other photographs of pavestone cement retaining wall block projects here:

Flagstone patio and walkway with pavestone firepit

Retaining wall in ornamental grass garden

Michigan Bulb: Honest Business and Product Review

Michigan Bulb company has been in business for 60 years and as a kid, I recall seeing their shade and sun garden collection in the circular in the Sunday paper and my Dad always said it was a good price for so many plants.  Then they came out with a mail-order catalog and a profitable online business.  

I think we all know of Michiganbulb.com because of their great sales and deals; buy $40.00 in plants and get $20.00 off.  

As a gardener who can resist a sale like that?  I could not resist the great savings on plants and when I checked out the online catalog I liked that I was not overpaying for the plants.  I thought what the heck I am going to buy from Michigan Bulb and hope that they deliver quality plants to my door.

Michigan Bulbs' motto is: “For more than 60 years, we've been providing the best plants at the best prices.”

Hands down they do have the best prices I will agree with that, but their plants are small and you will have to take care of them during their first year so that they will survive occasionally there is a mix-up in your order and you will get other clients' plants.

The order that I placed was a total mix-up as I received plants I did not order and the shipping box was damaged when received which meant the coneflowers that I had ordered were not in the best condition.

Coneflowers received from Michigan Bulb

Damaged shipping box

18-inch Dick Clark rose/did not order

The good thing is that they have excellent customer service and if you are not happy with your purchase for whatever reason they will replace your order with an in-house certificate or give you a refund that is paid to your form of payment or send out replacement plants. Whatever you want.  

Suburban Raccoon Visits Yard and Garden

For the last couple of days, I  have noticed that the mulch in my garden has been pulled away from the plants and in some cases, it is all pulled away from the plants and is in a large grouping like a mountain of mulch.  At first, I thought neighborhood kids were playing a joke on me, but I was wrong because tonight at dusk I learned that a suburban raccoon was visiting my garden.

Raccoons playing in the grass

My husband thought the little raccoon was cute because he seemed to be playing peek-a-boo behind the fountain grass in the ornamental grass garden.  But the thing about raccoons is they are very social animals and if there is one there will soon be more.   That is exactly what happened next, the kits came out of the hallowed tree and came to play in our patio fountain and our garden fish pond; washing their paws and putting leaves in the water.  Such cute behavior but not good for the pond filter.

Suburban Raccoon drinking from the garden fish pond

Raccoons are adorable but I do not want them to think my yard and garden are their hangout. That is when I knew that I had to set up raccoon boundaries so that they knew that playing in my garden was not acceptable behavior.

Planted an Herb Garden Today

Here in USDA growing zone 6 the threat of spring frost has past and now it is safe to garden. So I took advantage of the warm and sunny day and planted an herb garden.

Last week when  I did my garden checklist I noted that the harsh winter and killed many of my herbs and that I needed to replace many.  I was fortunate to have a friend with a nursery in town as she provided me with a discount.  Lucky me I was able to buy 11 herbs in three-inch pots for $3.00 each.


I found some new herbs for my garden and this year I will be growing
Mojito mint, I grow many varieties of mint and think it is a delicious plant for aromatics and for culinary uses.  In fact last year I made an invigorating soap from peppermint leaves.  So I am excited to be growing the new Motito mint.  

Another new herb this year is Kew Red Lavender for growing in full sun.  This aromatic herb looks exciting as it is covered with vibrant pink flowers with gray-green spikes.  I like that the lavender is drought-tolerant because my summers do get dreadfully hot. I am thinking that this lavender herb would make a nice bath soap and also a wonderful potpourri.

I am so happy that winter is finally over and that gardening season has begun.

Shopped Online for Garden Replacement Plants

Now that my garden has grown in I am aware of the plants and flowering shrubs  that did not survive the bitter cold winter.   Today I made a list of what I needed and shopped online for the replacement flowers for my gardens.

I needed to replace my daisy gardens and bought at Michiganbulb.com a mixture of Green Envy coneflower, Black-Eyed Susans, Every blooming purple coneflower and crazy Shasta daisies. These flowers will be planted in my wildflower garden back by my serviceberry shrubs. 

Daisy garden with coneflowers

Also from Michiganbulb.com I was able to replace the bee balm.  I bought 12 plants that were on sale.  The bee balm will bloom in early summer and continue to bloom until fall.  This plant is fast growing, perfect for borders that are close to dog kennel. The entire plant; leaves and flowers have potent mint fragrance plus it grows to 3 feet with similar spread. 

As for shrubs the oak leaf hydrangea was replaced with an elderberry black lace sambucus. This shrub will produce pretty flower blooms in the spring followed by edible fruit in the late summer. I am glad I was able to find the plants at greenwoodnursery.com as they were exactly what I was looking for as all will attract wildlife to my yard

Now all I need is some red cardinal flowers for the moist soil around the pond where nothing else will grow. 

Cottage Garden

I am looking forward to my replacement plant deliveries and look forward to spedign time in the garden.  I am so happy the winter season is over and I am  looking forward to an enjoyable summer season.

Note:  I was able to buy many plants with a coupon that I had gotten from Michigan Bulb and thus saved greatly.  Had I shopped locally I would have paid more.  When I receive the  plants I will post again to let you know the quality of plants and will share photographs.

Attribution: Cottage garden with bench: http://mrg.bz/OrmYmE

Aerated: Late Spring Lawn Care

Normally the lawn is my husband’s job but this year it has become my job.  Today when I look out at the lawn I viewed a few green patches, but other than that the lawn looks like there is a lot of thatch build up around the roots.   I decided to aerate the lawn to punch holes into the soil so that oxygen, hydration and fertilizer can get to the grass roots.

There are a couple ways to aerate your lawn, for small yards you can wear aerator sandals and walk across your lawn in the same way in which you would mow your lawn. 

I personally like the lawn aerator rake because it gets rid of the excess thatch and also loosens the soil around the grass roots.

 For larger yards you may want to look into buying Agri-Fab spike aerator push.  This aerator looks like a push mower however the blades will loosen the soil up to 2.5 inches.  Then there are self-propelled units that you can hook up behind your lawn tractor.  These aerating attachments are great especially for the homeowner with large lawns.

Clean up after you aerate your lawn with a rake, then plant grass seed or fertilize your lawn.

Other Lawn Care Posts by Sgolis

Autumn Lawn Care Tips

Buffalo Grass for No Mow Lawn

Lawn Care Tips: Crabgrass

Learn more about thatching and aerating your lawn by viewing this video:

Protecting Plants From Late Spring Snow

When I looked out my window this morning I could not believe my eyes, because the snow was falling onto my newly green lawn and my flower gardens.

White powder from the sky is covering the newly opened tulips, lilacs, redbud blooms, irises with buds, and this morning I noticed the hostas had broken the soil surface.  

My entire yard and garden are flourishing because of the warm spring-like weather.  This April Snow will destroy my plants because of the hard frost advisory.

Normally I cover my plants with blanket frost protection and I will use the row covers for my crops in raised vegetable garden; however, I cannot cover the entire yard and all of the gardens.

I am hoping for the best, that the wintry mix moves far enough away from my area to prevent the temperatures from dropping into the low 20s.   

Related Garden Posts by Sgolis

Winter Snow and Ice Damaged Irises

Protect Spring Gardens from Wildlife

Testing Soil to Determine Right Grass Seed for Lawn

Before you can grow a lush green lawn I recommend that you know what type of soil you have.  Grass seed is formulated to grow in specific soil types and if you want a lawn that will be admired by all then test your soil.  

Choose grass seed blend for combination lawn; sun and shade

I would recommend that you buy a soil test kit to check the nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium pH levels.  I you can buy and inexpensive kit at amazon.com, or any garden center; Lowes and Home Depot also sell soil test kits.  

Know that if your soils pH is 6.0 to 7.0 then you are in good shape because you have the perfect soil for growing a lush green lawn.    When you know your pH level you will be able to shop for the right grass seed for your lawn. 

 

View this video to learn how to test your soil pH

 

Read other lawn and garden posts by Sgolis here

Attribution: Lawn with sun and shade: http://mrg.bz/5a7gsg

Yard Sale Find Creates an Inexpensive Garden Path

While shopping at our neighborhood yard sale I found some capstone at a yard sale and then my brother gave me some cypress mulch.  I knew immediately that I had the makings of a practical and inexpensive garden path.

When it comes to creating garden paths in my yard I tend to design paths that are practical and cost-effective.  I do not have a lot of money to invest in garden hardscapes so I tend to make the best with what I have or buy inexpensive materials from yard sale finds.

Path Location

The capstone path would be located adjacent to my side steps and then would wind around my black-eyed Susan flowers, ornamental grasses, and herb garden beds, thus providing me with easy access to gardens without walking on the grass.  It would also put an end to dirty shoes tracking mud or dirt indoors.

Garden Path Installation

When planning a garden project I prefer to design by drawing the path out and then work with my husband in the preparation and installation. 

Husband's to-do list:

1. Remove the grass with a lawn trimmer
2. Level the soil
3. Lay out the stones for easy stepping
4. Remove the dirt so he can set the stone into the space so that it is even with the soil.

When my husband completed the layout for the stepping stone path I then filled in around the stones with cypress mulch. 

The finished recycled capstone and cypress mulch path looks wonderful, even my neighbor likes the mulch surrounding the stepping stones.  You do not have to use the stone steps, you can create an easy garden path by using the mulch only. 

The total expense was $10.00: 14 capstones for $10.00 plus cypress mulch was given to me.   

View another landscape posts by Sgolis here

Harsh Winter Causes Damage to Bearded Irises

Today while cleaning the winter debris from the bearded iris garden I noticed that many of the rhizomes had suffered from erosion due to ice and snow.  Instead of being under the soil many of them were fully exposed which concerns me.

My iris garden with many buds 

The first thing that I did today was clear the iris gardens of all leftover leaves, sticks and check the rhizome for damage.  I expect many of the plants to perish as it was an extreme cold winter with heavy snow and ice. 

Tomorrow I am going to amend in my wheelbarrow top soil with organic compost and diatomaceous earth.  Then I will spread an even layer over the irises, covering the exposes rhizomes and leaving only the tip for nutrient collection from the sun. 

I am hoping that this natural fertilizer and borer pest control will aid in healthy spring iris growth and bloom production.

The photograph of my iris garden.  Enjoy!

Other Yard and Garden Secrets Posts that you make like:

Where to buy diatomaceous earth food grade for garden

Maintaining Iris Garden: Transplanting tips for Bearded Irises

Get Rid of Borers in Iris Garden with Diatomaceous Earth

Pruning Japanese Honeysuckle Vines – Early Spring Cleanup

Today was warm and I worked outdoors cleaning up the river rock wall by pruning the Japanese honeysuckle vines.  Last year the vines had not been pruned and they became invasive.

I like the honeysuckle because, in the summer when the flowers bloom, they attract hummingbirds and honey bees but if they are not trimmed back they will take over the river rock wall.  Here is a photograph of the honeysuckle that has grown in too thickly on the rock wall.

Japanese honeysuckle on the river rock wall

I used extended-handle hedge shears to cut the massive vines that had grown in so thickly and to protect my hands I wore heavy-duty pigskin yard work gloves with knit wrists.  When pulling vines you need to protect your hands otherwise they can get cut.  

Pruned Japanese honeysuckle on the river rock wall

I got the river rock column cleared by cutting the vines away and I also cleared four feet of vines from the wall.  Once the vines were removed I raked away the leaves that were embedded into the vines.   I am happy that I took on this early spring yard cleanup job because by pruning the vines from the rock wall I will also be discouraging the snakes from taking refuge.

Other blog posts by Sgolis that you may like:

Honeysuckle Growing Tips

Yard and Garden Snake Removal

Getting Ready to Plant Organic Spinach Seeds

Even though it is too cold to plant spinach outdoors I am getting ready to plant Ferry-Morse organic spinach seeds in containers.  I like to have my salad bowl of spinach close to my kitchen and thus the containers will sit in the sun on my back deck.

Today I washed my container out with dawn antibacterial dish soap and rinsed them well in the shower.  Then I let them air dry.  When the containers were completely dry I then mixed organic matter with potting soil in the container and set them aside.

(If you do not have compost for your organic matter then buy a bag of manure)

Now the containers are ready for planting spinach seeds and as soon as the weather warms to an average of 20 F I will set the containers outdoors in a full sun area and plant the organic spinach seed ½ inch under the soil and space 8 inches apart.  When the seeds are all planted I will water them well.    

Caring for Spinach:

Keep the soil evenly moist but not wet.  If the soil should dry out the spinach will have stress and the plant will bolt.  Watch for weather that may dip below 15 F.  If the weather is extremely cold, cover spinach plants with row covers.

Other Garden Posts by Sgolis

Growing tips for carrots

Growing Tips for Lettuce Salad Bowl
Tips for Growing Tomatoes

Tips for Growing Strawberries

Attribution: This spinach photo is in the public domain in the United States http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:CDC_spinach1.jpg

Protecting Spring Bulb Gardens from Whitetail Deer

 

When I looked out my picture window I saw doe deer and fawn in my yard nibbling in my spring bulb garden.  I ran outside and waved my arms in the air and the deer left my yard. But I knew they would be back and I needed to take steps to protect my spring bulb garden from the whitetail deer.

Whitetail deer doe and fawn in garden

Every spring I have a problem with the whitetail deer because I cannot convince them that my spring bulb garden was not planted to nourish them.  Every doe deer in the forest finds its way to my spring bulb gardens. 

Over the years I have tried to discourage the deer with Contech Scarecrow motion-activated sprinkler s a natural way to scare deer.  This water spray deterrent works well in the summer but is not a good deterrent during winter. 

Other deer deterrents that I have had good results with is a  potent pepper spray and deer scam, however, these products need to be reapplied and depending on your weather; snow or ice these products can get costly. 

Last fall I put down a deer forage plot but that died back due to a cold snowy winter.  I found in the past that if I proved the deer with their dietary needs that they will leave my spring bulbs alone.  

Since it is whitetail deer in garden season and I need to keep the deer out of my garden I went to Atwoods ranch and yard store and bought 40lb bag of natural apple corn for $7.49 and a mineral salt lick.  I set up a feeding station that was downwind from my tulip garden. 

My husband and I waited on the side deck and at dusk, we saw the deer coming up the side yard path.   The doe deer come out of the woods to enjoy the corn and to lick on the mineral block. 

Notes by Sgolis: 

1. This wildlife compromise worked because the deer have stayed away from my spring bulb garden because their dietary needs are being met with the mineral lick and feeding station.  
2. When spring greens up the deer will no longer need to be fed as there is ample forage in the forest. 

Yard and Garden Cleanup After Ice Storm

I am looking over my yard and garden to do list and I need to cleanup the lawn and the spring bulb gardens. Last month’s ice storm caused us to have many down branches.  We removed the large branches but there many smaller branches they need to be picked up. Hopefully I will accumulate enough sticks to  ask my hubby to add them to the wood chipper because they will make nice mulch for the garden.

When I finish the removal of down branches from the lawn, I will then concentrate on the gardens.  

Our one maple tree holds onto its leaves until late winter however many of the leaves did come down after the ice storm and fell onto my spring bulb garden. I think it is a good idea to remove the leaves and any mulch from the early spring gardens as it will make it easier for delicate crocus to come up. 

Hopefully the day will stay warm as I also have on my list to replace some parts of my mulch garden path .  Winter was hard and did pull much away from the path.  All In need to do is fill in because it is spotty. 

I hope I can get everything on my list completed, as it late January and before you know it spring garden beds will be blooming. 

Daffodil spring bulb garden

Safe-T-Pet Ice Melt Keeps your Yard and Garden Healthy

Protect your lawn and gardens in winter with environment friendly ice melt.  This toxic free ice melt is the only product that you can use especially if you have gardens close to your hard surfaces.

Non-toxic ice melt keep your garden healthy

The other products may be cheaper but before you buy read the ingredients.  If you value your soil, and your flower beds, then think twice about using toxic chemicals to melt ice.  Those chemicals will penetrate through the soil and kill your plants at the roots.

Saving a few bucks at the hardware store for a harsh and harmful to environment ice melt sure won’t feel worth it when your wife is making you remove all of the chemical damaged garden soil in the spring to replace with new soil for planting.

Instead pay the few extra bucks and rest easy because Morton Safe-T-Pet Ice melt is salt and chlorine free which means it is safe for your yard, gardens, pets and kids. 

Making Mulch out of Christmas Trees

Before you drag your Christmas tree to the curb for trash pickup, think about recycling it by turning it into nutrient rich  mulch for your yard and garden.

My husband never wanted to make mulch out of the Christmas tree but when he saw all the mulch that he got that was free of charge he realized it was a great savings.  My husband collected all of our neighbors trees that were put out for the trash and by doing this we had enough Christmas tree mulch for our gardens and for our trees or shrubs.

There is some work in getting your tree ready for the wood chipper.  But before you remove all of the branches call your areas recycling center to see if they can chip the whole tree for you.  If not do the following;

  

1.   Remove all of the branches and stack them neatly in a rubber 32 gallon trash bin. When all of the branches are remove set the tree trunk on top.

2.   Call a buddy to see if you can borrow their wood chipper if none is available you may be able to rent one for the day or take your Christmas tree branches to a recycling place that makes yard and garden mulch free of charge.

3.   Use the trash bin to collect your mulch. Then apply the mulch to your garden beds or encircle your shrubs and trees with the fragrant and nutrient rich mulch.

End of Season Gardening

I am very sad to see the growing season come to an end as it represents an end of my gardens life.  Presently I have only a few flowers still blooming, pink clematis, yellow mums and the white sweet autumn clematis.  All other flowers have died back and all that remains is the seed heads.

Dried Hydrangea flowers add winter interest to the garden

Tomorrow there will be a hard frost and then I will cut back all the garden beds for the winter season. And will cover the gardens with a thick layer of leaf mulch as this organic mulch will aid in protecting the flower roots that are close to the soil surface from snow or ice.

Now that the growing and gardening season is coming to an end I am not doing much other than trimming back the dead tree branches, collecting seeds, and keeping the gardens weed free. 

Cleanup irises by removing leaves and weeds

Garden Notes:

1. I never collect all of the seeds as many flowers like the sedum and ornamental grasses are attractive throughout the winter season.  I also leave the seed heads on the black-eyed Susans, sunflowers, and coneflowers as they provide food for the songbirds.

   

   Ornamental grass plumes add winter interest to garden
2. This year we covered our small pond with a layer of chicken wire to keep the leaves from accumulating and clogging up the water filter. 
3. The small tabletop fountain provides the songbirds and the stray cats with a reliable water source, although we mu constantly remove the leaves and change out the water daily.

Getting Container Gardens Ready to Come Indoors

The weather forecast indicates that there will be a light frost on Sunday night which means it is time to get the outdoor container gardens ready to come indoors.

 

Before bringing Plants indoors do the following:

Herbs are grown in containers

1. Check to see if any of the plants are root bound or in need of a new container.  Transplant now if needed with new soil. 
2. For all other container gardens; look over your plants to make sure there are no grasshoppers, snails, or spiders. 
3. I found spiders and fleas on my plants and treated them all with a soap soak to get rid of all unwanted garden pests on the leaves and then I mixed a handful of spent coffee grounds into the soil.
4. You do not want your plants to go into shock due to a change in outdoor and indoor temperature, so bring them in before it gets too cold outdoors. Best to bring the plants in before you turn on your furnace heat.
5. Pick plastic drain saucers to protect your floor from water stains.  Find them garden centers;  Lowe's, Home Depot, and Walmart may have some also.
6.  If you cannot find saucers put containers in plastic under the bed storage container.  You will be able to fit a few small pots in one container.

___

Other Yard and Garden Posts by Sgolis

Autumn Yard and Garden Check List

Attribution Freerangestock.com

Netherland Bulb Company Product Review

I have been doing business with the Netherland bulb company since 2008 and find that the landscaper wholesale prices are fair, shipping is prompt, and the product is good to excellent, with customer service accommodating.

Narcissus 

All spring and summer bulbs that I received had no gray mold or soft spots. I am impressed with the bulbs and the customer service and buy from Netherland Bulb Company annually.

Narcissus Dutch Master

Finding what you want online is easy, you can also order from a wholesale price list catalog.  I normally take my client's orders first then figure out how many bulbs are needed to create their spring gardens. 

Narcissus Dutch Master & Giant Grape Hyacinth

For me, it is easier to fill out the order form from the catalog before ordering online. Before placing an order I will contact my client to let them know about special sales or any bulb collections that may be available then I will order the bulbs online.

Crocus Pickwick

Tips

Netherland Bulb Company is the nursery that supplies the spring bulbs for United States of America Whitehouse gardens.  The gardens are exquisite so that will confirm the quality of the bulbs sold at the Netherland Bulb Company.

Autumn Season Gardening

The autumn season is a busy time for me as I was able to line up a few contracts for garden cleanup, and planting mums and as soon as the weather is an average of 64 degrees during the day I will plant the spring bulbs.

The first part of September was warm with temperatures in the high 90’s so I worked only in the mornings.  Basically, I got the garden beds ready for planting.  Last week the weather was cooler so I finished planting the Chrysanthemums.   This week we have three days of rain which is good for the newly planted mums.

Tomorrow I plan to work in my yard and garden to clean up the garden beds so they are ready for planting in a few weeks.  I bought the spring bulbs Crocus Pickwick which look like they were painted with purple stripes on white they will bloom in early spring, and then the 100 narcissus Dutch master bulbs will bloom in mid-spring followed the purple grape hyacinth in late spring.

The spring bulbs will be planted in my feature garden which is located next to my sandstone patio.  I can view this patio through my picture window and think the location is perfect.

In addition to planting spring bulbs in feature garden beds, I also plan to keep a few narcissus bulbs in cold storage and force them to bloom.  I want to plant the bulbs in pretty containers and give them as Christmas gifts to my elderly neighbors as the blooms will good cheer for them this winter.

Attribution: Morguefile