Just before the snow comes, the leaves from the trees overhead cover the garden. The trees do a pretty good job, and I assist by helping to fill in the garden sections that are missed, covering the perennials up with the fallen leaves. All of the perennial crowns benefit from the winter leaf mulch, and the plants still holding onto their leaves will appreciate the above ground protection too.

Helleborus Ivory Prince leaves before covering

Here is the fantastic foliage of Helleborus ‘Ivory Prince’. These are semi-evergreen, and will stay on the plants until spring, but that means that the severe temperatures, and drying winds can damage these leaves. Last year, the leaf cover kept the Helleborus in excellent shape until April, as well as protecting the crowns.

Helleborus Ivory Prince under fall leaves

A thick leaf pile collects under the willow tree, and here it is on top of the Helleborus. I threw some  extra armfuls over them. The slender willow branches placed over top help keep the leaves in place when the wind blows.

Heuchera 'Mint Frost' in fall leaves

Heuchera (coral bells) can heave out of the ground over winter, but the extra leaf layer helps to insulate them. I had no heaving of these perennials last winter.

Heuchera 'Plum Pudding' under fall leaves

The Heuchera ‘Plum Pudding’ (coral bells) contrast with the deciduous leaves. You can see the wonderful burgundy coloured stem on these perennials, while the purple and silver colour of the leaves is even stronger from the cold temperatures.

Campanula under fall leaves

In the above photo, the Campanula (bellflowers) are partially covered with leaves. Most of the bellflowers I grow are very hardy in zone 3, and survive fine without leaf cover, but the extra layer in the garden won’t hurt them.

When the snow melts in spring, and the temperatures get warm, I remove the protective leaf cover from the garden beds. This is the fun part of spring gardening, pulling back the leaf mulch to see what is growing underneath. Some of the leaves have broken into small pieces, and will decompose into the garden soil, forming part of the mulch. The rest is set aside to decompose and be added back later. The perennials will use the good nutrients in the leaves.

Although we’ve had  a few nice weeks, the temperatures are consistently below freezing at night. The willow tree, which hangs on the longest, is losing the last of  its leaves. While the intricate pattern of branches is outlined overhead, underneath the fallen leaves will blanket the garden, and help protect the perennials.

Galanthus Puschkinia Scilla bulbs

I’ve been adding more of the smaller spring bulbs to my garden this fall. These are easy to tuck into a garden bed, in between perennials. When the bulbs die back by summer, the perennials will take their place, extending the flowering time. I’ve expanded some established groups of bulbs, adding more for a splashier spring show. In the photo above, you can see the Galanthus (snowdrops), Puschkinia (striped squills) and Scilla (squills) bulbs from left to right.

I did most of my bulb planting in September, before my zone gets much frost. This gives the bulbs a chance to settle in before the cold temperatures stop the growth. During the past few weeks, the temperatures went above freezing, and I saw some bulbs on sale. I planted some more of my favourites in the garden. It’s a little late in the season to be adding bulbs in zone 3, but the ones I added late last year survived, so I’m optimistic again this year.

Scilla siberica squill flowers May

Many of the little bulbs have smaller foliage that fades away quickly, like these Scilla. After the blooms have gone, the bulb leaves need to photosynthesize, but larger leaves can look messy as they decay. The short, narrower leaves of the littlest bulbs are more easily hidden by surrounding perennials, and also die back quickly. They can store up energy for next year, without looking too unkempt.

small bulb packages

The smaller bulbs look especially charming in spring, when very few plants are blooming. Before the attention grabbing perennials start to flower, you can appreciate the elfin charm of the dainty blooms. The Puschkina scilloides are less than 15 cm (6 in) tall, and at any other time of the year they would be hidden in the garden, but they stand out when there is very little foliage around. They look eye-catching when planted in large groups, but can be appreciated in a small group, if they are planted next to the steps, or in a corner near a path.

Galanthus elwesii snowdrop bulbs

I added some more of the earliest bulb of all, Galanthus elwesii (snowdrops), with the charming white petals. The tiny snowdrop bulbs can be planted fairly close together, and these definitely need a large group, or tight planting to show up well. These are planted at the edge of a larger group of Galanthus.

Galanthus elwesii flower closeup May

Here is a snowdrop flower from last May. As the first blooms in the spring garden, the Galanthus get lots of attention. Those bright outer petals, hide the little green markings, unless you get down for a closeup look. In earliest spring, you can appreciate the subtle details.

Puschkinia libanotica striped squill flower May

The Puschkinia scilloides var libanotica (striped squills) bloom after the Galanthus in my garden. These Puschkinia  are some of the showiest of the petite bulbs. They have large clusters of small blue and white petals. I have some Puschkinia scilloides ‘Alba’ that bloom in all white too. They are nice, but I prefer the lively little blue racing stripes of these bulbs.

Puschkinia libanotica striped squill bulbs

The Puschkinia bulbs can be planted close, a few cm apart, so the flowers almost touch each other, and display well. In the photo above, I’m adding these between Brunnera plants, next to an established patch of striped squills. The group looked great last spring, but I thought it could be larger. I dig a shallow hole, and put about 20 of  the bulbs in it, with their points up. Then dig another hole between the next perennials. They get covered up with soil, watered in, and next a layer of fall leaves over top.

Scilla siberica squill bulbs

The blue Scilla siberica (squills) bloom soon after the striped squills. These look fantastic paired with other white or blue flowers. Even the bulbs themselves have a purplish blue covering when you plant them. The actual flowers have have a true blue colour, as shown in the picture second from the top.

Puschkinia libanotica and snow May

Here is a typical spring picture from a northern garden, little Puschkinia snow cones, from last May. The tiny flowers of the small bulbs usually recover quickly from a spring snow, and continue to look good when the sun shines again. This is probably one of the best reasons for planting these hardy bulbs.

Earlier this fall I wrote about planting some crocus bulbs, pairing the small Muscari (grape hyacinth) bulbs with tulips, and underplanting shrubs with Chionodoxa (glory of the snow) bulbs. When there is very little new green foliage in early spring, it is fun to wander around the garden, looking for the latest bulbs to bloom. I’ll be ready for spring to burst with colour, after the monotones of winter.

Hydrangea and birdbath fall leaves

Hydrangea shrubs have enough room underneath, that you can make a beautiful layered garden by underplanting them with shorter plants. In summer I have some dwarf Campanula (bellflowers) producing purplish blue star shaped flowers in a low carpet under this Hydrangea paniculata. I love the look, and wanted to extend it to spring, so I’ve planted some Chionodoxa forbesii (glory of the snow) bulbs underneath. These early spring bulbs should flower before the bellflowers bloom, with their own version of starry flowers.

Campanula porscharskyana (bellflower) in flower

Above is  a photo of  Campanula porscharskyana (Serbian bellflower) from this summer. They start flowering midway through June, and continue intermittently all summer, and into fall. They look especially pretty under the Hydrangea, even before it flowers,  twinkling up through the branches. They are a gorgeous shade of purplish blue, with five narrow petals and white towards the centre. These bellflowers grows quite low to the ground, so they don’t interfere with the Hydrangea branches, and they fill the bare area underneath with beauty. Then in August and September, when the Hydrangea blooms in white, the little blue flowers of the Campanula look lovely paired with the large panicles. However, there are no flowers underneath the shrub before mid June, just the bellflower foliage.

Chionodoxa luciliae (glory of the snow) flowers spring

I  added some glory of the snow bulbs to bring some early blooms to this area. The blue stars are reminiscent of the Campanula and should have a similar effect. These have six petals, a dark line down each petal, and a white centre. The Chionodoxa luciliae start flowering during May in my zone 3 garden, so the Chionodoxa forbesii should start the colour show early too, before the bellflowers. These two Chionodoxa species seem interchangeable now. The pretty blue bulbs will bring some spring cheer, while the Hydrangea stems are still leafless. Then when the glory of the snow flowers fade, the bellflower groundcover should easily hide the slender bulb foliage as it dies back for the season. Usually the  Chionodoxa foliage disappears quickly.

planting Chionodoxa forbesii (glory of the snow)bulbs

Here is one of the bulb planting holes, in between the Campanula poscharskyana plants. I dug narrow holes among the perennials, to minimize the root damage. Then I planted 5 to 10 bulbs in each hole. Altogether I planted 50 Chionodoxa forbesii, but I could have planted more. These bulbs cover the  ground under the front half of the Hydrangea, and a bit around the sides. I could plant another 50 to really carpet the ground under the PG Hydrangea.

fall leaves under Hydrangea

The fall leaves were already covering the garden bed, as I watered in the newly planted bulbs. This will be some of my last outdoor gardening fun for the year, since the temperatures are so cool now. It is probably a little late to be planting bulbs in zone 3, but the weather warmed above freezing this week, the bulbs were on sale, and the picture of more blue flowers was running through my mind. Soon, a white quilt will be spread over top of the brown and green patchwork one. However, come spring, the flower parade will start as soon as the snow melts, and the early spring bulbs bloom.

Asarum europaeum leaves October

The Asarum europaeum (European wild ginger) leaves are semi-evergreen, and keep about half of their leaves through the winter in my zone 3 garden. This little groundcover creates a great display in late fall and early spring, when other perennials have retreated.

Asarum arifolium leaves October

Here are some new Asarum arifolium (hardy ginger) that were just planted a few weeks ago. These are rated for a warmer zone, so I’m not sure how they’ll handle the full winter temperatures, but they don’t seem to mind getting hit with freezing temperatures right after planting. The lovely shaped leaves are still green, and make a great sight. I’m impressed that they didn’t collapse, after the temperature dropped drastically, and the drying winds blew.

Cornus canadensis leaves October

The Cornus canadensis (bunchberry) look good, and add some red fall colour too. This groundcover creates a green display  under the evergreens, despite the temperatures.

Heuchera 'Mint Frost' leaves October

Heuchera (coral bells) are another perennial that keep fresh looking leaves through the frost. Some Heuchera intensify their colour in the cool temperatures, giving lovely fall shades. This normally green and silver Heuchera ‘Mint Frost’ starts to get purple, red and orange colours as the weather turns cold. They keep these leaves until spring. The red stems make a good contrast on this showy perennial too.

Heuchera 'Plum Pudding' leaves October

The Heuchera ‘PlumPudding’ started with such an intense silvery purple, and has been keeping it through the frosts. The Astilbe next to them have collapsed, so these leaves get the attention.

Campanula poscharskyana leaves October

The Campanula (bellflowers) maintain their green leaves through the cold too. They keep most of their leaves through the snow, and start the garden early in spring. They also keep some flowers long after others have disappeared. The glimpses of blue in a late fall/early winter garden are very uplifting. The Campanula porscharskyana (Serbian bellflower) above still has clusters of purple flowers. You can see I haven’t been deadheading since the frost. :)

Campanula portenschlagiana leaves October

Campanula portenschalgiana (dalmatian bellflower) has a few purple flowers, as well as the fully green leaves.

Campanula carpatica leaves October

My Campanula carpatica (carpathian bellflower) also has a few purple bells above the fresh looking green leaves. They stand out when surrounded by the fallen deciduous leaves. My C. rotundifolia (harebell), C. cochlearifolia (fairy thimble bellflower) and other dwarf Campanula have a few blue flowers along with their well preserved leaves too. These dwarf bellflowers are showing green as soon as the snow melts in spring.

Epimedium grandiflorum 'Lilafee' leaves October

The Epimedium grandiflorum ‘Lilafee’ (lilac fairy barrenwort) has lots of green leaves, and they are just slightly twisted from the long frost.

Helleborus 'Ivory Prince' leaves October

Helleborus ‘Ivory Prince’ looks exactly the same as it did in early spring. This perennial has kept these leathery textured leaves in perfect shape for many months. They’re glossy, patterned, have a lovely form, and they have been since they appeared from under the spring snow. Yes, I have checked to make sure I didn’t plant plastic ones by mistake. They’re real and growing. This plant gets the award for best looking foliage regardless of the frost.

Dianthus caryophyllus leaves October

Dianthus caryophyllus (carnation) is another perennial that keeps great looking foliage from when the snow melts in spring to after the frost. The slender bluish gray leaves rise above the fallen tree leaves. Although I planted these purely for the pink flowers and wonderful scent in summer, I’ve enjoyed the foliage longer in fall and spring.

Geranium 'Rozanne' leaves October

The Geranium ‘Rozanne’ have unmarred leaves and a few flowers still too. The patch of Johnson’s Blue geraniums next to them have shrivelled leaves, and no flowers, so these appear very fresh in comparison. The Johnson’s Blue got a head start in spring, but the Rozanne geranium has been the strong finisher, and much longer bloomer.

Dryopteris expansa fronds October

Dryopteris expansa (spiny wood fern) has the most evergreen fronds of all my ferns. The spiny wood fern usually keeps a few fronds under the snow, so it’s easy to spot in spring. All of my other garden ferns have shrivelled, but these are still showing perfect pinna. The Onoclea sensibilis (sensitive fern) were the first ferns to collapse, even before the frost, when it was only 4° C (40° F). “It’s too chilly. I surrender,” they gasped as they disintegrated. It makes sense that lacy ferns with so much exposed surface area are the first to desiccate when the cold comes, so I wonder how the Dryopteris can maintain their appearance.

Pulmonaria 'samourai' (lungwort) leaves October

The Pulmonaria ‘Samourai’ leaves  still have their silver colour, and intact foliage. These long silver leaves are especially showy against the piles of brown fall leaves.

When the temperatures didn’t rise above freezing for a couple of weeks, and combined with bitter winds, we got down to about -15° C (5°  F) with the windchill. I’m always surprised that some hardy perennials manage to keep their leaves under these conditions. I’ve been adding more of these perennials to the garden, since they maintain a fresh appearance through the cold. In a short growing season, the garden can look bare when the frost hits, and temperatures don’t climb above freezing. Being able to see green leaves, or fall colour, instead of withered foliage, gives me an incentive to wander the garden in the crisper temperatures. These plants also give a quick start in spring, with an early shot of green for a northern garden.

Which plants in your garden keep their leaves the longest after you get extended freezing temperatures?

front shade bed under conifers

I love the texture of the natural mulch that has accumulated under the conifers. There is a layer of decomposing tree debris that is as thick as my trowel blade. It’s very easy to plant in. I can make the planting holes with my bare hands, since it’s so soft.  I think the new plants will love this location.

Asarum arifolium new shipped plants

Here are the Asarum arifolium plants that I ordered. They looked very healthy as I unpacked them. The rootballs were nice and moist. The leaves are in good shape for having been through the mail.

Asarum arifolium (wild ginger) under spruce

These Asarum arifolium are  good looking wild gingers. However, I’m not sure if they will be fully hardy in zone 3. My Asarum europaeum have overwintered fine, so I went with ten of these groundcover plants. If they do well, I’ll expand the group next spring. They should fill in, and cover the ground with their wonderful leaves eventually.

Asarum arifolium (wild ginger) leaf closeup

Aren’t the leaves a great shape? They are halfway between an arrow and a heart shape. In the above photo two above, you can see the variety of leaf shapes, from arrow on the right, to heart on the left. Some of the leaves have faint markings. The markings should get more silvery as the plants grow, so I think they will fit in well with the silver colours running through this bed.

Asarum arifolium (wild ginger) group under spruce

The roots of these Asarum had a very strong ginger smell as I unpacked and planted them. I think they’ll thrive in all the natural mulch that has accumulated here, and the conditions under the trees. By spring I’ll see if they tolerate  the Edmonton winter temperatures.

Brunnera macrophylla 'Jack Frost' (Siberian bugloss) under pine

Here is a group of  Brunnera macrophylla ‘Jack Frost’ at the front of the bed. The leaves are holding up well to the mild frosts.  I’ve added a group of Brunnera macrophylla ‘Looking Glass’, which will have the most silver colour of all the perennials here, since they develop a strong overall silver colour in summer. The newly added Looking Glass is just around the pine, but their leaves don’t look as good as these yet.

Hepatica nobilis (liverleaf) dormant

This is  a group of Hepatica nobilis‘, which will have blue flowers in spring. They arrived dormant, so most of the interesting parts are underground right now. You can just see the green tips of two of the plants from the group of five. They should enjoy the shady location, with lots of humus, from decomposing tree debris. I got the idea for adding these from Dave at The Home Bug Garden.

Aruncus aethusifolius (dwarf goatsbeard) under pine

Here are some of the Aruncus aethusifolius plants. that are planted on the west edge. There is a group of seven plants that go around the pine trunks to the left here. They will have creamy flowers next summer.

Epimedium 'Lilafee' under spruce

These Epimedium grandiflorum ‘Lilafee’ (lilac fairy barrenwort) that were planted earlier are thriving in this location, and expanding to cover their area. The light green leaves with the asymmetrical heart shapes show up well. In late spring they will have purple flowers with long spurs, held up above the leaves.

Hosta 'Ginko Craig' under spruce

The two little Hosta ‘Ginko Craig’ are doing well so far. They are supposed to be good spreaders, so they should fill their section under the tree. The narrow margin of white on the leaves gives a little glimmer in the darker area under the trees.

Cornus canadensis (bunchberry) plant under spruce

There is a group of about 15 Cornus canadensis (bunchberry) now. I’ve been adding to this group as I found more in local greenhouses. They already look as if they are a natural part of the woodland floor, and you’d hardly know they have been recently planted. I’ve seen large patches of these spreading out under conifers in the mountains, so they will enjoy this shady site.

Cornus canadensis (bunchberry) under spruce 2

This natural groundcover should fill in well. I might end up adding some twinflower with them, as I’ve seen that combination in the forest, and it’s an attractive woodland look.

front bed under conifers older plants

I’ve been gradually expanding this woodland bed all summer, weaving between the conifers. I’m going for a look midway between a garden and a forest floor in this shady bed. These will probably be the last plants added for this year, since we are getting much cooler temperatures now. I have some ideas for more additions, and will probably start again in spring. I’d like to add some Polygonatum odoratum ‘Variegatum’, and some Pulmonaria. I’ve been very pleased with how healthy all the plants have been so far. They seem to be doing very well under the conifers. In spring, I’ll see how they overwintered here, and will expand this bed out to the north, to the next spruce tree. Here is an earlier post, about when this shade garden was first planted. This post shows some of the additional shade plantings.

Did you mange to finish all of your fall planting yet?

Heuchera 'Plum Pudding' foliage

The most eye catching purple foliage is from the Heuchera ‘Plum Pudding’. I particularly like this shade of purple as it has a metallic silver tinge to it. You can see in the above photo how the silvery overlay reflects the light in this darker area. Dark colours can fade into the background in the shade, but the silver highlights brighten up the foliage. The leaves are very vivid, and I like the way they add a little drama  here.

One of the advantages of Heuchera is that their leaves stay fresh looking through the mild frosts. In fact, the frost often brings out the colors in Heuchera. In the short growing season of zone 3, it really extends the gardening season when plants can look good into October and November. Heuchera keep many of their leaves under the snow, so they also look great in early spring, before other  perennials have risen. Here is some information about Heuchera ‘Mint Frost’, which has silvery green leaves.

The foliage of the Heuchera make a great ground cover, since they produce many overlapping broad leaves. Smaller plants can’t grow through, so there is less weeding. However, the 2 m (6 ft) tall Actaea has no trouble growing over the 25 cm (10 in) tall Heuchera, so they make a good combination. The group of three Heuchera make a nice clump in front of the Actaea.

Actaea racemosa 'Atropurpurea' leaves

The tall perennnial behind is Actaea racemosa ‘Atropurpurea’ (Cimicifuga, bugbane). This plant has purple tinges to the edges of its leaves, and reddish purple stems. It grows a couple of metres tall (around 6ft). The leaves will make a good backdrop to the other plants. My other Actaea racemosa have tall white flower wands, above my head. These plants will flowers with a minimal amount of light.

Heuchera 'Plum Pudding' and Astilbe

The purple Heuchera is planted next to some Astilbe simplicifolia ‘Hennies Graafland’. I dug up and divided the Astilbe, which had too many lily of the valley closing in on them. Now these short astilbe are towards the front of the bed, where they can be seen better, and have more space. I like the shiny Astilbe leaves next to the glossy metallic purple leaves of the Heuchera. The glossy leaves of A. simplicifolia are highly reflective in the shade. They still have their faded flower plumes on them, with fall colours now. I think the bright pink flowers of summer will look good with the dark purple leaves, but I’ll see when they flower fresh next year.

This section of the border is going to have mostly purple highlights on the leaves. I saw a nice Tiarella that had dark purple centres on its leaves that I might add too. To the south of this section, the plants have more silver highlights. The Heuchera ‘Plum Pudding’, with both purple and silver colours, will make a nice transition between them. I love fall gardening, redesigning the beds, transplanting, dividing the perennials, and adding new plants. Then you wait over the winter, picturing it in your mind. I’m eager to see how this garden border will look next year, as the plants grow in.

These perennials used to be classified as the genus Cimicifuga, but now they are grouped with the other short Actaea. Beyond the genus change, I find the classifications a little confusing, as many of the cultivars such as ‘Atropurpurea’ are listed under different species. Also, A. ramosa seems very similar to A. racemosa.

Actaea ramosa (bugbane) flower buds

The flower wands of these tall Actaea ramosa are long and thin, with many buds. The initial buds have a purple colour, and are attractive before they even open. In my zone 3 garden, these flamboyant perennials start flowering towards the end of September. I have some that flower with only an hour or so of direct sun a day.

Actaea racemosa (bugbane) flower buds with conifer

Here are the buds of Actaea racemosa. These plants are  over 2 metres (6 ft) tall, so I was shooting up as I took the photo, and they are displayed against the green conifer background.

Actaea racemosa flowering

The open Actaea racemosa flower wand is whipping around in the wind. Because it is so tall, it was swaying a metre (3 ft) to either side. That little guy hung on to the tip the whole time. You can see as they open, that the flowers are fluffy white. The central stalk has opened first, and the side wands are still in the bud stage. Although they are tall, the stems don’t need staking. Even after swaying in the wind, the 2 m (6ft) stems are upright, although the flowers on top can have a natural curve.

Actaea racemosa (bugbane) flower stars

Actaea racemosa has a sweet scent. Some Actaea have an unpleasant smell, so I was pleased when this one bloomed. The pleasant scent actually carries for a few metres, even from just one bloom. In the above closeup, you can see how they form starry clusters on the ends of the wand. The long, thin flower clusters add emphasis above the foliage, like exclamations marks in the garden.

Actaea (bugbane) leaf with purple edge

The foliage of these forms of bugbane makes an attractive backdrop for other perennials. The leaves have a purple tinge to the edges. There are other varieties that have an even stronger all over purple colour to the leaves. I especially like how the leaves come out in layers. It reminds me of the cloud pruning of an evergreen. The central stalk has a distinct purple colour too.

Bugbanes like moisture, but in the shade they seem to do fine. I would be careful planting it in sun, as I had one  in a pot waiting to be planted that dried out very quickly, with the leaves turning crispy.

I have some Actaea simplex that are also tall, but the plants have a different form, and they bloom later. A. simplex bloom too late for zone 3, as the frost gets them before the flower wands open.

Actaea are an excellent plant for the back of the shade garden. They have good looking leaves, a dramatic form, and eye catching towers of flowers in the fall. As most perennials grow tired and start to fade back, these plants will put on a great final show.

Tulipa 'Fox Trot' bulb package

The double early blooming pink Tulipa ‘Fox Trot’ are planted at the back. Aren’t those tulips pretty? They remind me of my favourite peony, ‘Sarah Bernhardt’. These have a multitude of light pink petals, like the double peony. They are short, about 30 cm tall (1 ft). I fell for these Fox Trot tulips when I saw the picture on the label, even though I didn’t originally plan to plant any tulips. I saw the double pink photo and instantly imagined a large group of them, highlighted with a large group of smaller blue bulbs in front.

Muscari armenicaum 'Blue Spike' bulb group

The above photo of Muscari armeniacum ‘Blue Spike’ is from my garden last June. Blue Spike became my favourite grape hyacinth last spring, when a newer group of them bloomed for an extended period. They bloomed for almost a month, which is a long time for the little blue bulbs. They also have large flowers for such a small bulb. Their extra petals, with very open flowers, creating a dense spike of intense blue. Here is a post from earlier in the year about the Muscari.

The Muscari armeniacum ‘Blue Spike’ grow about 15 cm (6 in). When planted in front of the 30 cm (12 in) pink tulips, the difference in their heights should be just right to show off each type of bloom. I’m hoping the tips of the Muscari will be just under the bottom of the tulip flowers.

Muscari 'Blue Spike' (grape hyacinth) bulbs being planted

For the grape hyacinths, I dig  hole about 7 to 10 cm (3 to 4 in) deep, and about 30 cm (1 ft) across, between some later growing perennials. Then I put the bulbs with their pointy side up, about 5 cm (2 in) apart, and cover them back up. I leave a bit of loose soil in the bottom of the hole, so I can balance the bulbs upright with a bit of support, and then they don’t get knocked over when I pour the soil back back over top. Digging a series of large holes for groups of bulbs is the most efficient way when you have a number of them to plant.

Tulipa 'Fox Trot' bulbs being planted

Here are the Fox Trot tulips in their planting hole. It’s about13 cm (5 in) deep, and they are about 13 cm (5 in) apart. I make a number of these holes in the garden bed, between the perennials that will hide their foliage after they bloom.

Muscari 'Blue Spike and Tulipa 'Fox Trot'

Here is a composite of what the Fox Trot and Blue Spike should look like together. I think these two bulbs will bloom at the same time next spring with the taller pink tulips rising up behind the shorter blue Muscari. I could have planted a few first to test the bloom time, but instead I decided to jump in with planting 54 tulips and 180 more Muscari bulbs. I need a larger number of the Muscari, since they are smaller bulbs, and planted closer together. About 3 times as many grape hyacinths should balance out the tulip planting. If they don’t manage to bloom in tandem, they will still make a nice sequence, but I’m hoping for an overlap.

Have you been planting any bulbs for spring blooms?

crocus packages under lilac

These crocuses are being planted around some hardy geraniums under a lilac tree. The geraniums get a later start in the spring, so the crocus will flower unhindered, and when they are done, the emerging geraniums will help hide the foliage until it dies down.This garden area is in part shade, but there should be enough light for these sun lovers, since I limbed up the  maple earlier this year, removing some of the lower branches. It should be bright enough to open their flowers; I hope.

Crocus vernus (Dutch crocus) packages

The Crocus vernus (large Dutch crocus) are planted together in the back half of the garden bed. They progress from purple to purple stripes to yellow, going towards the front of the bed. At the very back are the dark purple ‘Remembrance’. There is a small group of ‘Remembrance’ here already, and I’ve added more to extend the group across. Just in front are some ‘Silver Cord’ These are white with purple marks on them. To the left are ‘Pickwick’, which are purple striped, while to the the right are ‘Striped Beauty’, also with purple stripes. The ‘Yellow Mammoth’ are in front of all of the purple crocuses.

crocus chrysanthus (snow crocus) packages

The earlier flowering Crocus chrysanthus (snow crocus) are at the front of this garden bed. These are smaller, and should flower first early next spring. I’ve planted them in a very similar colour arrangement. Across the back of the snow crocus section are some ‘Blue Pearl’, which are a very pretty lavender blue colour. To the left in front of them are ‘Fuscotinctus’, which are yellow with purple stripes. In front on the right are ‘Gypsy Girl’ (‘Gipsy Girl’?), which are also yellow with maroon stripes. The pale yellow  ‘Cream Beauty’ are across the very front of the Crocus chrysanthus group.

Crocus vernus 'Striped Beauty' bulbs being planted

Here are some Crocus vernus ‘Striped Beauty’ corms in their hole, ready to be buried. For small bulbs like this, I dig a hole about 7 to 10 cm (3 to 4 in) deep and about 30 cm (a foot) in diameter, and plant 10 to 15 bulbs in a random pattern. Then I cover the hole up, and tap it down. Afterwards I water all the bulbs to settle them in.

There are 360 crocus corms here so far. As I planted, I kept picturing what it will look like when the crocuses flower next spring. I think this purple and yellow patch will be very uplifting with its spring colours. I appreciate the earliest flowering plants the most, after the long winter desert of white. In spring, I’ve often wished that I had planted more bulbs, but I’ve never wished I planted less.

Phlox paniculata 'David's Lavender'

The flowers of Phlox paniculata ‘David’s Lavender’ are a pinkish lavender color with a white eye. I planted some of these tall phlox in spring, and the plants started flowering at the end of August. The blooms on this perennial are very attractive, and perk up the part shade garden area of blues and whites.

These are supposed to be as mildew resistant as the white Phlox paniculata ‘David’. I don’t have many problems with my phlox, but mildew resistance is a great trait, and so far these  seem healthy. It will be a better comparison next year, when they’ve grown in my garden for a season. It’s hard to tell exactly how a perennial is going to do, when it just came out of a pot at the beginning of the year.

Phlox paniculata 'David's Lavender' morning light

The flower colour looks great. It is midway between a lavender and the phlox magenta. In the morning when I look out of my bedroom window, they appear more lavender coloured, just like the second photo. During the brightest light of the day, they have more of the phlox magenta showing, like the first photo. I have them planted next to some white Phlox paniculata ‘David’ and behind some Campanula ‘Summertime Blues’, which have purplish blue bells. A white flowered Hydrangea will be going in behind them, replacing a Viburnum that was planted too close to the house.

My David  in this area opened shortly after  David’s Lavender. Since I planted the new phlox this season, I won’t know until next year what the natural bloom time of David’s Lavender will be. David flowers late in my garden usually starting about the middle of August, but this year it started at the end of August.

This is a part shade garden bed,  so phlox does well here. The  colour of David’s Lavender brightens up the white and blue flowers. In the photo below, You can see how each set of petals on David’s Lavender stand out because of the white eye, compared to David on the right. I’ll be adding more David’s Lavender to this group next year. These are a showy perennial that look good with the late summer flowers.

Phlox paniculata 'David's Lavender' and 'David'