Fall can feel like the gardening season is coming to an end. And…yes…the summer garden is doing just that. However, there is still so much to be done in the fall that for some, the fun is just beginning!
One of my favorite things to plant in the fall is bulbs for spring! There is something about planting an ugly little clump of stuff with the great anticipation of a beautiful flower or plant that will be here in just a few months! I find that bulbs are the perfect way to practice patience and dream of what is to come in the garden!
This year, I am planting quite a few bulbs and I have already started making my orders! Check out a few of the ones that I have on order!
I have two coming from a company called DutchGrown out of West Chester, PA. They ship bulbs from their family farm in the Netherlands. How cool is that! If you are going to take the time to plant things in your garden, why not make sure they have a great story behind them? I have never ordered from them before so I am looking forward to seeing how the process goes. But these are the two that I found from DutchGrown that I just needed in my garden!
The others on my list came from Holland Bulb Farms out of Milwaukee, WI.
You may ask why I would order these online. And it is a very simple answer…variety! I want to have gardens that are unique and not filled with big box items that the whole town has. Not that those don’t have a place. I buy big box flowers every year. But I really like to make sure I have something special in each bed. That is another way I make sure that I will get out there and weed my beds. The more interesting the beds are to me, the more time I want to spend in them.
Tulip Renown Unique
If the picture didn’t make me order, the first line from their website description would have. “The must-have for gardeners with love for big and full, peony style tulips.” If you know anything about me, you know that my absolute favorite flower is the peony so this was a slam dunk!
Full sun, 18-20″ in height, and USDA zone 3-8…I can do it all! I am so terribly excited for this one!
The bonus is this one is listed as a fragrant bulb!
Tulip Snow Crystal
The huge white double blooms and fringed petals of this beauty will be a great contrast to the Renown tulip above. My plan is to plant these two plants together because I think they complement each other so well. Again, they used the word, Peony, to describe this flower. I just couldn’t pass it up!
Full/part sun, 16″ in height, and USDA zone 3-8…I think they will do well together! Of course, I will be sure to share pictures when they are in full bloom!
Mediterranean Bells Allium
Here is where I moved on to the other site…Holland Bulb Farms. They were having a great sale and I found this tall but dainty flower to go with the two above. It is considerably taller than the others so I think it will make a great background.
Full/part sun, 32-38″ in height, and USDA zone 4-8…I am slightly concerned that the bloom time is different than the other two. This one blooms in early summer and the others in late spring. In theory that should be fine. If not…I will just have to get more bulbs to add to the mix!
Drumstick Allium
I started a whole new bed with the next 5 sets of bulbs and I am super excited about this one. I love the depth of color and the shape of the flower. I have never grown alliums just for the flowers. I have grown garlic, onions, and chives of course. But these are just for the beauty of the flower and that was exciting to me!
Full/part sun, 22-28″ in height, and USDA zone 4-8…These are great mid-sized flowers so they will fit well in the mix of some of the others for this bed. I was especially excited about the fact that these attract butterflies and hummingbirds. I am sure some of the others do as well, but this was the first time I noticed it in my shopping!
Ostrowskianum Allium Jumbo Pack
This is the second of three alliums I decided to plant this fall. And, I have no idea how to pronounce it! But what a sweet little flower with a super long name. It is also known as the Pink Lily Leek and that will be what I call them for sure!
Full/part sun, 6-10″ in height, and USDA zone 4-10…These are the shortest of the flowers I chose for this bed so they will be in the front, of course. Again, these attract butterflies and hummingbirds. I will likely put these all in a bed by a window so we can watch the hummingbirds when they visit!
Mercurius Allium
For all of these alliums, I will have to heavily amend my super clay soil! Georgia, after all, is known for the red clay and I have it in spades! I will be adding compost, some organic raised bed bag mix, and some good all-purpose granular organic fertilizer to give these bulbs a great start!
Full/part sun, 30-32″ in height, and USDA zone 3-8…These are the tallest of the alliums I chose so, of course, they will stand in the back! They will be up against my white brick home so they will just pop! These attract butterflies and hummingbirds as well…so I am certainly in for a treat!
Eros Double Hyacinth
These are the perfect color to go with the alliums, but they are also a great match for a couple of other beds that I already have going so I will have to put some thought into these when they arrive. I may use half the bulbs with the alliums and the other half in the current bed.
Full/part sun, 10-14″ in height, and USDA zone 4-9…Since these attract butterflies and hummingbirds as well, this is another reason to put them in the other bed. Give those little guys several places to eat!
Alison Bradley Double Early Tulip
Here is another tulip that looks like a peony so…of course it had to have a home in my garden! I am excited to see this purple bloom on a plant that I normally have in only red or pink. That is the great thing about all these unique cultivars. You can have something that is different than you have ever even considered!
Full/part sun, 10-12″ in height, and USDA zone 3-7…Since I am 7b these may struggle a little but I thought it was worth the try! If they don’t do well for me, I can always dig them up and ship them to family who lives up north! Who wouldn’t love this in their garden?
Wow! My spring is going to be covered in beauty!
If you have ever wished that you had unique early bloomers in spring to look forward to, get your plan together and plant fall bulbs with me! Definitely share what you are planting so we can all get inspiration from each other!
