A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2006 What's everyone doing to their flower gardens...

Hi all -

Yesterday I cut down my perennials to about 5-6 inches :p So sad summer is over, I am in zone 6. My elephant ears were wilted to death so I dug them up and am currently drying and I dug up the Dahlias too... I guess summer is finally over... :rolleyes: I went over to the old wood pile, which is now empty and dug up all the old wood shavings left over from last winter and placed them in the flower garden so they would break down into my clay...

BUT I planted 600 bulbs for the spring including alliums, arum italicum, firecracker flower, glory of the snow, daffodils, tulips, irises, mini iris, grape hyacinths, bluebells, mini tulips, peony tulips, orange oriental poppies, crocus... and the list goes on. I bought some 3 foot red tulips from Brecks that I am so excited to see Still waiting for my queen of the night tulips and my rembrant tulips to get here, almost done for the winter...

What are the rest of you doing to get ready for the winter?

I'm harvesting anything that's left of the herbs because I don't know what all will come back. I'm definitely going to plan better for next year and I am digging new beds now instead of waiting til I get back from the nursery with a carload of stuff like I did this year. Still pulling seeds off of everything I can find. The neighbor pruned his rose of Sharons before I could get all of the pods, but I got some! And I'm waiting til the kids get done playing in the leaves so I can bag them for my compost.

600 tulips?????
I got a bag of 40 and thought that was a big deal !
600 !? Wow !
What fun to plant them now. Mine are in the fridge until February.

Deborah
i guess that one good thing about having winters here, id need another frig one for my food and another for my spring bulbs!!! but then again i still have yet to dig up my tender bulbs,gotta do that soon,
so far i took out most of my annuals that died off,still getting seeds from the ones that surived the freeze. planted 3 kinds of tulips, more daffodils,alliums,holland charms,alpine bells, and dainty duch iris.
got some leaves raked up, but then again their still falling,
im already planing for next year!

I love iris - does it come back or do you have to buy more bulbs?
Also, does the whole iris plant die down like a tulip does? Or is it evergreen?

Deborah
iris are perennials,they come back every year, this is my first time for the dainty duch irises,their bulbs, their die off then come back.
my bearded irises grow from rhizomes,

I'm watching my lettuce get bigger and bigger and loving it. And I'm collecting seeds from my zinnia, coleus and cinnamon basil as it becomes ready. And of course keeping everything organized for the Fall Fling seed Exchange. I've been thinking about trying to take a softwood cutting from my one remaining carnation. But I'm chicken. I have a bunch of weeding to do in my burm but haven't been able to motivate myself yet. I've had a lot of little bugs this fall and it's kept me from feeling overly energetic. And I want to get in there and turn the compost pile again. And by now the leaves should have started falling so I want to rake them up to add to the compost.

I cannot imagine planting 600 tulip bulbs being fun, lol.

Well, it wasn't exactly fun... But keep in mind it was 600 total bulbs and some of the grape hyacinths and smaller alliums went in by the handfull It wasn't an easy task, but I just kept imagining what I would see this spring! I really am hoping they spread, I can't do this again next year.... I think the only thing that won't spread are some of my really "fun" hybrid tulips, the rest ought to go bonkers - I have some critters around, so I hope I didn't just spend $300 on squirell food!

I would end up with 3 FRIDGES.The food one...the beer one& one for plants.I like tulips,but they don't do my zone well.I like alluims.I need to add more of them.


I recently removed chocolate mint from a bed where it didn't belong after collecting seeds of course.I've been makeing stakes with broke limbs for plants that got too much rain this week.We doing sidewalk in front of flowerbed.....10 bags at a time per section.I've been able to disappear all 3 times for helping.(well....the 1st one I did haul 3 80 lb bags& then pleed to pee*yep...a good one....just do the pee dance& they'll believe ya*)Got new brugmansia cuttings started.been rakeing some(hey 1 hour of rakeing burns 150 calories!)


I CAN imagine planting 600 bulbs....I've planted 121 rose bushes before...bigger holes& was so glad when it was over.

I planted about 50 bulbs a few days ago. I've also been digging up some weeds in my front bed, and removing some Daylily leaves with leafstreak. I'm just trying to find anything to do at this point.

Well I walked out there this morning to inspect the lettuce. It's doing great. And I'm looking at my pepper plants and wondering if there is anywhere in my apartment where I might over winter one. But there just isn't any space. Grrrrh. I need a greenhouse and a car. The car doesn't have to run I just need a place to sleep so that I can have all the flowers I want lol. Have I gone completely bonkers? Yes I have.

Hmm...how about moving the mattress to the floor and arranging your taller plants around it? Kinda like sleeping in the jungle...at least you'd still be in the house!

Today, I managed to plant my fruit cocktail trees and cut down my flax. The flax is being recycled into the lasagne garden that is slowly being built.

My lettuce, brussels sprouts and broccoli are doing great, loving the chilly nights!

what do you think of that fruit coctail tree? I am considering buying one this spring, anyone out there also have some experience with them?

It should be interesting. I've heard good and bad about them.

The nursery guy said the grafts all fruited this year, and he helped me choose the healthiest ones - by which I mean all four grafts had survived! Apparently, sometimes the grafts fail and one type becomes dominant...I guess we'll see next year!

What's a fruit cocktail tree and what's on it?

Hi Deb - here's a link of the tree, they have it at direct gardening

http://www.directgardening.com/detail.asp?pid=5556

we had snow flurries yesterday! had to run outside and dig up all my tender bulbs! today im gonna toss some extra leaves on everything.

Yuppers - I am in Cleveland and we are getting two to three inches of snow tonight :rolleyes:

cleveland ohio?

Yup

I expanded my back bed today using the lasagna method! I can't wait to plant come spring!

im adding more flower beds to next spring! also gotta finish my little pond, right now im cleaning up, taking notes what to do for next spring!

Rannie
your up by lake erie! ive only been up there a couple times. its soooooooo pretty.
im all the way down here in p.a close to the border of wv by steubenville ohio.

Thanks, Rainie.
That is so cool ! I've never heard of a fruit cocktail tree.
Dang git-it says they don't ship to California. I'll ask at my nursery.