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Plant Talk

Inside The New York Botanical Garden

Tip of the Week — 10/20/08

Posted in Gardening Tips on October 20 2008, by Sonia Uyterhoeven

Bulbous Pleasures
Sonia Uyterhoeven is Gardener for Public Education at The New York Botanical Garden.

DaffodilsSeptember through November is a busy time in the garden for planting bulbs. Daffodils are generally the first to go in the ground while tulips are the last—going in from late October all the way up to Thanksgiving.

Some years the squirrels do their best to sabotage our plans for a beautiful early season display. That’s when the plastic netting comes out and is pinned down over the area. Hot pepper sauce is sprayed as an additional warning for any curious critter to stay away. Generally, however, these defensive tactics are not needed. Once the bulbs are planted,  usually to a depth of three times their diameter, the soil is tamped down with an iron rake and that is usually enough to discourage squirrels, who rather dig in freshly turned soil.

Most bulbs are left to naturalize in the garden. Tulips are the exception; for the most part these short-lived bulbs are used as annuals in the garden. In the past year, the late-flowering double tulips have been causing a stir. ‘Uncle Tom’ is a vibrant red, while ‘Angelique’ is a pale pink that pairs beautifully with ‘Lilac Perfection’.

If you are looking for a longer-lasting display, species tulips and Darwin hybrids tend to be the best for perennial displays. Plant them two inches deeper than you would other tulips to give them the best chance. Try ‘Banja Luka’ with its jumbo-sized yellow and red flower or ‘Gudoshnik’ with its variable dappled patterns.

If you are plagued by deer, don’t bother with tulips—you will just end up frustrated. Your best bet is daffodils (Narcissus) and ornamental onions (Allium); however you are not limited in these two choices. On the ornamental onion front, Allium sphaerocephalon, Allium christophii, and ‘Purple Sensation’ are the best choices for mingling in an early summer perennial border. If you are in the market for daffodils, my best advice is to come to the Garden in the spring and select your favorites from our collections.