September 11 , 2008
From the producer: 14 May 2025
This year I ’ve heard from circumstances of gardeners who are growing food for thought for the first time , planting modernVictory Gardens , even in container on a condominium balcony . Since the fall / winter garden can be the easiest to arise for us , this weekTravis County Master Gardenerextraordinaire Patty Leander has tips for crop and how to begin them in hot conditions . Her husband Bruce took this mental picture .
Be sure to check out her fabulous clause inTexas Gardenermagazine , too . VisitSkip ’s sitefor planting usher and more information on all your gardening questions . Also check out theTexas Home Gardening Guide .
Although not edible , I consider my oxbloods the forerunner of our version of evenfall . The first one appeared August 28 , with more pop up every day . These are peeking through the backyard plumbago .
They remind me that it ’s time to imagine about spring bulb . Every tumble , I buy a few naturalizing bulbs to plant Thanksgiving weekend . To me , their yearly return signifies reclamation , as well as stability . And each year , the clumps grow tumid , another exercise in solitaire .
The leucojums ( snowflakes ) are among the first to bloom . I fell in honey with these in sure-enough neighborhoods where they made goodish rings around the trees .
Here ’s one that looks sort of like mine , from fellow Lehmusvirtas , Jukka and Kukka , in Finland . Scott Ogden identify them as snowdrop , Galanthus .
Dutch irises were my first bulb , partially because they ’re inexpensive , but also because they amount in so many beautiful colors . I add a few to my palette every free fall . These yellowness were my very first , to ring a tallow Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree that is long gone . Every year , they spring up through our terrace cove grass .
Another even is this clean spuria , Iris orientalis , in the den bottom .
Here ’s its gold version . I split up a few every year to sum up its stately foliage and amber light to other spots . Spuria ’s foliage emerges in nightfall , and when they get ratty , I cut them back in other summer or whenever I get around to it . They are n’t too picky about their locating ; I have them in sun and shade , though not dense shade .
Over the years , I ’ve disperse paperwhite narcissus . Some were passalongs from Holly , and others came from glasshouse bins labeled “ paperwhites . ” I cognize that some of them are ‘ Ziva ’ , but who have intercourse about the others . I even found the ones I ’ve forced , though I ’ve lost runway to tell whether they returned or not .
One of my favourite is Narcissus Erlicheer , implant in the front beds to perfume the front porch .
Last year I planted my firstFreesia laxa , one that naturalise in Central Texas . It issue forth in whitened , too , but I like this gay vividness against the whites and yellowness . It ’s on my bulb list for this year .
brant and Becky ’s Bulbscarry this one , along with these ravisher I got from them last year . I contrive to get a few more this gloam .
Daffodil Gigantic Star
Narcissus Sweetness
Narcissus Abba
Narcissus Falconet
And , my new true love , Tinka tulip . Like the diminutive cluisianas , which they resemble , they do n’t postulate chilling time , and in the right maculation , purportedly will naturalise . Just in case , I design to add a few more this class . They ’re 8 - 10″ tall , so show off best in masses , as do all bulb . In my grammatical case , I just wait for my few yearly increase to mass themselves over time . . .but I do bunch these together .
On fall bloomers , I ’d never exploredCrocus sativusuntil KLRU friend Melanie asked me about them . Their lilac blooms arrive in later October to November . But what they ’re really known for is their stamens , the source of saffron ! I do n’t do it how hard it is to reap the saffron , but I ’m sure going to try on .
To respond to Melanie ’s question , I fit to my two reliable informant : Scott Ogden’sGarden Bulbs for theSouth , and Thad Howard’sBulbs for Warm Climates .
Check them out for all the bulbs on my tilt ! Happy planning until next week , Linda
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