I've made up a list for this fall's planting of daffodils & muscari. I've planted 100-150 each fall for several years. This year I'm considering adding leucojum and scillia. The area I am trying for the spring naturalizing is a sloped yard that isn't mowed from November until the daffs and paperwhites are gone - mid June. Does anyone have any experience with the two new additions? Will mowing destroy them or do they die back like the daffs?
When the temps drop, I would like to replant a Blue Skies lilac that I lost due to stupidity and hot weather. I put several (8) different hydrangeas in this spring and am seeing two struggle, perhaps fall would be better to get them started.
What are you waiting to plant?
Jan
Time to order fall bulbs-what else are you planting?
I grow Leucojum ~ snow drops. They bloom in Feb and the foliage dies down when temps heat up. I would wait to mow till foliage yellows as that is how they store nutrients for the coming blooming season.
I also have Scillas but because mine are tender, I provide winter protection. Which Scilla are you planting?
I would suggest planting your shrubs and blooming perennials in the fall. The moisture and cooler temps will allow the root system to become established requiring less moisture and stress in summer. Also to mulch them well in springtime.
I have summer snowflakes all over, and just a handful of the pink ones. I'd say yeah, definitely add any of them. I baby the pink ones because I especially want them to spread, but pretty much mow the white ones maybe a smidge before they're quite dead and yellowed. They seem to cope alright. At least here, they bloom so much ahead of when the grass really starts growing that it's not much of an issue. I probably just go a few weeks later with my first mowing than some of my grass-only neighbors.
They are slighter than daffodils and grape hyacinth, so perhaps you wouldn't mix them all together where they'd get lost, but perhaps cluster the snowflakes in a particular area.
There's a prairie native, Androstephium caeruleum, that I want to add. I guess it would work where you are - probably couldn't compete in the wild, but I'd guess would be fine in your somewhat controlled yard. Maybe you'd want to look at Camassia scilloides. They would probably not be quite done by the time you want to mow in June, but they're tough - I bet they'd make it work. Or maybe again you'd have a cluster that didn't get mowed as early. Star-grass is on my wishlist, too.
(lol While I was looking up the correct names, I learned that there are several local species of "deathcamas". Not on my wishlist.)
Sounds cool! Let us know what you decide, and try to remember to show us a photo next spring...