Fall Planting & Winter Prep

It's bulb planting time here and we're in full swing. Art plowed me these five  rows that are 100 feet long and about 4 feet wide. These "raised rows" have grass aisles which will presumably be kinder on the feet and back when harvesting and should aid in reducing the dreaded weeds-in-aisles issue.

I ordered this fabulous bulb augur from Johnny's Seeds in Maine. This reasonably priced tool fits in your cordless power drill and makes neat bulb holes with a minimum of effort. Love it! (Those are a variety of Darwin Hybrid Tulip bulbs on the right, and a mix of mostly pastel long-stemmed hybrid tulip bulbs on the left. Can't wait to see how they grow and bloom!).

I have planted 400 tulips, 200 Dutch Irises, 200 Allium Spaerocephalons, 24 Liatris bare-root plants, 9 phlox plants (3 varieties), and 2 spectacular daisy plants. I have narcissus, lilies, and a mix of giant Alliums left to plant. I am still deciding whether to try seeding the larkspur which needs a good stretch of cold and dark to germinate. We straddle the 6a and 6b planting zones and according to local growers and gardeners our longer, warmer seasons over the past four or five years have enabled some to successfully grow for zone 7!

We are also preparing for winter weather. While working on the three wood stoves we may use in the house, Art has been diligently adding to our wood supply which is stacked in the barn. Jack helped stack the recent load we received from our neighbor Dave.