There are two impossible-to-fail things home gardeners can do
right now in their gardens to guarantee a riot of color come
spring. Planting spring-flowering bulbs and wildflowers are easy,
not so expensive, and your garden will be the envy of your
neighborhood.
Contrary to popular belief, it is not too late to sow wildflower
seeds or plant bulbs. In fact, with our warm fall and often-mild
winter climate, sometimes home gardeners plant too early. Who wants
to see wildflowers and bulbs pop up in February, only to get
knocked down by our winter rains? Isn’t it more pleasurable to have
this riot of color in March and April when spring starts to spring
out?
There are two impossible-to-fail things home gardeners can do right now in their gardens to guarantee a riot of color come spring. Planting spring-flowering bulbs and wildflowers are easy, not so expensive, and your garden will be the envy of your neighborhood.
Contrary to popular belief, it is not too late to sow wildflower seeds or plant bulbs. In fact, with our warm fall and often-mild winter climate, sometimes home gardeners plant too early. Who wants to see wildflowers and bulbs pop up in February, only to get knocked down by our winter rains? Isn’t it more pleasurable to have this riot of color in March and April when spring starts to spring out?
As mentioned, sowing wildflower seed and planting bulbs are extremely easy. Our wildflowers, chief among them our state flower the California golden poppy, will bloom from spring to well into summer. You’ll get the added benefit of the dry seed pods later bursting, spreading seed where they’ll pop up again next year. Spring-flowering bulbs sometimes are a one shot-deal because of our mild winters.
Yet, planting bulbs doesn’t have to be expensive. For instance, don’t try to cover your entire garden by planting bulbs. Instead, plant them in clumps here and there throughout your garden. Choose your spots wisely, such as near the front door, right outside your sliding glass patio door, or where you can view them from the kitchen window.
Bulbs range from the large ones like tulips and daffodils to smaller varieties like crocus, anemones and ranunculus. There are fragrant bulbs like hyacinths and even ones you can force to bloom in containers indoors, such as narcissus.
To plant bulbs, all you need to do is dig a planting hole about twice the depth of the bulb. Drop them in and cover them up. That’s all because the energy of the bulb is packed inside, ready to burst forth come spring. Bulbs also are easily planted in large containers so you can place the color right where you can see it the most.
Wildflower seed, meanwhile, can be planted in weed-free areas of the garden. You don’t want your wildflowers to have to compete with weeds for growing space and water. After you clear a planting area, simply hand scatter your wildflower seeds. All I do after I throw them about is softly rake the area and then water. Raking will cover the seed very slightly with soil and the water will melt the furrows down, covering them lightly.
Both wildflowers and bulbs need no further attention. Forget about them, and let Mother Nature do the rest. Come March or April – like magic – you’ll have a riot of garden color.
Keith Muraoka lives and works in Gilroy. E-mail him at [email protected].
