grow it in maine

Spring 2017

Tue, 09/27/2016 - 2:30pm

What? It’s barely autumn. Let’s begin with today.

Right now, with flowers and plants still growing, start by planting bulbs for a cheerful spring.

Among fall plants, one can right now dig in some of the remnants of summer.

Add some autumn anemones [an-EMM-o-Nees], Asters are tough but look delicate. A few chrysanthemums would lighten the landscape.

There’s more to come. If you can find them — often in neighborhood plant sales — long-legged Korean chrysanthemums add a surprising touch of color to the garden. Look for the last of the Heleniums (Helen’s flower) and — if you’re lucky — the occasional explosion of a giant cosmos tree, bursting its bounds. Gawky golden glows – old-fashioned autumn flowers found in rural gardens and either tied up as if strangled by the neck or flopped over stone walls, may add to many a roadside scene.

Generous clumps of Montauk daisies now appear. They’ve been growing through the season and now it’s their turn. These daisy like flowers can go into any indoor arrangement.

Our peninsula is almost at the coolest range for New England. Where’s Montauk? It’s at the eastern part of New York’s Long Island, well to our south.

Now’s the time to plant bulbs for a spring display. Look in plant stores, in community bulb sales or organize a neighborhood plant swap. Choose by color, plant height or whim (it’s your garden, isn’t it?)

Spring bulbs need to be planted now because most of them use the winter time to develop new roots. Those roots should

help hold spring’s newly grown stems upright as they strengthen the new flowers.

Low-to-the-ground winter aconite is one of the earliest blooms to surprise the gardener. Its fluffy-looking, bright yellow flowers are a late-winter promise of pretty things to come. Blue Glory-of-the-Snow blooms a little later. I have planted small crowds at the base of leaf-losing trees; Sunlight is strong then; as summer leaves develop, the flowers fade.

Other little blue blossoms appear: scillas, pushkinias, purple-blue crocus. I haven’t begun to finish such a colorful spring parade; but here’s a start to tickle any gardener’s curiosity.

The year must begin somewhere; why not with some spring bulb planting?