As you clean up your garden this fall, don’t forget the birds! Leave some seed heads to dry on your perennial flowers, to provide winter food for finches, cardinals, and other year-round birds. Not only will you be providing much-needed nourishment and shelter for birds, but your winter garden will be graced with the striking shapes of dried stems adorned with colorful plumage.

You can also harvest the seeds for later spreading or using in feeders. If you’re adventurous, try scattering and watering a handful of birdseed mix, and see what sprouts!

The most popular flowering plants for feeding birds are:

• Most native plants
• Black-Eyed Susans and other plants with daisy-like blooms
• Coneflowers
• Ornamental grasses (all varieties)
• Safflowers
• Sunflowers
• Zinnias

Birds are also attracted to:

Pink Muhly Grass is good for birds.

• Asters
• Bergamot
• Calendula
• Columbine
• Coreopsis
• Corn
• Cosmos
• Dill
• Evening Primrose
• Goldenrod
• Lavender
• Millet
• Poppies
• Rose of Sharon (Althea)
• Salvia
• St. John’s Wort
• Teasel
• Thistles

Further Information

• Landscaping Tips for a Bird-Friendly Yard
• Wild Bird Feeding Basics
• How to Make a Suet Bird Feeder
• Hummingbirds in the Garden
• How to Clean and Maintain a Birdbath in Your Yard (video)

Related posts:

• Landscaping Tips for a Bird-Friendly Yard
• Suet Success
• American Robins in the Garden

If you live in an area with foraging deer, you’ve likely watched with dismay as some of your favorite plants disappeared overnight. But before you give up on gardening altogether, try making your yard less appealing to deer by choosing plants that deer find less appealing.

The Deer-Proof Garden

It’s important to remember that unless you build a very tall fence, there is no such thing as a deer-proof garden. Deer will eat anything if they are hungry enough, and they can adapt and eat plants that are considered “resistant.” However, they do have their favorites, and they’re more attracted to places where their favorite food is easily available.

The idea behind deer-resistant gardening is to fill your yard with plants they don’t prefer, in hopes the deer will simply give up and go someplace more appetizing.

Add herbs, such as lavender, to discourage deer.

In general, deer prefer:

• Plants with lush foliage and high water content, such as hostas
• Early spring plants like tulips, crocuses, and forsythia
• Fruiting and berry-producing plants, including vegetable gardens
• Native plants

Deer are less likely to be attracted to:

• Herbs and strongly flavored plants
• Heavily scented foliage
• Plants with fuzzy or hairy leaves
• Prickly plants
• Ferns
• Grasses

If you’re planting a new border or garden, start with heavily scented and deer-resistant plants on the outside perimeter. Once you’ve established an area and encouraged the deer to browse elsewhere, you can add other plants inside the perimeter.

List of Deer-Resistant Plants

Always check with local gardeners and your cooperative extension service to find out what has (and hasn’t) worked for gardeners in your area. The following is a list of plants that research has indicated are less appealing to deer:

Rosemary is an evergreen herb that works well in flower gardens, too.

Herbs and Scented Plants

Most herbs are great choices for deer-resistant gardens, such as:

• Chives, ornamental (Allium sp.)
• Garlic, ornamental (Allium sp.)
• Ginger (Asarum sp.)
• Lavender (Lavandula sp.)
• Onion, ornamental (Allium sp.)
• Mint (Mentha sp.)
• Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)
• Sage, ornamental and culinary (Salvia sp.)
• Thyme (Thymus sp.)

Deer generally leave ornamental grasses alone.

Ornamental Grasses

Most ornamental grasses are deer-resistant, including:

• Fescue (Festuca sp.)
• Flame grass (Miscanthus sp.)
• Fountain Grass (Pennisetum sp.)
• Giant Reed (Arundo donax)
• Pampas grass (Cortaderia selloana)
• Purple Moor grass (Molinia caerulea)
• Sedge (Carex sp.)
• Silver grass (Miscanthus sp.)
• Zebra grass (Miscanthus sp.)

Most species of ferns are also considered deer-resistant.

Ferns

Most species of ferns, including:

• Christmas fern (Polystichum arcostichoides)
• Hayscented fern (Dennstaedtia punctilobula)
• Holly fern (Cyrtomium falcatum)
• New York fern (Thelyptens noveboracensis)
• Ostrich fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris)
• Osmanthus (Osmanthus sp.)
• Sensitive fern (Onoclea sensibilis)
• Wood fern (Dryopteris marginalis)

Annual vinca is less appealing, although annuals are often devoured.

Annuals

• Ageratum (Ageratum sp.)
• Annual Vinca (Catharanthus roseus)
• Dusty Miller (Centaurea cineraria)
• Flowering Tobacco (Nicotiana sp.)
• Poppy (Papaver sp.)
• Snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus)
• Strawflower (Helichrysum)

Lamb’s ear has fuzzy leaves that discourage deer.

Perennials and Groundcovers

• Anise Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum)
• Artemisia (Artemesia sp.)
• Bleeding Heart (Dicentra sp.)
• Bugleweed (Ajuga reptans)
• Catmint (Nepeta sp.)
• Coneflower (Echinacea sp. & Rudbeckia sp.)
• Coreopsis (Coreopsis sp.)
• Daffodil (Narcissus sp.)
• Epimedium (Epimedium sp.)
• Forget-Me-Not (Myosotis sp.)
• Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea)
• Germander (Teucrium chamaedrys)
• Iris (Iris sp.)
• Lamb’s Ear (Stachys byzantina)
• Lenten rose (Helleborus sp.)
• Ligularia (Ligularia sp.)
• Lungwort (Pulmonaria sp.)
• Monkshood (Aconitum sp.)
• Pachysandra (Pachysandra sp.)
• Potentilla, Cinquefoil (Potentilla sp.)
• Rock-Cress (Arabis caucasica)
• Rose Campion (Lychnis coronaria)
• Russian sage (Perovskia sp.)
• Spurge (Euphorbia sp.)
• Spotted Deadnettle (Lamium sp.)
• Tarragon (Artemesia sp.)
• Thistle (Echinops sp.)
• Yarrow (Achillea sp.)
• Yucca (Yucca sp.)

Creeping juniper is a popular groundcover shrub.

Shrubs and Trees

• Barberry (Berberis sp.)
• Birch (Betula sp.)
• Blue mist shrub (Caryopteris clandonensis)
• Boxwood (Buxus sp.)
• Butterfly bush (Buddleia sp.)
• Elderberry (Sambucus sp.)
• Holly (Ilex sp.)
• Juniper (Juniperus sp.)
• Lilac (Syringa sp.)
• Mahonia (Mahonia sp.)
• Maple (Acer sp.)
• Peashrub (Caragana sp.)
• Russian Olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia)
• Spruces (Picea sp.)
• Sumac (Rhus sp.)

Further Information

• Camouflage Gardening (Native Plant Society of Texas)
• Deer-Resistant Plants (Deer-Resistant Landscape Nursery)
• Landscape Plants Rated by Deer Resistance (Rutgers)

Related posts:

• How To Use Deer Repellents to Prevent Damage to Your Yard or Garden
• How to Spruce Up a Summer Garden with Tropical Plants
• Plants in Your Garden that Produce Seed for Birds

Geraniums are one of the most popular container and garden plants. You just can’t beat their bright colors and sturdy, well-shaped foliage. At the garden center, geraniums tend to come in larger sizes, which make them more expensive than other summer annuals.

Unlike many of their peers, geraniums can easily be stored over the winter and enjoyed again next year. So if you hate to see your lovely geraniums killed by frost this fall, here’s how to go about overwintering them indoors.

Methods of Overwintering Geraniums

There are three ways to make geraniums last through the winter:

1. Overwinter inside as potted plants.
2. Store the dormant, bare roots.
3. Propagate cuttings to make new plants.

Geraniums as Indoor Potted Plants

The easiest way to keep your geraniums over the winter is simply to bring them inside. Here’s how to go about it:

Fall:

• Before the first frost, carefully dig up your geraniums and pot them in 6”- 8” diameter containers, with lightweight potting soil. If yours are already in containers, you get to save a step! Don’t bother keeping any that look unhealthy or diseased.
• Cut the plants back by a third to a half. Save the cuttings and root them to make more geraniums!
• Water the pots thoroughly.
• Place the pots in a bright, cool spot. Geraniums overwinter best in a sunny window with temperatures around 60° F. They don’t do well in dark or overheated rooms.

Winter:

• Over the winter, pinch back the tips of new shoots to help them branch out.
• Water the cuttings whenever the soil becomes dry.

Spring:

• Fertilize your geraniums in mid-spring.
• Move them back outdoors after all danger of frost has passed. You can keep them in their containers, or plant them back in your flower beds.

Geraniums are perfect for window boxes, but can’t survive freezing weather.

Overwintering Bare-Root Geraniums

Geraniums have nice thick roots and stems that allow them to survive winter dormancy if kept above freezing. You can also allow geraniums to go dormant and store them as bare roots. Follow these steps:

Fall:

• Before the first frost, carefully dig up your geraniums, and shake all the dirt off the roots.
• Put them in unsealed paper bags, or hang them upside down, and store in a cool, dry place around 50° F (a garage is perfect).

Winter:

• Every month or so, pull your geraniums out and soak the roots in water for a couple of hours.
• Allow them to dry before storing again.
• The leaves will eventually all fall off, but the stems should stay firm. If the stems shrivel up too, the plant is likely a goner!

Spring:

• Inspect your geraniums early in the spring.
• Remove any shriveled sections.
• prune them lightly, cutting off any dead tips.
• Soak the roots for a few hours in water mixed with a little plant food.
• Plant the roots in potting soil and water thoroughly.
• Place your potted geraniums in a sunny window, or under a grow light. They might take a few weeks to wake up and start growing!
• After all danger of frost has passed, you can move them outdoors.

Geraniums can also be rooted from cutting using rooting hormone.

Propagating Geraniums From Cuttings

The last option is to say goodbye to your original geraniums and nurture new ones grown from cuttings. Here’s how:

Fall:

• Using a sharp knife or shears, cut pieces about 3”- 4” long from the ends of the branches. The best cuttings come from the terminal end (the very tip end of the stem), rather than a side branch.
• Pinch off the leaves from the bottom third of the cutting, and remove any flower buds.
• Dip the bottom of each cutting in rooting hormone, making sure to dust the wounds where you removed the leaves.
• Plant the bottom third of each cutting in peat moss, sand, or perlite. You can use individual pots or plant them together in a tray (plastic planting trays are available with a clear cover to hold in moisture).
• Place the pots on a drainage tray and water thoroughly, ideally from the bottom up (fill the tray with water and allow it to soak to keep from washing away the rooting hormone).
• Cover your pots with clear plastic, or use the cover that came with the tray.
• Place in a bright window out of direct sun. Your cuttings need light, but they can’t handle the direct sunshine.

Winter:

• Keep the planting medium moist by soaking in the drainage tray, or removing the plastic cover and lightly misting the plants and soil.

Spring:

• Your cuttings should root in 6 to 8 weeks. By early next spring, you can to move them to their own pots with regular potting soil.
• Fertilize your new plants, and pinch back the new stems in order to make them branch out.
• Move the pots to a sunny window until time to plant them outdoors.

Further Information

• Outdoor-Indoor Geranium Culture (University of Minnesota Extension)
• Geranium Culture for Home Gardeners (North Carolina State Extension)
• International Geranium Society

Related posts:

• Can I Plant Trees and Shrubs in Late Fall or Winter?
• How to Help Houseplants Cope With Winter
• Tips on Bringing Houseplants Indoors for the Winter

Find out how household products from baby shampoo and corn syrup to sugar and soft drinks can be used to nurture plants and improve the soil in your garden.

Related posts:

• How to Clean Your Home Naturally Using Common Household Products

Sue asks, “I planted two roses in memory of my parents. Unfortunately, the tops were killed during our cold winter. This summer, they have begun sprouting again from the roots. Can these roses be saved?”

The future of your roses depends on whether or not the roses were grafted. With the exception of some heirloom, shrub, and miniature roses; most rose varieties are not grown with their own roots. Instead, they are grafted onto the rootstock of tougher varieties. Take a look at your roses and see if you can find the graft bud – it will be a lump or scar right above the root ball, indicating where the two stems were fused together. If the roses were properly planted, it should be just above ground level.

If your roses are grafted, and the sprouts are coming from below the graft, then the sprouts aren’t the same type of rose. The most common root stock is from a red climbing rose called ‘Dr. Huey,’ which is likely what you’ll have if you let the sprouts grow. If the sprouts are coming from above the graft (or if your roses aren’t grafted), then your rose may indeed be making a comeback!

Hybrid roses do funny things when stressed, so you may not know exactly what has happened to your rose until it blooms again. You may end up with the rose you started with, or you may find that it has reverted to its parent variety (the one used to create the hybrid), or you may find that the rootstock has sprouted a whole different type of plant. Prepare to be surprised!

Before purchasing roses In the future, check to see if the variety is winter-hardy for your planting zone. If you’re worried about cold damage in your area, see our article on How To Winterize Roses.

Related posts:

• Sidewalk Damaged by Tree Roots
• How to Prune Roses
• ‘New Dawn’ Rose Not Blooming

It’s a magical feeling to encounter a graceful deer, peacefully browsing in the early dawn . . . unless your beloved hostas are what’s for breakfast! Whether you live in the country or the city, foraging deer can cause significant damage to landscapes and vegetable gardens. Unfortunately, “deer-proofing” is virtually impossible, but there are steps you can take to discourage deer and minimize the damage.

Deer Repellents

Deer are prey animals by nature, and deer repellents take advantage of that by producing unpleasant or startling scents, sounds, sights, or flavors. Because they’re always on the lookout for predators, deer are very alert and easily startled, and they’ll run away (or avoid an area) when faced with a threat or questionable situation.

Tender plants such as hostas are irresistible to deer.

Repellents are temporary solutions – in time, deer will get used to any repellent, so you’ll need to change things up in order to keep it working. Ideas for DIY deer repellents and deterrents include:

Scent Repellents

• Scented soap: One of the easiest and most popular methods. Shave a few bars of strongly-scented soap (such Irish Spring or Cashmere Bouquet) and scatter the shavings around the garden. This is a great use for travel soap samples!


Scented soap as repellent.

• Human hair: Available from barber shops, human hair can be sprinkled around or hung from branches in cheesecloth bags or nylon stockings.
• Predator urine: You can order predator urine sprays (such as fox or coyote), and some gardeners send meat-eating humans outdoors to “mark the territory,” too.
• Eggs: Mix a beaten egg into a quart of water and spray plants and surrounding areas.
• Baby powder: Sprinkle on or around plants.
• Scented fabric softener sheets: Cut into strips and tie to branches or fence posts.
• Blood meal: Sprinkle around plants or beds.
• Hot pepper powder or sauce: Spray or sprinkle directly on or around plants. Some gardeners add garlic or curry powder, too.
• Milorganite: This commercial fertilizer is made from treated sewage sludge, giving it an odor unpleasant to deer. It can be hung in net bags around the garden.
• Commercial repellent sprays or granules: Available at garden centers, commercial repellents often contain a combination of unpleasant smells and flavors.

Visual and Noise Deterrents

• Bamboo fountains: Originally designed as “deer chasers” for Japanese gardens, bamboo fountains make a knocking sound when the water dumps out, which serves as a great auditory deterrent.
• Metal cans or pie pans: Hang in groups where they will reflect light and rattle in a breeze.


Japanese “Deer Chaser.”

• Tin foil or Mylar: Can be hung in strips to sparkle and reflect light. Mylar strips can also be strung from two posts or branches, where they will make a buzzing sound when caught by the wind.
• Dogs: Dogs are great garden protectors if you can keep them safely contained (and if they don’t add to the problem by digging up your garden!).
• Trail blocks: Once you’ve located common deer trails, even a wheelbarrow blocking the path can deter them for a day or two. Deer are habitual animals, and they’ll steer clear of an obstacle until they’re sure it’s safe.
• Plant netting: Green bird or plant netting can be used to protect shrubs and trees and can be used as row covers for veggie gardens. Drape it directly over the plants or on a simple wood or PVC frame.

Commercial Deterrents

If you live in a rural area or have a large farm or orchard to protect, you may want to step things up a notch. Commercial deer repellents include:

• Explosive devices (producing a gunshot-like sound)
• Ultrasonic devices
• Motion-controlled strobe lights and whistles

These aren’t recommended for home gardens because they’re expensive and can disturb neighbors.

Deer repellents often work on other prey animals like rabbits.

Tips for Using Deer Repellents

Which deer repellent works the best? The answer is probably “none of them,” (or “all of them,” depending on your perspective). Any of these methods can work temporarily, but you’ll need to change them up often in order for them to keep working.

• Scented or flavored repellents should be reapplied every few days, especially after a hard rain.
• Visual repellents should be moved around and changed frequently.
• Keep experimenting! Some gardeners swear by a favorite method, and others try it to no effect. Find what works in your garden, and be adaptable.
• Deer repellents work best in relatively small home landscapes when deer populations and damage are in the low to moderate range.
• If the deer in your area are gutsy or hungry enough, or if deer populations are large, they’ll overcome their fears and eat almost anything. In that case, you may need to consider fencing (at least 8′ tall) to protect your garden.

Further Information

• Deer Repellent Study (a great review of commercial and homemade deer repellents by the Illinois Walnut Council)
• Deer Off (Havahart)
• Liquid Fence Deer and Rabbit Repellent (Liquid Fence Company)
• Plantskydd Deer Repellent (Tree World)
• PredatorPee (sells urine from a variety of predatory animals)
• Home Garden Use of Milorganite® (Cornell Waste Management Institute)
• Milorganite® Lawn and Garden Products

Related posts:

• How to Landscape Your Yard with Deer-Resistant Plants

When I worked at a garden center, I was always wading into the compost pile and filling my car with “perfectly good plants” that had been discarded for one reason or another. I must have rescued and planted over 100 plants and shrubs one busy summer, and I learned a very important lesson: most plants are thrown away for a good reason! When the potting soil settled, I ended up with only a handful of surviving, healthy plants, and some good lessons learned.

In the fall, and sometimes in late spring, you can find great end of season discounts on perennials, shrubs, and trees. Some of the plants may simply be neglected or past their bloom time, or perhaps the store is making room for new shipments for the upcoming season. However, just as I learned from the compost pile, you may find that many of the plants are doomed, no matter how carefully you tend to them, and a dead plant is no bargain at all!

Bargain Plant Shopping Tips

When buying plants from a bargain bin, take these factors into account:

• Avoid annuals: They likely won’t recover before their growing season ends.



• Inspect the roots: Gently pull the plant out of the pot and look at the roots. Look for a healthy ball of light colored roots that nearly fill the container. Avoid plants with moldy, rotten, black, or stunted roots.
• Watch for diseased plants: Leaf spots, curled or withered leaves, injured or discolored bark, and fallen or yellowed leaves are all signs of disease. The risk of infecting the rest of the garden far outweighs the slim chance of the plant’s survival.
• Avoid severely misshapen plants: If the main trunk of a tree or shrub is broken, chances are it will never recover or will always be misshapen. Dead branches can be pruned away, but the plant needs to have a basic structure. This is less important with perennials that will be dying to the ground in the fall anyway.
• Look for signs of life: New sprigs of green growth are a good sign. If the plant is dormant or has no leaves, gently scratch the bark with your fingernail. If the plant is alive, you will see green tissue just under the bark. Dead plants will be brown underneath the bark, and the branches will be brittle.

Growing Bargain Bin Plants

If plants are distressed it’s important to plant them properly, with a focus on establishing roots. That generally requires patience, and an ability to resist tending them to death. Planting tips include:

• Don’t expect your plant to bloom this year – in fact, don’t expect any visible signs for a while. If it recovers quickly, you can be pleasantly surprised. In my experience, perennials need at least a year to catch up, and trees and shrubs may take 3-5 years to equal their healthy counterparts.
• Add a source of phosphorus to the planting hole to promote root growth, but resist the urge to fertilize until at least next spring. Let your plant grow when it’s ready.
• Be sure your plant gets plenty of water and possibly some shade protection in the heat of summer.
• If you’re planting in the spring, prune your plants by a third to a half, to reduce stress on the roots.
• If you’re planting shrubs or trees in the fall, prune away any dead wood when you’re planting, then early next spring you can do a heavier pruning to reshape the plant.

Related posts:

• Can I Plant Trees and Shrubs in Late Fall or Winter?
• When to Water Plants Before a Freeze
• Vegetable Garden: Growing Cool-Season Vegetables

Peonies (or Paeonies) add a splash of luxury to the perennial garden, literally drooping with late spring blossoms amid lush, dark-green foliage. The blossoms are among the showiest of all perennials, fragrant and excellent in bouquets. Once established, these plants put on a show for decades, making them popular in heirloom collections.

Here’s what you need to know to plant and enjoy peonies in your garden.

‘Daisy Coronet’

About Peonies

Most species of peonies (Paeonia sp.) fall into two types:

• Garden peonies are herbaceous perennials, which means that they die back in the fall, overwinter underground, and sprout anew in the spring. They grow in large, rounded clumps – often 2-3 feet in diameter – that are well suited for borders, backdrops, or as specimen plants.
• Tree peonies are deciduous shrubs that lose their leaves in the fall but keep the stems aboveground. They are frequently grafted onto sturdy root stock. Tree peonies can grow up to 8 feet tall and are usually used as specimen plants.

Peonies are classified according to the flower type (single or double), color (any except blue), and bloom time (early, mid, or late spring), which means that there’s a variety to suit every garden! From soft single blossoms that drape like silk, to ruffled double blossoms resembling massive pompoms, peonies are sure to add a stunning element to any landscape.

‘Firebelle’

Growing Conditions

• Hardiness: Peonies grow in Zones 3-8, with some varieties stretching to zones 2 and 9. Tree peonies are generally less hardy, to zone 4.
• Light: Full sun, with some light shade tolerated during very hot summers.
• Soil: Rich, well-draining soil that is neutral to slightly acidic. Peonies easily rot if waterlogged, so drainage is critical.
• Water: Peonies may need irrigation during dry seasons. Water deeply, allowing soil to dry out between waterings.
• Space: Peonies are large plants that don’t compete well with trees and shrubs. For best results, give them plenty of space in an open ornamental planting bed.
• Time: Peonies often take several years to become established.

‘Red Emperor’

How to Plant Peonies

The best time to plant peonies is in the fall, so that they can develop tiny feeder roots before going dormant for the winter. Spring growth concentrates so heavily on leaves and blooms that spring-planted peonies will struggle to get roots established. Incorporate some well-rotted compost into the planting hole along with additional amendments for drainage if needed.

Planting Garden Peonies:

Garden peonies should be planted fairly shallow. Look at the roots and locate the growth buds, where the stems sprout from the roots. The highest growth bud should be no more than 2” deep, or your peony may not bloom.

Planting Tree Peonies

Tree peonies are typically grafted onto the rootstock of garden peonies, so the planting technique is different. Tree peonies should be planted with the graft bud (the lump where the rootstock attaches to the stem) about 5”- 6” deep. This allows the grafted portion to form roots of its own. This is a unique practice for tree peonies, as most other grafted plants require the graft bud to be aboveground.

‘Coral Supreme’

Caring for Peonies

Peonies are low-maintenance plants that prefer to be left alone. Here are some tips for caring for your newly planted peonies:

• Peonies benefit from mulch, especially to moderate temperatures during their first winter. Never pile mulch around the crown of the plant – it will cause the plant to rot.
• Garden peonies can live for 10 years or more without disturbance, but if they begin blooming poorly you can divide and propagate them just as you would any clumping perennial.
• Garden peonies should be cut back to the ground in the fall, because the dead foliage can breed fungus and disease. Tree peonies should not be cut back, beyond a light pruning for shape.



• Peonies planted in good soil typically do not need a lot of extra fertilizer. But, if desired, you can feed them with a balanced organic fertilizer in the fall.
• Garden peonies can be heavy and droopy when blooming. Install hoops, or gently stake the stems, to hold them up.
• Ants are attracted to the unopened flower buds, but they don’t harm the plant and will leave once the blooms open.
• The most common diseases for peonies are fungal. To prevent, minimize overhead watering and make sure there is adequate air circulation. Treat with a fungicide if necessary.
• Peonies make splendid cut flowers, but wait until they are at least three years old before cutting, and never cut more than half the blooms on each plant.

Further Information

• American Peony Society
• Popular Peonies! (North Dakota State University)

Related posts:

• How to Grow Geraniums Over the Winter
• How to Grow Daylilies
• How to Grow Hibiscus

Here’s what you need to know about the proper depths for planting spring bulbs.

In order to have healthy plants and successful blooms, bulbs must be planted at the proper depth and spacing. It always pays to spend a few extra minutes to get things planted correctly, but with bulbs it’s even more important – too deep, or too shallow, and your bulbs may fail to bloom or not even sprout at all. And if you crowd them, or plant them too sparsely, you’ll likely be disappointed with the overall effect.

Here are a few general guidelines to help you decide how to plant your bulbs:

• Bulb Size: Most spring bulbs should be planted at a depth about three times the diameter of the bulb.
• Measure correctly: Depth refers to the bottom of the planting hole, where the base of the bulb will rest.
• Layering: Since different types of bulbs are planted at different depths, you can layer them in a planting bed for a naturalized, drifting look. Just make sure you don’t plant bulbs right on top of each other – give each one some room.
• Follow Instructions: If your purchased bulbs have planting instructions, by all means follow them. Some hybrids and special cultivars may vary from the typical recommended planting depths, so you’re better off following the grower’s advice rather than the list below.

Here are the recommended planting depths and spacing for a variety of popular spring bulbs:

Related posts:

• Spring Planting Time

In Growing a Lady Banks Rose, I told how I planted a Lady Banks on my porch column last summer. It’s been a full year old now, and I thought I’d provide an update, in case any of you are considering doing the same.

My Lady Banks rose is planted in mostly full sun, with a southern exposure tempered by some tall trees. It’s smack-dab under the gutter downspout, so I only water it in extreme drought. I haven’t really done anything to it—it’s had no pests or diseases, no fertilizer, and the spring blooms were heavenly, simply heavenly.

It’s perfect – EXCEPT, good grief, is this thing a fast grower! It’s growing faster than I can keep up with it! By midsummer, it was growing up the gable, reaching for the peak of the porch roof. Every morning, new tentacles reach out and grab me as I walk past – it’s like living with a hungry octopus on the porch.

I’m always going out there to remove entangled wind chimes or houseguests. I prune it at least once a week, and sometimes twice, and it just seems to speed up! I don’t regret planting it near the house, but it certainly could possibly be better put to use to quickly conceal an ugly barn, or as a substitute for the proverbial beanstalk.

All in all, I think this is one of the most perfect plants ever. The foliage is really pretty by itself, and the blooms will simply make your heart melt with joy. It’s tough, disease-resistant, evergreen, thornless, and carefree – except for the occasional wrestling match (I mean, pruning).

Plant a Lady Banks where she can go wild, then just sit back and watch her grow!

Related posts:

• Growing a Lady Banks Rose
• ‘New Dawn’ Rose Not Blooming