Monthly Archives: September 2018

Forcing Crocus Bulbs—Big Performance with Little Effort

September 28, 2018Bulb Forcing, CrocusShantelle Brignolo

By Ann Travers
White Flower Farm Editor

Few plants deliver such enjoyment in the middle of winter with so little effort from you. Their perfect, diminutive blooms create a composition that’s pure magic.

4 Easy Steps

1. Start with good stock. Purchase top-quality bulbs from a reliable source. We offer an array of Crocus varieties and several mixes designed to provide loads of bright blooms.

2. Planting your bulbs. Use any pot you like to hold Crocus bulbs you plan to force, as long as it allows room for root growth—about 3-4” of space below the bulbs. Pots equipped with drainage holes are favored because they reduce the chances of overwatering bulbs. If you choose a pot without a drainage hole in the bottom, you’ll have to water your bulbs more carefully because bulbs that sit in soggy potting mix will rot.

To pot the bulbs, begin by placing soilless potting mix (available at garden centers) in a plastic tub or bucket. Slowly add water and stir until the mix is evenly moist but not soggy. Add the moistened mix to the container until the pot is about ¾ full. Set the bulbs root-side down on top of the mix. Space them much more closely than you would in the garden—they should almost touch. Then add more mix. Cover the bulbs completely with a ½” layer of mix. Water thoroughly after potting.

3. Chilling the bulbs. To force Crocus bulbs into bloom, you must first encourage them to produce new roots by keeping them cool and moist in a location with temperatures above freezing and rarely rising above 40° for a period of 12-15 weeks. This process simulates the natural conditions that cause Crocuses to bloom, shortening the chilling period (“winter”) by a few weeks. When the pots are brought out of cold storage, the bulbs think spring has arrived and quickly sprout and flower. It’s that easy—the bulbs do most of the work.

The easiest way to chill bulbs is to put them outdoors and let nature do the rest. To insulate the bulbs from rapid changes in air temperature and from freezing cold, bury the pots in a pile of dry leaves held in place by a plastic tarp or in a pile of mulch, such as bark or wood chip, and cover the pile to prevent the formation of a frozen crust. You also can chill bulbs in a cold frame if you’re lucky enough to have one; a cold basement; an old refrigerator; or an unheated garage (provided the temperature doesn’t fall below freezing). Please note: If storing in a refrigerator, make sure there is no fresh fruit inside. The ethylene gas released by fruit can interfere with flower development.

Please note that moisture is as important as temperature in the successful chilling of bulbs. Check the potting mix in the pots every few weeks and water thoroughly when the surface is dry to the touch.

Toward the end of the recommended rooting time, begin checking the pots for signs that the bulbs have rooted. If you see fleshy white roots poking through the drainage holes in the bottom of the pots, the bulbs are usually ready to bloom. If you don’t see roots, give the bulbs more time in cold storage. Don’t judge readiness by the appearance of shoots from the tops of the bulbs; without roots, the bulbs won’t flower properly.

4. Bringing the Bulbs into Bloom
At the end of the chilling period, bring the pots out of cold storage and set them in a bright window in a cool room (one where the temperature stays below 65°F). You’re likely to find that the bulbs have produced white shoots during cold storage. Sunlight quickly turns them green. Water your bulbs when the soil is dry to the touch.

Most Crocus bulbs will bloom 2-5 weeks after they come out of the cold, heralding spring with their bright colors. When the blooms fade, we usually recommend that you toss the bulbs on the compost pile. If you keep them in a sunny window and continue to water them, forced bulbs can be planted in the garden after the threat of hard frost has passed, but they won’t bloom well again for at least 2 years.

Plants to Feed the Birds

September 20, 2018BirdsShantelle Brignolo

Have you ever seen a goldfinch balance on the tip of a Liatris flower spike as it sways in the breeze? Or watched chickadees plucking seeds from the cones of your Echinacea blossoms? Birds enliven any garden with their colors, songs, and antics. They are also an essential part of the food chain. Planting an array of shrubs and vines, and perennials will ensure a steady supply of food and keep your feathered friends sheltered over the longest possible season. Highlighted here are some beautiful plants that will help to entice birds to your garden.

Echinacea purpurea Prairie Pillars™ ‘Fragrant Angel’

Lovely Coneflower ‘Fragrant Angel’ has large white blossoms with honey-colored centers that attract birds and other pollinators. For human admirers, it also offers a sweet perfume.

Regarded as one of the best ornamental shrubs for its late-season display of vividly colored berries, Beauty Berry ‘Early Amethyst’ shares many attributes of the species—a pleasant, rounded form, long, elliptical leaves, small pink flowers, and bright lavender berries. But this variety sets fruit in early September, well before other varieties.

Ornamental Grass: Schizachyrium scoparium ‘Standing Ovation’

We love this tough Ornamental Grass for its well-mannered, upright habit and thick blue-green blades. Use it as a vertical exclamation point in borders, or mass it to create a screen. You’ll love watching ground birds who seek cover in its leaves, and songbirds who come to feed on its seed.

Extra-large white flowers and compact size are outstanding features of this improved variety. The individual florets on Clethra Vanilla Spice® are about twice the usual size, blooming in 10–12″ bottlebrush-like panicles, which appear in summer. Their sweet fragrance attracts hummingbirds and butterflies. An excellent choice for the woodland garden or a mixed border.

Bring on the hummingbirds! Honeysuckle ‘Major Wheeler’ produces a blanket of tubular, reddish orange flowers (coral shades on the West Coast) from late spring through summer. Later, the red berries attract goldfinches and robins. It’s a selection of our native species, Lonicera sempervirens, and plants are both carefree and noninvasive.

New lines of breeding have given our beloved Weigelas fresh garden glamour, offering repeat flowering without deadheading. Weigela Sonic Bloom® Pink covers itself with blossoms in late spring and follows up with repeated displays until frost. The dozen or so species of the genus Weigela are easy-to-grow, deciduous woodland shrubs from east Asia. Their showy flowers attract hummingbirds and butterflies, and many Weigelas are worth growing in shrub borders or lightly shaded gardens for their foliage effects.

Red Chokeberry ‘Brilliantissima’ starts the season as an attractive but understated shrub with glossy leaves and small, fragrant white flowers. In fall, its foliage turns a spectacular scarlet red. It bears bright red berries that begin to take on color in September and persist well into winter, providing much-needed nourishment for birds at a time of year when food is scarce.

Down on the Farm

September 10, 2018Down on the Farm Newsletter, Lawn Replacement, Natives, plants for pollinatorsShantelle Brignolo

Dear Friends,

We have just come through a summer that was largely defined by irregular and extreme climate conditions. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reports that, “Scorching temperatures broke heat records around the world last month [July], which ranked as the fourth warmest July on record. Excessive warmth during the first seven months of 2018 made it the fourth warmest year to date for the planet.” Here in New England, we endured record-setting heat, high humidity, and chronic downpours. Those of us who grew up in the Northeast remember hazy, hot and humid stretches that would last a few days and be followed by a thunderstorm that cleared the air. This year, thunderstorms came and went without refreshing the atmosphere, creating sauna-like conditions referred to by some meteorologists as a “heat dome.” Out West, the story was extreme heat, drought, and fire. According to NOAA, “Death Valley had the hottest month on record observed anywhere.” Other parts of the country and the world also baked.

Our suggestion? Approach your garden with a greater sense of purpose. If you’re unsettled by changes in our weather patterns, plant a tree and urge others to do the same. Leafy specimens are the best air-conditioners and air purifiers we know. The National Audubon Society recently noted that “one tree can remove 26 pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere annually, the equivalent of 11,000 miles of car emissions.”

Planting Natives & Lawn Replacements

Monarch butterflies (we count 5 in this photo) feeding on the nectar of Liatris scariosa.

Another way to combat uncomfortable heat levels and changes in climactic conditions is to help creatures great and small that are also being affected by it. Add native plants to your garden and yard to provide habitat and nourishment for birds, pollinators, and other wildlife. In lieu of maintaining a manicured green lawn that often requires chemicals to keep it looking its best, eliminate or reduce the size of your lawn and create a native garden for pollinators. The beauty of these gardens is enhanced by its visitors, which include butterflies of many varieties, and birds. Come spring, we’ll be offering some exciting collections that will help you successfully convert some of your lawn area into a beautiful habitat garden. So begin thinking about where you’d like to site such a garden, and stay tuned for details.

This Bumblebee is enjoying the nectar of Pycnanthemum tenuifolium (slender Mountain Mint).

Record heat around the globe has impacted the lifecycle of the bulbs we offer for fall planting. Higher temps have led to later harvest times in regions including Holland, England, British Columbia, and Japan. That means bulbs produced in these countries will arrive in the U.S. a bit later than usual. Rest assured these top-grade bulbs will be treated with the same consideration that’s required to keep them healthy and strong. They’ll be shipped overseas in temperature-controlled containers then stored here in our warehouse under ideal conditions before being shipped to you for fall planting. We don’t foresee any delays in getting bulbs to you. Order now, and incorporate some of these beautiful flowers in your spring garden.

Going Solar

The solar project is installed at the farm.

At the farm this summer, the big news was the successful installation of our solar array, which means the farm’s offices and greenhouses are now powered by the sun. We’re pleased to have taken this important step in reducing our carbon footprint.

A New Rose Garden

The beginnings of our new Rose Garden, which will feature a variety of Roses and some of their favorite plant companions.

The other big development at the farm this summer was the installation of a new Rose Garden on the site formerly occupied by our Shrub Border. The Rose Garden was designed with the assistance of noted landscape architect and designer Julie Moir Messervy and her talented team at JMMDS (Julie Moir Messervy Design Studio). Site prep began in July, and as of this writing, the garden is in its earliest stages. The bones have been laid out, with pathways delineated, plant groupings sketched in and in some cases planted. Even in skeletal stage, the garden is shaping up to be a most inviting and pleasing space. Several entrances and a winding path welcome visitors to stroll. The short walk will offer a chance to view a wide variety of Roses along with some superb companion plants. Planting of the garden will continue into autumn, and come spring, we’re all looking forward to its first season. We hope you’ll visit soon to have a look at the outline, then plan to return again in spring and summer to see how it progresses. There is no better way to see how new gardens are created and to borrow ideas for inspiration.

Moving the Garden Indoors

Among the season’s new houseplants is the Ruffled Fan Palm, far left, in our Blue Dots Motif cachepot. Did we mention it’s selling like hotcakes?

As the days grow darker at an earlier hour, and the temperatures (finally) begin to cool, those of us who love plants, greenery and flowers are looking for ways to bring the garden indoors for the winter. In our holiday catalog, which soon will be speeding its way to your door, you’ll find some stunning new houseplants along with new cachepots, baskets and plant stands that show them off to best advantage. (If you care for a sneak peak, many of these items are already on our website.) Our hard goods manager has been hard at work, and she’s rounded up some exciting new finds for indoor decorating – from botanically inspired dried wreaths in a wide array of styles and color themes to scented candles and sachets that carry the natural perfumes of Lavender and other garden favorites, to tiny plants that are ideally sized for table setting, and which make beguiling party favors for autumn and holiday feasts.

Planting in Fall for Next Season’s Display

We trust you and yours are looking forward to autumn and its many pleasant rituals. We’ll be spending as much time as we can in the garden, clearing out beds, adding new perennials and shrubs, planting bulbs, and creating the displays we wish to see next year. As you choose what to plant in your garden this fall, keep in mind that next season’s flower and foliage show is one you’ll likely share with family, friends and, depending how visible your house is to your neighbors, members of your community. Beautiful gardens do much to lift the spirits, bring beauty (and value) to your house and the neighborhood, and, as mentioned above, support pollinators and wildlife. Plant some lovely additions in your yard. It’s a terrific way to make the world a better place, one green oasis at a time.

Decorate for Fall with Our New Container Collections

September 7, 2018Container Gardening, Garden DesignShantelle Brignolo

With the first few nights of cool, crisp air arriving at last, it’s clear that autumn is on the way. As we begin preparing our gardens for winter, doing yard work and cleanup, it’s also a great time to refresh patio and front porch planters. The fall season comes alive when using colorful combinations to provide an extended display of vibrant blooms and richly textured foliage that will last right up until frost. Spruce up your outdoor spaces for fall festivities and harvest-time holidays including Halloween and Thanksgiving. Pictured below are our new fall container plantings. You may order any of them through our website, or use them as inspiration to create your own fall container plantings.

Indian Summer Shrub and Perennial Collection

Spikes of Ornamental Grass ‘Standing Ovation’ introduce a red tone that’s repeated in the foliage of Heucheras ‘Forever Purple’ and ‘Peach Flambe.’ Adding a sprinkle of gold are the yellow-and-green leaves of Euonymus ‘Aureomarginatus’ and the feathery evergreen foliage of False Cypress ‘Sungold.’

Purple Fountain Grass sends up a burst of burgundy foliage followed by a spray of flower spikes in late summer and autumn. It creates a breezy canopy over the single daisies of an Aster and the bronzy purple foliage of an Ajuga.

Autumn Brocade Shrub and Perennial Collection

Anchored by evergreen Arborvitae ‘American Pillar,’ our handsome autumn collection features rich, beautifully textured shades of burgundy Heuchera, blue Juniper, variegated gold-and-green Boxwood, and rosy red Calluna.

The blue-green flower spikes of an Ornamental Grass stand tall just in time for an autumn show. Supporting the display are the silvery felted leaves of a Stachys, the frosted maroon leaves of a Heuchera, and the white flower spikes of a Calluna.

Autumn Glow Shrub and Perennial Collection

Set the stage for fall with our easy-care combination of 3 harmonious companions. Sure to draw the eye is False Cypress ‘Boulevard,’ with striking blue foliage that serves as a colorful backdrop for the richly hued leaves of Heuchera ‘Peach Flambe.’ Cascading from the pot is Ornamental Grass EverColor® ‘Eversheen,’ each green blade highlighted by a central yellow stripe.