Gardening Tips for The late Fall
byMatt Soltis

A digest of information from the Home & Garden Show expressly for your patio.

 Planting Bulbs in Containers

Planting in containers is the perfect alternative for gardeners with small spaces. Almost every variety of bulb will do well in a container.  Master gardener Chris Dawson demonstrates with a combination of hyacinth, dwarf 'Tête-à-Tête' daffodils and purple Iris reticula.

• Choose a container that's suitable to where it will be placed. Terra cotta may crack in freezing weather, so choose plastic for outdoor containers.
• All pots need excellent drainage.
• Use a potting mix composed of peat, perlite and/or vermiculite.
• Be sure the soil is damp, but not soaking wet, when planting bulbs.
• Place the hyacinth bulbs six inches deep in the container. Be sure that the bulbs don't touch each other or the sides of the container. Add two inches of potting soil.
• Place the daffodils and add another two inches of soil.
• Place the iris and add a top layer of soil two inches deep.
• Water the container regularly--don't let it dry out.

Bulbs need about three months of cold weather. In this warmer zone, you may want to put the container in the refrigerator.

 Designing with Bulbs
For those who love spring-flowering bulbs, fall is one of the most anticipated times of the year. It's time to plant, and the onset of cold weather invites the new roots to begin developing. Before you begin planting, however, start with the basics: where are you going to plant your bulbs and what sort of design will you use? Here are some options:

Planting in and around established beds and hedges:

• Bulbs can complement these areas by adding spring color.
• Pay attention to existing plant heights. Choose tall bulbs like allium to stand in with lilies, and smaller bulbs like crocus and snowdrops to plant at the front of a garden or hedge.
• Create borders with tulips and daffodils--their height and vibrant color create a natural edge.
• Intermix bulbs that bloom in spring with perennials that bloom in summer to create a camouflage for the dying foliage of spring blooms.
• Avoid planting too many different colors together--it can end up looking messy.

Naturalizing areas of the yard and around trees:

• Naturalizing is a method of planting bulbs so that they appear natural and unplanned in the landscape. Imagine walking in the wild and coming across a blanket of daffodils under large trees or on rolling hills--that's the look achieved by naturalizing.
• Most bulbs require sun, so when planting under trees, use grape hyacinth or scilla that will tolerate shady conditions. They grow to look like a carpet spread out under the tree.

Crocuses of all kinds and snow drops are great planted in grass lawns. They are low-growing and give that flower-carpet effect that people love. Choose an area that you won't have to mow in the spring.

SHOPPING

When you're shopping for bulbs at your local garden center or nursery, pick out the healthiest ones and handle them with care. Even though they are dormant, they are alive and affected by their environment. A healthy bulb should be firm to the touch, plump and full-shaped. It should have no soft spots, bruising or evidence of rot or mold.

If the papery outer layer is peeled away, don't worry--it won't hurt the growth of the bulb. The size of the bulb does matter, though. Generally the bigger the bulb, the bigger the bloom. Perfectly healthy bulbs will begin to sprout before planted and produce new shoots once planted.

Place a tag with a picture of the flower with the bulbs, or mark the individual bags so you will remember what types you purchased when you get home. If you can't plant your bulbs right away, don't let them get wet or they will rot. Also don't let them get too hot or they can dry out and die. The best place to store them is in the refrigerator in a paper bag. Bulbs will suffocate in a plastic bag.