Comments on: Putting the beds to bed http://blog.blithewold.org/gardens/putting-the-beds-to-bed/ a garden journal about public garden maintenance, seasonal tasks, garden events, stories about gardening, volunteers, flowers, bugs and wildlife Sat, 15 Jun 2013 22:23:17 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Kris http://blog.blithewold.org/gardens/putting-the-beds-to-bed/comment-page-1/#comment-767 Kris Mon, 05 Nov 2007 15:21:20 +0000 http://www.blithewold.org/blog/gardens/putting-the-beds-to-bed/#comment-767 Kim, You might feel selfish in your choice of front over back for bulbs but it's inevitable that others will enjoy them too! Jodi, Me too - I spent part of yesterday planting tulips in my front yard and so far, all of my naturalizers have gone to the back... Chookie, We do use tulips like annuals in the North Garden. Second year tulips aren't usually as spectacular so we save them to replant in the Cutting Garden and buy new for the North Garden. That way we can have a different "show" every year too. Mr. McG's Daughter, You have a very practical reason for cutting back along your walk! And Zinnia Profusion is definitely worth putting on the list - no mildew, fairly self cleaning deadhead-wise, and non-stop! It just doesn't get much better (if only they were scented...) Carol, Last year we planted 300 tulips in the North Garden and it swallowed them up. We thought we should go a little crazy this year because 2008 is the 100th anniversary of the Blithewold Mansion... And although we usually dig trenches for them, this year they went in individually so that the bunches would look less like round blobs and seem a little more naturally spaced... The digging was easy because they went in where the annuals came out. Cathy, It seems unanimous to give more attention to the front than the back garden and you're so right - there's always more to do in the spring regardless! Kim, You might feel selfish in your choice of front over back for bulbs but it’s inevitable that others will enjoy them too!

Jodi, Me too – I spent part of yesterday planting tulips in my front yard and so far, all of my naturalizers have gone to the back…

Chookie, We do use tulips like annuals in the North Garden. Second year tulips aren’t usually as spectacular so we save them to replant in the Cutting Garden and buy new for the North Garden. That way we can have a different “show” every year too.

Mr. McG’s Daughter, You have a very practical reason for cutting back along your walk! And Zinnia Profusion is definitely worth putting on the list – no mildew, fairly self cleaning deadhead-wise, and non-stop! It just doesn’t get much better (if only they were scented…)

Carol, Last year we planted 300 tulips in the North Garden and it swallowed them up. We thought we should go a little crazy this year because 2008 is the 100th anniversary of the Blithewold Mansion… And although we usually dig trenches for them, this year they went in individually so that the bunches would look less like round blobs and seem a little more naturally spaced… The digging was easy because they went in where the annuals came out.

Cathy, It seems unanimous to give more attention to the front than the back garden and you’re so right – there’s always more to do in the spring regardless!

]]> By: Cathy http://blog.blithewold.org/gardens/putting-the-beds-to-bed/comment-page-1/#comment-754 Cathy Sun, 04 Nov 2007 02:47:06 +0000 http://www.blithewold.org/blog/gardens/putting-the-beds-to-bed/#comment-754 After thinking about it, I would have to say that my public beds are a little more cleaned up than the hidden-from-view back and side beds. I used to be a real stickler for trimming back 'all' the perennials, but in recent years I've left many of them alone. The frost, followed by a good dumping of snow seems to take care of it all for me. The beds out front are in full view until the snow comes, so to ease my conscience just a tiny bit, the plants there get cut back. There's always more clean up to be done in the spring whether you do it in the fall or not. After thinking about it, I would have to say that my public beds are a little more cleaned up than the hidden-from-view back and side beds. I used to be a real stickler for trimming back ‘all’ the perennials, but in recent years I’ve left many of them alone. The frost, followed by a good dumping of snow seems to take care of it all for me. The beds out front are in full view until the snow comes, so to ease my conscience just a tiny bit, the plants there get cut back. There’s always more clean up to be done in the spring whether you do it in the fall or not.

]]> By: Carol http://blog.blithewold.org/gardens/putting-the-beds-to-bed/comment-page-1/#comment-753 Carol Sun, 04 Nov 2007 02:16:41 +0000 http://www.blithewold.org/blog/gardens/putting-the-beds-to-bed/#comment-753 I start my clean up in the front and then move around to the back so if I don't have time to do everything I want to do, I don' t have to look at it all winter. The vegetable garden for sure gets cleaned up. This afternoon, I emptied all the containers that were on the front porch, because it was time to do it, not that they looked all that bad. It's been a mild fall! Six hundred tulips will make for a stunning display. I assume you dug out large areas and planted the bulbs that way rather than dig individual holes. Carol at May Dreams Gardens I start my clean up in the front and then move around to the back so if I don’t have time to do everything I want to do, I don’ t have to look at it all winter. The vegetable garden for sure gets cleaned up. This afternoon, I emptied all the containers that were on the front porch, because it was time to do it, not that they looked all that bad. It’s been a mild fall!

Six hundred tulips will make for a stunning display. I assume you dug out large areas and planted the bulbs that way rather than dig individual holes.

Carol at May Dreams Gardens

]]> By: Mr. McGregor's Daughter http://blog.blithewold.org/gardens/putting-the-beds-to-bed/comment-page-1/#comment-750 Mr. McGregor's Daughter Sat, 03 Nov 2007 21:25:08 +0000 http://www.blithewold.org/blog/gardens/putting-the-beds-to-bed/#comment-750 I do clean up the front garden more than the back as it's right by the front door & walk & if I don't cut back some of the things sprawling onto the walk, it will be a bear to shovel after a substantial snow. Otherwise, leaving things standing til Spring fits into my laissez-faire, naturalistic mode of gardening. That Zinnia is amazing - I might have to consider getting some next year. I do clean up the front garden more than the back as it’s right by the front door & walk & if I don’t cut back some of the things sprawling onto the walk, it will be a bear to shovel after a substantial snow. Otherwise, leaving things standing til Spring fits into my laissez-faire, naturalistic mode of gardening.
That Zinnia is amazing – I might have to consider getting some next year.

]]> By: Chookie http://blog.blithewold.org/gardens/putting-the-beds-to-bed/comment-page-1/#comment-740 Chookie Sat, 03 Nov 2007 05:27:53 +0000 http://www.blithewold.org/blog/gardens/putting-the-beds-to-bed/#comment-740 Just wondering why you plant so many bulbs -- do you have to treat them as annuals? Just wondering why you plant so many bulbs — do you have to treat them as annuals?

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