Mid-Atlantic Gardening: Fall Bulb Planting in the Midatlantic, 1 by critterologist

critterologist wrote:
The miniature dutch irises seem to do best for me... even multiply well!

Joyanna's crocus lawn was our big project this fall, and that did get finished up in the next couple of days after the planting party -- we got half of them planted at the party, too! Thanks again to all who helped with the bulb purchase & with the planting. 3000 crocuses should put on quite a cheerful show this spring! They'll bloom in succession, I think... first, 1500 snow crocus (C. chrysanthus), Blue Pearl, Cream Beauty, Prins Claus, and Goldilocks... then, 1500 C. sieberii, Tricolor & Firefly.

I've been preoccupied with parties and projects around the house, getting ready for last week's home study visit from our family court person (which went very well). So, planting bulbs got put on hold! I did manage to put a few tulips along the front walk (Casa Grande & Passionale, hoping they bloom together, also a few cute Mickey Mouse bulbs), and I dug up and separated some yellow daffs from my mom. Now I've got several handfuls of smaller bulbs to stick out back somewhere.

You know that means I was out until full dark last night, before today's forecasted snow! A little past sunset, I was still putting alliums in the back garden near the irises. I put the shorter Ivory Queen closer to the pathway, and the taller A. christophii a little further back... 25 of each, not too many, but who knows maybe they'll multiply? I also had some smaller alliums that I clustered near the front of the big perennial bed. I should have buried window blind labels with them all, but I didn't... I did put regular markers in, though. I wonder how long it will take Little Bit to pull up all my plant markers? Bet she'll be worse than chickens. Better try to update my planting diagrams!

I also got a few new daffs put in out there... trying Las Vegas, Professor Einstein, and White Medal together... all supposed to be midseason, so we'll see. I didn't get more than 25 of any new daff this year, mostly just 10 or 15, so daff planting wasn't nearly as big a project as usual. I do still have some little jonquil daffs (Gazelle & Fruit Cup) to put out in front of the living room with a bunch of double grape hyacinths (M. armeniacum Blue Spike).

I also have several different sorts of pink bulbs still to plant for a special "Joyanna" bed in front (around the Harry Lauder's Walking Stick bush in the corner of the front bed) -- daff Fragrant Rose, Hyacinth 'Fondant', and pink tommy crocuses, plus a trio of Allium schubertii and a double handful of Allium ostra-something (supposed to be pinkish purple). My pink grape hyacinths are missing from the box, so I think they went out when I was planting tulips... I have a vague memory of putting them at the corner of the front walk... guess I'll find out in spring! LOL

And last but not least, I'll be putting in some Anemone blanda 'Blue Shades' along the back daffodil border. I used them in the little island bed in front (around the dogwoods), and they did really well, so I hope they'll multiply well for me in back, also. They bloom fairly close in time to the little Rip van Winkle daffs, in case anybody is looking for a cute short combo.