Caridad Pineiro® Romance Author
NY Times & USA Today Bestselling Romance Author
I’m not a fan of cold weather and winter is tough for me. There is one thing that keeps my going until Spring arrives – The Philadelphia Flower Show. I love seeing all the amazing flowers and imagining how one day I could make my yard look like that – if only all the deer would go away! I especially love bulbs, like tulips, hyacinths, irises and more so today’s throwback is to some tulips from the 2010 Flower Show.
Woo hoo spring is here . . . oh wait, snow is on the way. Sigh. Just a little longer and maybe it will warm up!
In the meantime, I’ll warm up with some friends at the Create Something Magical Conference this weekend. I can’t wait to hear some of the panels, rub elbows with the readers and other authors, and spend time with my best friend, my daughter. Besides owning a fabulous surf and skate shop, she’s also an aspiring author. She self-published FOLLOWING JANE and she’ll be pitching her new book this weekend to some editors.
Very exciting.
To try and keep us optimistic that spring really is here, I’m sharing some flowers with you!
There’s nothing that says spring might finally be here than the eruption of spring color from crocuses, daffodils, tulips and hyacinths. The nice thing about them as well is that once you get them planted, they’ll come back every year and provide that burst of doldrum-busting color.
Also, planting spring bulbs doesn’t interfere with you later placing annuals in the same spots for summer-long color. Why’s that? Because bulbs are usually planted deeper – between 6 to 10 inches deep while annuals are planted much higher at 3 to 4 inches deep.
So how do you prepare for that spring color? Except for tulips and hyacinths, spring bulbs should be planted in the fall – September and October depending on where you are located. As a general rule, plant them well before any freeze. This will help them build strength and get established.
Dig a hole about 8 inches deep and about a foot around. Prepare the soil with nice compost and some bone meal. Work it into the ground so that about a foot deep of soil is nice and loose so the bulbs can take root. Also, make sure the area has good drainage. Bulbs generally do not like to sit in wet soil. Cover the bulbs with soil and some mulch to help retain moisture and provide some shelter against the cold. I generally plant in groups of 3 to 5 as odd numbers of objects are generally more pleasing to the eye.
For unexpected bursts of color, mix in bulbs beneath ground covers like ivy or pachysandra.
Come the spring you’ll be rewarded with beautiful color and scents. Hyacinths are amazing for a blast of fragrance in your garden!
Once the bulbs start to die back, you can plant your annuals for the rest of the summer!