Bulbs are and easy and inexpensive way to get some great fast growing plants. The awesome thing about bulbs is that you don’t have to wait long for them to make an immediate impact on your garden. Many spring planted bulbs will give you great foliage or blooms.

Most people are familiar with spring blooming bulbs which are typicaly planted in the fall but many gardeners neglect the summer blooming variety that are planted in the spring.   So just as your spring blooming bulbs are fading, the summer blooming variety are just starting. This allows for a good looking garden throughout the entire growing season.

Lilies

Lilies

Lilies are some of the most popular Spring planted bulbs and for good reason. There are countless varieties to choose from and come in  many different colors.  Large blooms and tall stalks really make them stand out in the garden! Perhaps my favorite reason to plant lilies is that they reproduce quickly, so each season you will have more of them FREE of cost! Many will will double in quantity so you will have plenty to transplant or share with friends and family.

Caring for lilies is extremely easy and very tough. They are set them and forget them type of plant.  Simply plant them in some well drained soil and watch them take off.   They do well in full sun to part sun depending on the variety which makes them very versatile.  They can be planted as early as late March or early April here in Zone 7 and they can take a late freeze without damage.  Bloomingbulb.com has some beatiful lilies to choose from so I suggest you check them out.

Cannas

Cannas

Cannas are another spring planted favorite here in zone 7 and for good reason.  They are fast growers and will bloom all summer long with a little care. Large foliage also ads to their exotic look and feel. Like regular lillies, they also reproduce profusely so you can be sure to have lots of cannas and blooms for years to come.  Gardeners who enjoy tropical looking plants will love cannas because they are one of the few tropical look plants that do great here in zone 7.

Cannas are easy to grow though they do require a little extra care.  They should be planted in full sun in well fertilized soil. You should also make sure you water then regularly because they really enjoy moist soils.  Canna gardeners will need to keep an eye out for canna leaf rollers because they can really do a number to the foliage and prevent them from blooming.  Cannas are best planted after the danger of frost has passed, late April is a great time to plant Cannas. Check out this great selection of Cannas should you decide to try some out this year.

Caladiums

Caladiums

Caladiums are one of the best looking Summer foliage bulbs for the shade garden.  They produce large colorful foliage that will last the entire summer.  While they are not hardy outside of zone 9, they can still be enjoyed here in zone 7 due to the hot summers and early springs.  These are also great multipliers so you will end up with lots more bulbs at the end of the growing season.

Caladium care is quite easy.  Plant them in a shaded to mostly shaded spot.  They grow best in well fertilized soil that drains fairly well.   Caladiums should also be watered regularly during drought conditions.   Since they are not exactly hardy below zone 8-9, they should be lifted in the fall.  If you rather not deal with the hassle, you can treat them as annuals.  Again, Blooming Bulb has a fabulous Caladium selection at excellent prices.

It’s cold and there’s still snow in the ground but the planting season is just around the corner. With this in mind it’s time to start thinking about what we want to plan this season.

As with every year, this is about the time the 2010 plant catalogs start rolling in and if you are like me, you always have your eye out for that something special that will set you apart from the rest. So lets take a preview at those special plants that will make our gardens stand out from the rest.

Hydrangea Forever and Ever Red

Hydrangea Forever and Ever Red

Hydrangeas are one of the most popular shrubs for Zone 7 but if you are tired of the old fashioned white variety, here is a new variety that will stand out in your garden.

This stunning new Hydrangea variety start with red blooms that gradually turn purple. Another awesome feature is its ability to set blooms on new growth. NO need to worry about damaged flower buds with this variety.  This is actually quite important for blooming as it is very common for “old” growth blooming hydrangeas to suffer damaged flower buds, thus leaving you with a bloomless shrub. I have one in my yard which I have never seen blooms from. This particular variety is sure to bloom from from summer until frost.

As with other Hydrangeas, this will do best in part shade with and well drained rich soils in zones 4-9. So if you like Hydrangeas and want to try a new variety, then this one is for you. Avaliable from DirectGardening.com

Kleim’s Hardy Gardenia

Gardenia Kleim's Hardy

Ever wanted that wonderful tropical Gardenia fragrance in your garden but figured that Gardenias only grew in warm climates? Well, think again because this variety will do just fine here in Zone 7. Not only will it do fine, it will even stay green for you all winter! Mine have survived single digits and several snow storms without minor leaf damage. So I can vouch that this is one strong little plant.

Unlike tropical gardenia shrubs, this is a small variety that grows up to 3′ wide and 3′ tall.  As you can see, the blooms are also different from standard Gardenias but the fragrance is unmistakably all Gardenia! In addition to the lovely blooms, Kleim’s hardy features tough and attractive dark green waxy evergreen leaves. Perhaps the best thing about this little shrub is that it is very easy to grow.  Simply plant it in a shade to part shade area in your garden, give it some rich soil, water it during droughts and it will reward you with nice growth and great smelling blooms.

It should be noted that many local garden centers carry similar “hardy” gardenias but it should be noted that those are no Kleim’s Hardy and thus not nearly as hardy as these.  This is new for 2010 from DirectGardening.com

Hibiscus, Turn of the Century

Hibiscus Turn of the Century

Don’t let the tropical look of this awesome perennial fool you because it’s capable of growing perfectly well all the way down to zone 4.  Despite such exotic blooms, seeing these in every day zone 7 gardens is extremely rare.  So if you really want to stand out, this is one you have to consider.

If you have never seen a temperate hibiscus bloom in person, then you are really missing out because they are extremely large, growing up 10″ across!  I know the first time I saw these in person I was shocked and could not believe these could actually grow here.  Another plus is that their stems are quite strong so they are more than capable of supporting such large blooms.

Simply plant them in rich soil, either sun or part sun and watch them take off.  These are late bloomers so when everything else is fading, these will just begin to take off.  Other pluses include drought tolerance and deer resistance. This one is a real treat and I highly recommend it. Local availability may be tough but they are available through DirectGardening.com

The air is crisp and the days are getting shorter. It’s that time a year when everybody should start planting their bulbs for that Spring color, but why not be unique this year? Why not choose some unique bulbs that will set your garden apart next spring? Here are some bulbs are will surely turn heads, but you better HURRY before fall shipping ends!

Unique Bulbs for Fall Planting
Get 20 Lavender Mountain Lily for just $1.99	Get 10 Tulip, Deidre for just $2.99	Get 50 Carpet Mix, Red & White for just $14.99
Get 4 Daffodil, Rosy Clouds for just $2.99	Get 6 Tulip, Carnaval de Nice for just $2.49	Get 10 Tulip, Pastel Mix for just $2.99
Get 6 Tulip, Double Beauty Apeldoorn for just $2.49	Get 5 Tulip, Blue Parrot for just $3.49	Get 6 Tulip, Lilac Perfection for just $2.49

Red Hot Poker

The Red Hot Poker or Kniphofia Uvaria is a favorite of many gardeners and for good reason. This plant features tall spikes tiped with red and yellow flowers. Actually, each spike end is comprised of many little flowers to form a cone like structure at the end of the stem. What’s great about these is that they grow fast and will give you flowers in it’s first year! Even bare root plants will give you nice flowers after a month or so in the ground. The rest of the plant features grass like foliage so the Red Hot Poker can essentially be used just like an ornamental grass and the colorful flowers will make this an wonderful feature plant in your garden. The flower spikes can measure up to 30″ tall and the foliage can grow about 24″ tall.  As it ages, it gets wider and wider similar to an ornamental grass. I have seen some specimens that about 4′ in diameter so they do need a bit of room.

Growing these is very easy.  Simply grow them in full sun in some well draining garden soil. Mine are growing in the front of the house where they get full sun. To plant them, I simply amended the clay with a humusy garden soil and some cow maneur mixed in.  They should be watered regularly their first month or so. After that, provided that you are not in drought conditions, they do well with just the water provided by mother nature. As I mentioned previously, these grow quite nicely and will take off in their second season.  In general, the red hot poker is not a  fussy plants and can be planted any time though they should be planted in early spring to enjoy same season flowers or fall to enjoy flowers the following season.  These are also quite hardy being able to survive in zones 5-9. They grow absolutely great in zone 7.

If you have not tried or seen these, I highly recommend them. You will not be disappointed by their beautiful colorful flowers and their easy growing nature.  You can get the Red Hot poker at Blooming Bulb quite inexpensively.

Plant Information

Hardiness Zones: 5-9
Sun exposure: Full Sun to Mostly Sunny
Height: about 30″
Width: Varies up to 4′
Bloom time: Summer
Bloom Color: Red with slight yellow
Watering: Average
Soil: Well draining
Availability: Blooming Bulb

How would you characterize your soil? Is it poor, boggy muck that drains poorly and lacks nutrients? Could it be the red clay of Georgia, the sandy clay of Texas, or the caliche (sandy, rocky, alkaline stuff) of Arizona? You must identify your soil before improving it, whether it needs fertility, absorbency, or drainability.

See how to determine your soil below.

Loam: The ideal soil holds air, water, and nutrients in a balance of sand, silt, clay, and organic matter. It’s easy to work. A handful of loam holds its shape when squeezed, and crumbles when squeezed harder. If well-drained, it leaches nutrients and warms slowly. Add worm castings, rotted manure, and organic matter (compost and chopped leaves) to improve it.

Clay: This heavy, poorly draining stuff forms a sticky, hard mass when squeezed. Plant roots have a hard time growing in clay soil; they may die due to lack of air and water. Improve it with loads of organic matter, such as grass clippings, chopped leaves, old hay, ground bark or wood shavings, and gypsum.

Sand: Sand holds too much air; it holds neither water nor nutrients. A handful crumbles and won’t form a ball. It tills easily and warms up quickly. Improve it by adding organic matter: compost, rotted manure, and chopped leaves.