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By Anne Raver
I didn't plant any bulbs last fall because the deer ate Prinses Irene, my favorite tulip. The voles and mice finished off most of the others, as well as my crocuses, years ago. But somehow they missed the bulbs I tucked into my barnyard garden. It warms up early in spring, thanks to the stone walls, and I like to sit there sunning myself among the fragrant orange flowers flamed with purple. But last spring the deer walked through the open gate and nipped off the succulent, fat buds. The stems were cut as cleanly as if a pair of clippers had done the job. So I gave up for a year: couldn't take the heartbreak. But I missed them. Spring just wasn't as jolly without these bright lollipops bobbing their heads on the breeze. Giving up tulips is like giving up chocolate. I can't. Neither can millions of other American gardeners. According to the National Gardening Association, 27 million households spent $1 billion on bulbs last year, twice as much as in 1998. Over the last three years the Netherlands have exported 1.5 billion bulbs a year to this country, up half a billion from 1989, according to the Netherlands Flower Bulb Information Center. "Bulbs ring a chord — they are a very emotional thing," said Sally Ferguson, director of the center's American office. "Especially these days, when you plant a bulb, you plant a wish for the future." These people don't collapse in tears after an army of voles eat a few thousand tulips. No, they are out there planting more bulbs in sunken wire baskets or between layers of sharp oyster shells. They are using sprays and goopy pastes to deter the deer. All because they can't bear to greet the spring without crocuses and all the flowering bulbs that follow. So last week, after a frost zapped my zinnias and turned the morning-glories to limp rags, I gave in to that bittersweet feeling that comes at the end of a bountiful summer. Goodbye, beautiful Brandywine tomatoes. I grabbed my trowel, my wire cutters and my bags of bulbs. I wanted crocuses again, appearing like Easter eggs beneath the dogwoods by the smokehouse and outside the kitchen of my mother's old farmhouse. I wanted my Prinses Irene to come back, along with other fragrant early tulips like General de Wet, which has shimmering orange petals, and Montreux, whose ivory yellow flowers turn a rosy pink as they open wider. But I'll have to use cunning to see them bloom, putting them in underground cages and pots, for example, and surrounding them with sharp oyster shells that scrape soft little mouse noses and feet. Such measures are a pain in the neck, as are the deer repellents that are necessary when the buds appear. But last weekend I started building my underground defense, with my mind's eye on Crocus tommasinianus, whose little lavender cups appear in my Maryland garden in March. I pictured myself cutting lush peony-style tulips in late April: Carnaval de Nice, whose white petals are flamed with dark red; Maywonder, a deep rose; and Mount Tacoma, which is pure ivory. I used to scorn peony tulips, with their heavy heads so full of petals, simply because they are bred to look like peonies. But I can't resist the look of these voluptuous beauties in a vase. And they are wonderfully fragrant. I ordered these from Van Engelen in Bantam, Conn.; (860) 567-8734) or www.vanengelen.com. It's a wholesale company that sells to individuals willing to buy in quantity at reasonable prices; if you go in with friends, for instance, you can get 100 bulbs of Carnaval de Nice for $42.75. Old House Gardens in Ann Arbor, Mich., specializes in heirloom tulips rarely found elsewhere; (734) 995-1486 or www.oldhousegardens.com. It has, for example, Clara Butt, an old pink Darwin hybrid that returns year after year, and Tulipa acuminata, which dates from the Ottoman Empire and has long skinny gold and red petals that add electricity to an arrangement.
Some bulbs, like daffodils and alliums, are full of alkaloids distasteful to rodents, so these have multiplied in my garden. But over the years I think the mice and voles have have eaten my lilies. (What a meal each big bulb must have been). So these, too, must be protected. Many of the little early bulbs — snowdrops, grape hyacinths, Siberian squill, winter aconite and starflowers — are resistant to underground foragers. I am planting some of these bulbs in the grassy bank that rolls down from my front door, à la the March Bank at Winterthur, the former Henry du Pont estate outside Wilmington, Del. The wooded hill begins to bloom in early March, a carpet of snowdrops, snowflakes, crocus, squill and glory-in-the-snow. I've never had the patience to plant the thousands of tiny bulbs required for that look, but if I plant a few hundred each fall, I may get there before I'm 80. I just jab a garden trowel about four inches into the grass, pull back and drop in a bulb. But tulips, crocuses and lilies require a different strategy, because voles and mice love them. Wire cages keep them out, if you have the patience to make them. I made a few out of hardware cloth (stiff wire mesh known more aptly as rat wire), digging a hole about a foot deep and wide, then lining it with pieces of the mesh. The sides should come up about 10 inches, to 2 inches from the top of the hole. I add a few inches of compost mixed with sand to the bottom of this cage, set the tulip bulbs point up about three inches apart on the compost and fill the hole to about two inches from the top. Then I bend another piece of rat wire over my box. (Crocuses may be planted the same way, about four inches from the top of the hole, a few inches apart.) Add a layer of oyster shells on top before filling the hole with soil. Back to the actual bulbs, which is what all this drudgery is for: Darwin tulips are known for their ability to return for five years or so, if planted as deep as 8 to 12 inches. So this year I'm planting Orange Bowl, a big orange-red flower streaked with yellow, and Burning Heart, an ivory flower with blood-red flames, to name only a couple. And I'm planting them deep, with oyster shells, below the vole highways. Brent and Becky Heath, who own Brent and Becky's Bulbs in Gloucester, Va., have had luck planting bulbs amid ground covers. "We find that the bulbs are not as preyed upon in the lawn or established ground covers, like ajuga and Vinca minor," Mr. Heath said. They also plant bulbs in raised beds built on heavy clay soil. Six inches of compost goes on first, then the tulips, then 10 inches of clay soil, sand or compost. The Heaths sell a wide variety of bulbs, including unusual daffodils, like the fragrant Pheasant's-eye, or poet's narcissus, at good prices; (804) 693-3966 or www.brentandbeckysbulbs.com. I've also had luck mixing tulips with alliums, daffodils and fritillaries, which smell like skunks. Just don't put them in a vase. |
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Rewards of Taking Chances This is a reprint of "Garden Breeze," a monthly column by Mark Kane, Executive Garden Editor of Better Homes and Gardens® magazine. Instead of growing the same plants year after year or buying only sure things (meaning plants that you know will thrive in your climate), suppose that you take a few chances this spring. (Photo below, left) The lore about chrysanthemums says they won’t survive the winter. We’ll see about that.
(Photo above, right) The silver ferny leaves of artemisia make a soothing combination with mums of contrasting colors in the author’s backyard. The three mums here, two in flower and one in bud, survived winter, though ordinary mums are usually not hardy, or so say most gardeners. Several mums in this collection are three years old. Where their neighbors died, the author has filled in with new plants. Suppose, say, that you grow chrysanthemums and then mulch them at the end of fall to see if they’ll come back after the winter, even though the books say they’re not hardy in your zone. At worst, the chrysanthemums die and you start with new ones the next year. At best, you enjoy several rewards. The first is entertainment. Your chrysanthemums grow big, make lots of buds, brighten the garden with bloom in fall, and then leave you in suspense until spring. The gardening season turns into a bedtime story, with a new chapter every day and an ending that you have to wait for. Note that every experiment, even one that fizzles, offers the reward of entertainment. The other reward comes when your experiment works. The black-eyed Susans thrive, the new raised bed grows the best tomatoes you’ve ever had, the soaker hose keeps your hostas fresh right through the summer, your chrysanthemums return in spring. You enjoy the glow of success and you learn something too. Even if the raised bed dries out too fast and a dog chews the soaker hose, at least you learn something, and you had the bedtime story. We built the BH&G Test Garden for experiments. The idea is to try lots of plants and techniques and ideas, catch the duds, and pass the winners on to you. Here are two experiments we enjoyed last year. If you try one yourself this spring, we’d like to hear what happened. |
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A Birdbath Can Bring A Splash Of Song --- The Best Place To Put A Birdbath Is Where You Can See It -- Near A Window, Patio Or Garden Bench. By Marty Ross There was always a birdbath in my grandmother's garden, a simple pottery basin on a pedestal near the hydrangeas that seemed to have been placed there by nature. Gardeners are inclined to ornament their yards more elaborately nowadays and splashy water features are popular, but old-fashioned birdbaths are quietly coming back into style. Any time of year is the right time to install a birdbath in the garden. Modern birdbath heaters with thermostats make it possible for gardeners in every climate to enjoy the endless variety of birds attracted to birdbaths year-round. Cardinals, goldfinches, chickadees, wrens, blue jays and robins all will come to the clear, shallow water. A birdbath reflects the light and the pattern of clouds overhead through every season, and it is a pleasure to let your fingers flutter lightly in the water, to launch flower petals across the glassy surface and to admire the soft rings stirred by raindrops on the placid surface. "Birds need water for drinking and grooming," says Sharon Dunn of Duncraft, a mail-order company specializing in back-yard bird-watching supplies. Duncraft and other suppliers have increased their selection of birdbaths to meet rising demand. Surveys consistently rate bird-watching and gardening as America's favorite hobbies, and it is difficult to imagine one without the other. "People are outfitting their yards with more products to attract birds, and there are more birdbaths out there than ever before," Dunn says. Take your pick The simple sculptural form of a birdbath complements gardens of every style and description. A pedestal birdbath is the classic design, but birdbaths have evolved along with everything else in the world of gardening. The styles on the market now include hanging birdbaths, birdbaths that attach to the rail of a deck and birdbaths with cascading water and separate pools for large and small birds. Pretty, old-fashioned ceramic birdbaths are carried at garden shops, along with fancy copper ones, blue- or green-glazed and plain terra-cotta birdbaths on pedestals high and low. Pebble-textured cast stone birdbaths are available in more styles than ever, including reproductions of handsome American designs from the 1920s. Fine old birdbaths can be found at antiques shops. You might see an elaborate pedestal in the form of a sea horse supporting a basin shaped like a clamshell or a birdbath in a stylish faux bois form, designed to look as though it were made from slender tree branches, like rustic twig furniture. What birds want Any gardener who has ever turned on a sprinkler knows moving water attracts birds. Cardinals and robins usually are among the first to come for a shower in the spray, flying back and forth from a fence or tree branch to a puddle on the garden path or patio. Drippers, the latest thing in birdbath accessories, have a similar effect. A copper spout attaches to the basin and keeps the water in motion. The fine spray from a birdbath mister attachment may be even better. Misters are especially appealing to hummingbirds, which like to dart in and out of the gentle spray. The best place to put a birdbath is where you can see it--near a window, for example, so you can keep an eye on it from inside, or not far from the patio or a garden bench. Birds like to fly up to a tree and preen themselves after a bath. The water will stay clear and cool in dappled light; algae tends to build in the sun. No matter where the birdbath is, it's a good idea to refresh the water every few days. Birdbaths with gently sloping basins are ideal; they provide shallow water for small birds and deeper water for larger ones. If the basin is flat, a few small stones, a handful of pebbles or a couple of pretty seashells look nice and give the birds something on which to stand. My grandmother was content with one birdbath, but I have three: a terra-cotta pot saucer on a tall stump near the peonies, where the goldfinches come to dip their beaks; a deep bowl near the patio for the raucous blue jays, which thrash and throw water in all directions; and a low basin on the lawn near my hydrangeas, often claimed by a band of starlings shouldering one another aside to take their baths, and only grudgingly sharing the water with robins. Sometimes there is so much action out there, it's easy to forget about the roses and the raking for a little while. Sources: The following suppliers carry a variety of birdbaths, along with drippers, misters and heaters: Duncraft (102 Fisherville Rd., Concord, NH 03303; 800-593-5656, Dept. NC116; www.duncraft.com) sells bird-watching supplies of all kinds. The company's spring 2000 catalog contains several pages of birdbaths, among them a heated model designed to be mounted on a deck rail ($40) and a classic pedestal model in lightweight plastic ($59.95). The catalog is free. Gardener's Supply Co. (128 Intervale Rd., Burlington, VT 05401; 800-955-3370; www.gardeners.com) sells a terra-cotta birdbath with a blue-glazed basin, supported by a black steel post ($44.95); a weatherproof, fiberglass-reinforced concrete birdbath on a low pedestal, 12 inches high ($89.95); and a whimsical birdbath that looks like a frog wearing a bow tie--the frog holds the birdbath basin over its head ($79.95). The catalog is free. Smith & Hawken (2 Arbor Ln., Box 6900, Florence, KY 41022; 800-776-3336; www.smith-hawken.com) carries a low stone birdbath 9 inches tall ($98), and two pedestal models: green-glazed, 24 inches high ($98), and copper, 30 inches high ($198). The catalog is free. Wild Birds Unlimited is a retail chain with more than 250 stores across the country, including several in the Chicago area, selling birdbaths and other bird-watching supplies. Birdbaths, drippers, misters and heaters are available in the shops and through the company's Internet store. To locate a store, call 800-326-4928, or visit www.wbu.com. |
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Orchids Step Out Into The Spotlight By Marty Ross Orchids are the height of gardening fashion. The myth of the delicate, persnickety orchid has been debunked, and a new generation of orchid fanciers is discovering that they don't need a greenhouse to grow them. Orchids are excellent and interesting plants to grow in the garden in the summer--or year-round in frost-free climates. But they adapt gracefully to life indoors, where they can be appreciated up close. In an exotic garden on a tabletop, orchid flowers introduce a certain sophistication unmatched by any other plant. Many of the most wonderful orchids bloom in the winter. In the cold heart of January in Des Moines, Elvin McDonald's west-facing kitchen window is lined with elegant orchids in full bloom. "Late on a winter's afternoon, the pale sun's rays backlight the flowers and make them unusually magical," says McDonald, who has grown orchids for more than 40 years and has written two books about them. "For the person who spends a lot of time in the kitchen, I can't imagine a nicer accompaniment than flowering orchids." McDonald doesn't confine his orchids to the kitchen window. "To me, a flowering orchid plant adds beauty to any setting," he says. All winter long, his collection of about 100 orchids fills every room of his house. Mixers "Orchids look splendid alone, but they also mix well with almost any other flowers or foliage," McDonald says. Throughout his house, orchids are set against a backdrop of larger plants in pots. He sometimes places blooming orchids among neatly trimmed ivy or myrtle topiaries on a tabletop, or in a carefully arranged forest of ferns and bromeliads, along with small bouquets. "I love to see an orchid placed so that light from the table lamp illuminates the flowers, like a performer in the spotlight," he says. Finding the right place for an orchid, whether indoors or out, is a lot easier than deciding which one to buy. The orchid family is vast, with about 35,000 species and perhaps 100,000 hybrids. The cattleya is the classically showy, fragrant orchid of prom nights. Phalaenopsis and paphiopedilum orchids -- their common names are the moth orchid and the lady's slipper orchid--are perhaps the next-best-known species. Even experts can't know them all. Like any other plant, a healthy orchid should have rich green leaves and fresh, unblemished flowers or tight buds. The flowers often last for weeks, and you can expect years of bloom from healthy plants. Don't worry about their tongue-twisting Latin names at first, but make sure the plant you buy has a label so you can do a little research on it when you get home. Easy care The orchid plants sold at florist's shops, garden stores and through mail-order suppliers thrive in bright but indirect light. Indoors or out, the ideal temperature range is, generally, 55 to 85 degrees. In the garden, arrange plants on a bench to ensure good air circulation around them. Every orchid has its own requirements. The label should provide basic instructions, but information about how to grow orchids has expanded along with the supply, and you'll find the shelves at libraries and bookstores well-stocked with orchid literature. Sources: The American Orchid Society (6000 S. Olive Ave., West Palm Beach, FL 33405; 561-585-8666) offers a tremendous variety of information for orchid growers at every level of experience, including mail-order sources for orchids and supplies, tip sheets on orchid culture and a list of recommended books. The AOS Web site, www.orchidweb.org , also can help you find an AOS-affiliated club in your area. Elvin McDonald, garden editor of Traditional Home magazine, is the author of "100 Orchids for the American Gardener" (Workman Publishing, $17.95) and "Ortho's All About Orchids" (Ortho Books, $11.95). Both books contain lists of mail-order suppliers. Smith & Hawken, (P.O. Box 6900, Florence, KY 41022; 800-776-3336 or see the Web site at www.smith-hawken.com), sells a variety of blooming orchids ($49 each), verdigris orchid pots (two sizes, $18 and $20), bamboo stakes (six for $6), willow stakes ($9) and orchid fertilizer ($7). DRESS IT UP AND SHOW IT OFF Orchids usually need a little attention as soon as you get them home. "When you buy an orchid plant in bloom--unless it has already been dressed by a florist--it is like a painting without a frame," orchid collector Elvin McDonald says. When he displays orchids indoors, McDonald places the plants' utilitarian plastic pots inside decorative containers, with about an inch of pebbles in the bottom so the orchid never stands in water. He replaces plastic stakes with natural bamboo or with twigs the right size and shape from the garden. Instead of twist-ties, McDonald uses plain raffia and ties the bloom spikes up "to best show off the flowers." A drop of lemon juice on a tea towel will remove water stains on the leaves. As a final touch, he covers the top of the pot with sheet moss or Spanish moss (both available from florists) or polished stones. "This is an important finishing touch, to my eye," McDonald says. |
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Order This Wildflower Catalog Now By Peter C. Hotton It will be some time before seeding starts in the garden, but the New England Wild Flower Society wants you to get an early start by ordering wildflower seeds. Easy-to-grow varieties include butterfly weed, New England aster, blue false indigo, purple coneflower and foamflower. More experienced growers will find challenging trilliums, ferns, gentians, pitcher plants or native rhododendron. This year's catalog offers two meadow mixes: a new England seed mix for general growing conditions and a tall-grass mix for height and drama. To order, send for the 2000 Seed & Book Catalogue. Requests must be received by March 15. Order early for best selection. To obtain a catalog, send $2.50 to: Seeds, New England Wild Flower Society, Garden in the Woods, 180 Hemenway Rd., Framingham, MA 01701. |
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Plants Just Might Want Company
By Lee Reich So-called "companion planting" may be thought of as choosing a mixed and good neighborhood for your plants. Rather than planting marigolds in the flower garden, basil in the herb garden and cabbages in the vegetable garden, you grow flower, herb and vegetable plants together. And no solid blocks -- mingle the cabbages freely with the tomatoes, the cucumbers with the corn. The folklore on companion planting cautions against mixing plants too freely, though. Some plants might be hostile toward others. As it turns out, companion planting is a mix of fact and fiction. First, the facts: Science has shown that some plants do, in fact, dislike each other. The best known example is black walnut, which can put a natural chemical into the soil that is toxic to many other plants, most notably tomatoes. And did you ever notice dead lawn beneath your bird feeder? That's because a chemical in sunflower hulls is toxic to grass. Science also has confirmed that the makeup of a plant community influences pest problems. A cabbage moth is going to have an easier time honing in on a large block of cabbage plants than on cabbage plants growing with tomato plants and a few marigold and mint plants tucked among them. Now, the fiction: Most of the details of companion planting are unsubstantiated. Onions really do not dislike, or grow poorly, near beans; and beans do not grow better near carrots. Most of the alleged benefits of herbs in repelling pests also are unsubstantiated. Planting chives at the base of your rose bush will not thwart aphids. |
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New materials marketed in new shapes, colors, sizes and forms with designer names attached at some extra cost. There is a mat made of a new material called Plynyl shag. It has a nonslip rubber backing. Plynyl is woven vinyl and can be scrubbed with soap and water. An 18-by-28-inch mat sells for $35 at New York's MoMa Design Store. Access www.momastore.org or phone (800) 447-6662. Other sizes are available from hilewich, www.chilewich.com. Look at their Plynyl-shag custom carpets also. How about a soft blue or red with off-white fiber mat in a 12 by 27 inches size for $22.95 at Mxyplyzyk, www.mxyplyzyk.com or (800) 243-9810. The Kensington rubber mat looks like wrought iron and comes in many sizes, including 57 by 24 inches, or wide enough for a McMansion entryway; $89 at Smith & Hawken, www.smithandhawken.com or (800) 776-3336. Something called Hello-Goodbye and made of coir (coconut husk fiber) is available for $19 at the Terence Conran Shop, (866) 755-9079 or www.conran.com. This shop also has a metal mat with rows of coir brushes for $32. Alexander Girard in the 1960's designed images are available on the two-foot-square coir mats. There are seven designs in the collection including Old Sun (shown), $40. To order or for store locations, (505) 245-8700 or www.maximodesign.com . And consider circles at 17 by 29 inches, made of coir for $35 at Mxyplyzyk. An olive wreath mat made of coir bristles is 18 by 30 inches and costs $30 at Smith & Hawken. Mats made of riverstones glued onto rubber netting at about 16 by 24 inches is $39 at Homenature, (631) 287-6277. |
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Chicago Tribune © After the ground freezes, set aside some time to mulch your perennials, especially those that have recently been planted. Mulch acts as an insulator, keeping the soil uniformly cold. This insulation prevents the soil from heaving, due to alternate freezing and thawing, which damages exposed roots. Choose a loose mulch such as composted leaves, straw or evergreen boughs. Place 3 to 4 inches of mulch around the plant, being careful not to mulch the crown. TO CUT OR NOT TO CUT? After a killing frost, cut back any perennials that suffered from foliar diseases, were damaged due to broken stems or are just unsightly. Cut perennials back to within 2 to 3 inches of the crown. Allow perennials with interesting foliage or seed heads to remain standing for winter interest. Such perennials also provide shelter and act as a food source for birds. Also leave stems of tender perennials, such as mums, to help insulate the crown over the winter. GARDEN OBJECTS CLEAN UP. Now is the time to bring in garden art, such as spheres, statuary and unheated bird baths, garden hoses and garden furniture. Before storing be sure to clean these items. Remove all garden hoses from outside faucets, thoroughly drain hoses and coil them up. Garden art and hoses should be stored in an area that will not freeze. Garden furniture can be left in a sheltered area close to a building and covered. AT THE GARDEN. The Chicago Botanic Garden's annual Celebrations! exhibit is open with outdoor lights, shopping, yummy dining and holiday displays to inspire your own indoor decorating plans! There's fun for the whole family, including the family dog, who can dress up and show his stuff, Saturday at the Garden's Reindog Parade. Visit www.chicagobotanic.org for details. |
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