We’ve covered the best way to get your bulbs planted in autumn for a spring crop, and taken our first look at our planned fall bulbs. Now here’s our second round of favorites–as we dwell on tulips and daffodils, but also consider some peonies and poppies. Peonies are always a good investment, since they can flower for up to 75 years. They also often bloom early. Poppies won’t bloom until late spring–and we’re a little more careful about those in winter, since these perennials really need some dry land during winter. That reminds us to always consider the zone where we’re planting. [photo via wikimedia]
We’re very fond of the Eden’s Perfume Peony. It adds some gorgeous pink to the garden selection, and has an incredible scent closer to a rose. The petals are fine and frilly, while the stalks can grow up to 6 or 7 inches across. We’re also hedging our bets with the Plena Rosea Peony. This reliable fall bulb doesn’t require a lot of care, and often pays off with large (and early) blooms along stalks that can go up to 24 inches tall (but best for Zones 4 through 8).
We’re planning on planting two species of lilies this year. We’re looking forward to seeing the dark purple majesty of the Black Eye Lily, which contrasts its rich tones with splashes of white on the blooms. We’re looking to see if these lilies actually make it to their potential height of 32 to 36 inches. We’re also ready to try again with the Pretty Woman Orienpet Lily. We had a good 4-inch stem last year, and are trying to double that in 2014. It should also be sturdy enough that we won’t even have to stake the plant.
We’re going with some yellow additions with the Baby Boomer Daffodil. This jonquila species blooms plenty of flowers to each stem, and should do an impressive job of bordering our colorful garden mix–especially with a potential height of 12 inches. We’re still recommending this one for Zones 3 through 8.
There’s enough volume with our fall bulbs that we can even work in some Oriental Poppies–which tend to be dormant after a healthy bloom. You need some lush gardening to fill in the awkward gaps that poppies can offer. They won’t bloom until late spring, either, and are gone by late summer. We’re still planting some White Oriental Poppies and looking forward to a pretty long display of stalks up to 30 inches tall. We’ll get the same life out of the Turkenlouise Oriental Poppy, although we have to be careful about being sure these get lots of sun. The payoff is a stunning orange display.
And, finally, we’re looking at some Hyacinths. We like the purple and silver gilding of the Blue Jacket Hyacinth. There’s some lovely coloring to the City of Haarlem Hyacinth, as well–plus the appeal of a plant that doesn’t appeal to mice or deer. And we’re pairing the olfactory charms of the that one with the Minos Hyacinth, which provides a variety of blues. That will all give us a lot to cheer on while enduring our own winter blues.
