Park Seed Garden Journal

Alright, I know that you’re not supposed to plant your Daffodils until much closer to the first frost – which, around here (USDA zone 7b), usually comes late in the fall. But, Now is the best time to order your daffodil bulbs! Park Seed has a great selection of daffodils and other Narcissus, but to be sure you get the bulbs you want to plant this fall you should order soon. Some of the more popular varieties will go very quickly.

Now, if you’ve already planned to order your daffodils, you probably have a good Idea where you want to plant them. I’ve thought of a couple things that can be easy to mess up when choosing a spot and planting your daffodils.

Daffodils need sunlight, plant them in a bright place to ensure they will return next year. Your daffodils will be dormant in the winter and mostly oblivious to soil conditions until the spring. But, they will NOT tolerate wet, muddy soil in the summer when the new flower embryos are developing and the bulbs are trying to go dormant. Plant your daffodil bulbs in a nice sunny spot with good drainage and they will come back for decades.

Happy Planting!

Gardeners and nature lovers everywhere have suffered a great loss in the passing of Lady Bird Johnson, a powerful and tireless activist in the struggle to preserve, continue, and increase the natural beauty of our country.

As First Lady, Mrs. Johnson was instrumental in the passage of 200 laws pertaining to the environment, among them the Clean Air Act, the Wilderness Act, the Wild and Scenic Rivers Program, and the Highway Beautification Act, which restricted the placement of billboards and provided incentives for planting wildflowers along our highways. She also conducted a beautification project for Washington, D.C., supported entirely by donations and volunteer labor, that resulted in the splendid daffodils, azaleas, and dogwoods still seen today, as well as countless small-space plantings in the most depressed and unsightly areas of the city. She considered environmental issues a key component of President Johnson’s Great Society agenda, realizing the connections among beauty, mental health, and positive action: "A little beauty," she wrote during the turbulent 1960′s, " . . . can help create harmony, which will lessen tensions."

Raised in rural Texas, Lady Bird Johnson spent her childhood wandering the countryside near her home. Each spring she would search out the first daffodil, which she would proclaim Queen. During a time when native plants were often overlooked in favor of gaudy new introductions from across the globe, she championed the humble Texas Bluebonnet (now gracing highways in breathtaking numbers each spring). After decades of effort, her life’s dream was realized on her 70th birthday, when she founded the National Wildflower Research Center (contributing $125,000 and 60 acres of her own to the effort). Now affiliated with the University of Texas at Austin, it has been rechristened the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, and delights visitors with public gardens and open spaces as well as world-class research facilities.

Lady Bird Johnson received both the Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal for her lifework, yet she might have been nearly as proud of the many dozen honors bestowed upon her from organizations as diverse as the Native Plant Society, Motorola Corporation (the Earth Day Award), the National Council of State Garden Clubs, and the Department of the Interior (Conservation Service Award).

And more important than any recognition, of course, is her legacy. From the most magnificent natural splendors to the simple wildflowers nodding along the edge of the highway, the American landscape and all of us who love it have been enriched by her presence.  Thank you, Lady Bird, we will miss you. 

As the summer rolls on your daylilies continue to shine brightly and fill your garden with color and fragrance, but there are a few things your need to keep in mind to keep your plants strong and beautiful throughout the season.

Planting and Initial Care

Daylilies do best when planted in well-drained soil with a good compost or leaf mold. Plant them in the fall or spring a little over a foot apart. Hemerocallis bloom vigorously in the sun but will tolerate light shade. For each plant, dig a hole at least one foot deep and of the same diameter. Amend the soil removed from the hole with compost, peat moss, or leaf mold and replace a portion of it in a mound at the bottom of the hole. Set the plant on the top of the mound, with the roots extending into it so that the crown is barely covered. Fill in the balance of the hole, firming down the soil, and water thoroughly until a puddle forms.

Maintenance: Feeding and Watering Your Hemerocallis

Fertilize your daylilies annually with a complete slow-release fertilizer. Keep well watered, especially during dry spells and keep plants free of weeds by pulling them or mulching. When clumps become overcrowded you will want to divide them. If you live in a warmer southern region, divide in fall or early spring, and divide your daylilies anytime during summer months in Northern areas.

The biggest problem with hemerocallis is probably root rot. Improved drainage and division of plant in cooler months of the year will help to prevent rot.

Fall is a great time for planing trees, wildflower seeds, and especially flower bulbs. Bulbs planted in the fall have more time to get adjusted which allows them to bloom earlier and stronger than bulbs planted in the spring. Just a remember a few super easy tips that will ensure success when planting in the fall.

Soil quality is very important, because soil that stays too wet will cause most bulbs to rot very quickly. Well-drained soil is best—amend dense clay soils with rich organic materials like peat, sphagnum, or compost. A near neutral to very slightly acidic pH between 6.0 and 7.0 is best for most bulbs.

Plant after the first frost, but don’t wait too late. You want to allow your bulbs to start establishing a good root system before hard winter. Mail-order bulbs usually must be planted immediately. You may have to store nursery bulbs for a while, until planting time, because we all like to buy early to make sure we get the best bulbs.

Depth is crucial when planting bulbs, and always plant pointy end up. Plant them 3-4 times as deep as the height of the bulb—for larger bulbs, no more than about 8 inches up to about 3 inches for smaller bulbs. Add a complete slow-release fertilizer before replacing soil and, if conditions are dry, add plenty of water.

Some people never prune their hydrangeas, but this often leaves gangly plants with dead stalks hanging out all over. Most varieties of hydrangeas respond beautifully to well-timed pruning. It is always ok to remove dead or unhealthy stalks—this makes your plant look better and allows it to focus its energy on growing and flowering. But to know when to prune your hydrangea, you must know what kind of hydrangea you have.

Some varieities will only bloom on new wood – some, only on old. Some of the new mophead varieities bloom on both and may need now harsh pruning at all. Early spring is generally the best time for pruning – if your plant is out of control, it may be due for a severe pruning, allowing room for new, healthy growth. To be sure how

Climbing Hydrangeas:
Prune as needed for shaping only. Prune after all of the blooms have faded, and never prune too harshly.

‘Wild Hydrangea’ or ‘Smooth Hydrangea’:
Blooms on new would and may be pruned to the ground every year after blooms have faded.

Hydrangea Macrophylla or ‘Mophead Hydrangeas’:
These are the most popular varieities. They bloom on new and old wood – just remove the oldest, thickest stalks and shape the rest as needed.

Hydrangeas are beautiful, lush plants that add texture and color to gardens, and are excellent landscaping shrubs. With the proper care, they can improve the look of your property for years to come, becoming more beautiful each season. Enjoy the novelty of their color-changing properties or just appreciate the classic elegance and old homestead essence they bring to even the simplest garden designs.

Large trees require lots of water and nutrients, and it may be difficult for anything to grow underneath them. If you are planting your shade garden under trees, you need to amend the soil below them. Add a few inches of organic material/topsoil for your plants, because the existing soil has probably been exhausted by the trees.

Plant your shade garden in the springtime before it gets hot, so that the roots will have plenty of time to establish. Water regularly—weekly deep watering (i.e., letting water soak deep into the soil for a little while) will be better than daily superficial waterings that would cause shallow root development. The weekly waterings are also very good for the trees. To hold in moisture, use a good mulch, such as leaf mold, shredded bark, or wood chips. The shredded fall leaves of your shade trees make a perfect mulch. You can simply run over the leaves with a mower or use a chipper to shred them. Keep the mulch off of the perennial crowns and the bases of your trees to prevent disease and rotting.

WIth the proper care your shade garden can be a serene little getaway in your own back yard.

Putting fruit trees into your landscape plan now ensures years of future pleasure for eye, nose, and tongue. Fruit trees make an excellent feature for any garden. And it’s cheaper in the long run to grow your own fruit—$1.12 per pound can add up pretty quickly over the course of the year. Fruit trees make excellent centerpieces for gardens, because they are always interesting and beautiful, with colorful flowers, followed by fruit, and finally the beautiful leaf change in the fall. Beyond just bearing delicious treats for you, your kids, or the kids in the neighborhood, fruit trees also attract birds and butterflies.

If you don’t have a fruit tree in your garden, consider adding one now. They are fairly easy to plant and maintain, and unless the ground is frozen, planting a tree is a  garden project that you can do any time of the year.

Park Seed carries an extensive line of wonderful fruit trees and shrubs from delicious black figs to giant sweet blueberries. Browse all of the Park Seed Fruits Today!