Where has the time gone? It is already November! Last month was dry and the temperatures were rather warm for October. I have a hunch that cooler temperatures will be upon us to stay soon. Many of you have been planting trees and shrubs in your landscape. Don’t forget to plant those bulbs for beautiful spring color.
November is a good time to plant tulips for next spring. Tulips perform best when grown in full sun. They can tolerate a wide range of soil types as long as there is good drainage available. Before you consider planting those bulbs, the soil should be tilled or either spaded to a depth of about 12 inches and amended with organic matter or compost. They are usually planted 2 ½ times as deep as they are wide and can be spaced four to eight inches apart.
Here are a few bulbs to consider for spring color:
Tulips – The tulip should be treated as an annual in our region. Use single late blooming tulip varieties: ‘Kingsblood’ – red; ‘Maureen’ – white; ‘Perestroyka’ – pink; ‘Mrs. John T. Scheepers’ and others – yellow.
Daffodils – Daffodils are perennial in West TN. Different varieties can be combined to extend the bloom time, which means you can have daffodils blooming for 2 months in the spring. Some of the most popular varieties are plus-doubled, white, orange and pink varieties. ‘King Alfred’ a typical yellow, large daffodil is a perennial favorite.
Crocus – Crocus are one of the first to bloom in the spring.
Anemone – These are prized for their large, bright colorful flowers in the spring.
Hyacinths – Hyacinths are coveted for their great fragrance! They will live several years in the ground before needing to be replanted. Hyacinths are available in a wide range of colors: blue, pink, white, yellow, red, purple and lavender.
Muscari – Muscari have small pretty flowers in shades of blue, white and lavender. Muscari also has lots of green foliage after it blooms.
These bulbs will add beautiful early spring colors to your flower beds. I always look forward to seeing my daffodils come out of the ground in early spring!
Until next time, I would like to wish you and your family a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!
