WEBVTT 1 00:00:02.600 --> 00:00:05.480 Coming to you from Iconic Studio A Here at proven 2 00:00:05.480 --> 00:00:09.919 winners color Choice shrubs. It's time for the Gardening Simplified podcast, 3 00:00:10.439 --> 00:00:15.199 radio and YouTube show with Stacy Hervella, me, Rick Weist, 4 00:00:15.199 --> 00:00:19.160 and our engineer and producer Adrianna Robinson. Well, if I 5 00:00:19.160 --> 00:00:22.719 had a dime for every time somebody asked me about 6 00:00:23.000 --> 00:00:25.280 flower bulbs and the fact that they bought them in 7 00:00:25.359 --> 00:00:28.280 fall left them in the trunk of their car or 8 00:00:28.320 --> 00:00:31.079 in their garage, Now what do I do? Or if 9 00:00:31.120 --> 00:00:34.960 I had a dime for every time somebody said to me, oh, 10 00:00:35.000 --> 00:00:37.759 it's early spring and my bulbs are coming up. Are 11 00:00:37.799 --> 00:00:40.200 they going to freeze? Cause we're going to get cold weather. 12 00:00:40.679 --> 00:00:44.799 If I had a dime, I'd be a pretty rich guy. Now, 13 00:00:44.799 --> 00:00:48.880 when people say bulbs, they're often referring to true bulbs 14 00:00:49.039 --> 00:00:54.280 as well as corms, rhizomes, tubers. Bulbs are kind of 15 00:00:54.320 --> 00:00:59.200 a tagline in marketing. You know, you're not getting a tissue, 16 00:00:59.240 --> 00:01:03.079 You're getting a kleenex, You're you know, nothing runs like 17 00:01:03.159 --> 00:01:06.799 a deer. We know we're talking about tractors. It's a tagline. 18 00:01:06.840 --> 00:01:10.640 They're bulbs, and the four big keys to success with 19 00:01:10.799 --> 00:01:16.280 bulbs are well drained soil planting, depth and timing in 20 00:01:16.400 --> 00:01:19.959 my opinion. Oh and one other thing that is a 21 00:01:20.280 --> 00:01:25.040 total pet peeve for me with bulbs. If you're purchasing 22 00:01:25.079 --> 00:01:29.799 them and you're planting them bulbs, rhizomes, corms, tubers, whatever 23 00:01:29.840 --> 00:01:32.680 they may be. And let me mention that here in 24 00:01:32.719 --> 00:01:36.920 the North, things like tubers and rhizomes or corms, we're 25 00:01:37.040 --> 00:01:40.680 lifting them in the fall and we're putting them into storage. 26 00:01:40.799 --> 00:01:45.040 Cannas and dahlias are a perfect example, or one of 27 00:01:45.079 --> 00:01:50.040 my favorites, tuberous begonias. They're not really bulbs, they're tubers 28 00:01:50.079 --> 00:01:55.359 or rhizomes, but we'll just loosely define them as bulbs. 29 00:01:56.000 --> 00:01:57.040 Back to the pet peas. 30 00:01:57.120 --> 00:01:58.719 Yeah, I was gonna say, let's not get off of that. 31 00:01:58.760 --> 00:02:00.840 I don't want to miss out what this is. I'm 32 00:02:00.879 --> 00:02:01.680 dying over here. 33 00:02:01.920 --> 00:02:05.920 The pet peeve is again. Having run a garden center 34 00:02:06.000 --> 00:02:11.879 for years, the size of the bulb matters, and for 35 00:02:12.080 --> 00:02:16.280 years I would sell only bulk bulbs because people love 36 00:02:16.400 --> 00:02:19.360 to kind of rummage through the box and dig for 37 00:02:19.439 --> 00:02:22.520 the bulbs. And for example, take a tulip bulb as 38 00:02:22.560 --> 00:02:25.319 an example. I believe the tulip bulb should be twelve 39 00:02:25.360 --> 00:02:28.919 centimeters in size or bigger in order to have a 40 00:02:29.080 --> 00:02:35.039 good bloom for next spring. My pet peeve is when 41 00:02:35.039 --> 00:02:39.919 they get put into fancy packages with colorful header cards, 42 00:02:40.000 --> 00:02:43.159 and all kinds of effort is put into the header card. 43 00:02:43.479 --> 00:02:46.919 But the size of that bulb, in my opinion, at 44 00:02:47.000 --> 00:02:49.960 least from what I see out there, in some cases, 45 00:02:51.439 --> 00:02:53.599 is going to lead to disappointment nextpert. 46 00:02:53.719 --> 00:02:56.520 Well, you know, so often in gardening, and definitely no 47 00:02:56.599 --> 00:02:58.560 exception for bulbs, you get what you pay for, yes, 48 00:02:58.680 --> 00:03:00.599 And you may sit there thinking, oh, I'm getting such 49 00:03:00.639 --> 00:03:02.479 a bargain. I saw them over at this place and 50 00:03:02.520 --> 00:03:05.560 they were this much, and here it's the same amount, 51 00:03:05.680 --> 00:03:07.759 and you know they only cost this much, so I'm 52 00:03:07.800 --> 00:03:10.000 getting the bargain. Well, there is something that is being 53 00:03:10.039 --> 00:03:11.879 made up there, and it is the size of the bulb, 54 00:03:11.919 --> 00:03:14.960 because those bulbs are being raised in the Netherlands, and 55 00:03:16.039 --> 00:03:19.080 most flower bulbs in the US are actually still imported 56 00:03:19.120 --> 00:03:21.879 from the Netherlands. It is the capital of bulb production 57 00:03:22.080 --> 00:03:25.479 in the world. You know, not everything is a top 58 00:03:25.599 --> 00:03:28.560 grade bulb. There's some smaller bulbs, and they're not just 59 00:03:28.599 --> 00:03:30.680 gonna throw those away. They're just going to go out 60 00:03:30.719 --> 00:03:32.680 and sell them at a lower price to you know, 61 00:03:32.759 --> 00:03:36.560 second tier retailers, and it's perfectly fine, but you just 62 00:03:36.560 --> 00:03:38.360 need to know what to expect. You're not going to 63 00:03:38.400 --> 00:03:40.800 get the same results is if you're buying that top 64 00:03:40.840 --> 00:03:41.319 grade bulb. 65 00:03:41.599 --> 00:03:44.199 Absolutely. As a matter of fact, if you take a 66 00:03:44.240 --> 00:03:47.319 bulb like a tulip bulb and you were to slice 67 00:03:47.360 --> 00:03:51.000 it with a sharp knife length wise, you would see 68 00:03:51.000 --> 00:03:54.439 that I'm going to call it embryo within the bulb, 69 00:03:54.840 --> 00:03:57.439 and that's sitting there, and that is the promise of 70 00:03:57.520 --> 00:04:01.479 spring sitting right there in your hands, and that's going 71 00:04:01.520 --> 00:04:06.479 to emerge when the conditions are right now. At the 72 00:04:06.560 --> 00:04:10.199 risk of being pedantic, I'm using your word here, Stacy, 73 00:04:10.280 --> 00:04:14.400 at the risk of being pedantic, cooling the bulbs is 74 00:04:14.400 --> 00:04:19.519 a confusing thing for people, but really, simply put, cooling 75 00:04:19.759 --> 00:04:24.079 keeps the embryo from emerging at the wrong time, but 76 00:04:24.199 --> 00:04:30.560 it also provides the opportunity for root formation for the bulb. 77 00:04:31.279 --> 00:04:35.000 They'rein my case that the depth that you plant at, 78 00:04:35.120 --> 00:04:37.680 as well as the fact that the soil needs to 79 00:04:37.720 --> 00:04:42.160 be well drained, is very very important because while that 80 00:04:42.240 --> 00:04:46.040 bulb is resting throughout the winter, and we're talking here 81 00:04:46.079 --> 00:04:50.480 about bulbs like daffodils or tulips, or hyacinths, crocus aliums, 82 00:04:50.519 --> 00:04:55.759 any of those fall planted non tropical bulbs. They need 83 00:04:55.800 --> 00:04:59.560 an opportunity to root. That's why when we force bulbs 84 00:05:00.319 --> 00:05:03.000 and we say you need a cooling period, we're not 85 00:05:03.120 --> 00:05:07.639 talking about frozen soil. We don't want ice frozen soil. 86 00:05:07.680 --> 00:05:12.639 We're talking about chilled soil. That is number one, going 87 00:05:12.720 --> 00:05:16.480 to allow the bulb to prepare so that when the 88 00:05:16.519 --> 00:05:19.600 temperatures are right and when the conditions are right, that 89 00:05:19.759 --> 00:05:25.519 embryo is going to emerge in spring as a beautiful flower. 90 00:05:25.920 --> 00:05:30.199 You know, the key to understanding this really is to 91 00:05:30.439 --> 00:05:32.839 look at the bulb you're interested in, look at where 92 00:05:32.839 --> 00:05:35.959 it is native to, and look at the climate and 93 00:05:36.079 --> 00:05:39.439 the terrain there, and that will give you so much 94 00:05:39.480 --> 00:05:41.680 of a better idea of what you need to try 95 00:05:41.800 --> 00:05:46.399 to replicate. And shoelips, daffodils, they're native to Central Asia, 96 00:05:46.560 --> 00:05:49.560 the Near and Far East, and you know they just bake. 97 00:05:50.000 --> 00:05:53.920 They just bake in rocky, sandy soils all summer. They 98 00:05:53.959 --> 00:05:59.879 are not equipped to deal with wet, regularly watered perennial beds. 99 00:06:00.040 --> 00:06:01.879 Eggs where so many people want to plant, it's not 100 00:06:01.879 --> 00:06:03.680 that you can't plant from there. You can, It's just 101 00:06:03.720 --> 00:06:05.439 you have to know you're only going to have probably 102 00:06:05.439 --> 00:06:07.319 a one year display because otherwise the bulb is going 103 00:06:07.360 --> 00:06:10.639 to rot as you keep your flowers going. And it's 104 00:06:10.680 --> 00:06:13.879 such an interesting way to do your research and to 105 00:06:14.040 --> 00:06:16.480 understand how you're growing your plants is to really take 106 00:06:16.519 --> 00:06:19.680 it back to that area and learn what you can 107 00:06:19.759 --> 00:06:21.360 and then again do your best to replicate it. 108 00:06:21.399 --> 00:06:24.439 That's a great point to where they are native, which 109 00:06:24.519 --> 00:06:30.079 brings up the point for all our Southern listeners and viewers, 110 00:06:31.199 --> 00:06:34.120 you're in the game here too. Number one. My son 111 00:06:34.160 --> 00:06:38.720 worked for quite a bit of time in Tennessee, and 112 00:06:38.759 --> 00:06:44.800 I saw tulips do magnificent in Tennessee. But even further 113 00:06:44.920 --> 00:06:49.160 south there are tropical and subtropical bulbs that would grow 114 00:06:49.240 --> 00:06:54.000 well in the South or in Florida. I think of agapanthus. 115 00:06:54.480 --> 00:06:57.879 I grow that here in Michigan, also known as lily 116 00:06:57.920 --> 00:07:02.759 of the Nile. It's native to South Africa. Of course, 117 00:07:02.759 --> 00:07:10.040 you have cannas, kala lilies, elephant ear, Colocacia esculenta. Alocasia's 118 00:07:10.480 --> 00:07:17.240 kalladiums are wonderful, wonderful plants for warm climates. Eucumus, which 119 00:07:17.279 --> 00:07:22.600 is pineapple lily, eucharis amazon lily, and of course, boy, 120 00:07:22.680 --> 00:07:25.600 this one always trips me up. But it's zephyra anthees, 121 00:07:26.439 --> 00:07:29.480 zephyr anthes grand a floor, the rain lily when it 122 00:07:29.600 --> 00:07:31.839 rains in the south, and all of a sudden, these 123 00:07:31.879 --> 00:07:35.439 beautiful amaryllis like blooms up here. It's really cool to see. 124 00:07:35.480 --> 00:07:37.199 Right And you know, if you're sitting there going whoa, 125 00:07:37.199 --> 00:07:39.480 this is like a lot of information and I'm already 126 00:07:39.480 --> 00:07:42.759 confused about bulbs. Don't worry. All you have to do 127 00:07:42.839 --> 00:07:45.199 is shop locally, because if you are going to your 128 00:07:45.199 --> 00:07:47.800 local garden center, all of the bulbs that you are 129 00:07:47.800 --> 00:07:50.160 going to be seeing for sale right now in your 130 00:07:50.160 --> 00:07:51.879 garden center in fault are going to be the ones 131 00:07:51.879 --> 00:07:52.560 that you should plant. 132 00:07:52.600 --> 00:07:52.759 Now. 133 00:07:52.839 --> 00:07:54.680 There you go, so you enjoy in spring, and then 134 00:07:55.199 --> 00:07:57.560 a lot of the bulbs that just listed will make 135 00:07:57.639 --> 00:08:00.720 a resurgence in spring to be planted imediately and then 136 00:08:00.759 --> 00:08:03.480 go on to bloom in summer. So you don't have 137 00:08:03.519 --> 00:08:05.399 to worry about knowing all of this. All of these 138 00:08:05.399 --> 00:08:08.360 are different types of bulbs and corms, and all of 139 00:08:08.399 --> 00:08:10.720 these are the kinds of plants that have a dormant 140 00:08:10.720 --> 00:08:13.920 period where all their energy is stored into that fleshy, 141 00:08:14.680 --> 00:08:19.079 energy packed potato like structure, and they grow and then 142 00:08:19.199 --> 00:08:21.879 they go dormant again, and all of this combines to 143 00:08:22.040 --> 00:08:25.959 make them, in my opinion, some of the most rewarding, 144 00:08:26.680 --> 00:08:30.519 easiest to grow plants. I mean, I've said it already 145 00:08:30.560 --> 00:08:31.759 this year, but I'm going to say it again. You 146 00:08:31.839 --> 00:08:33.159 never regret planting bulbs. 147 00:08:33.399 --> 00:08:36.960 Yes, I'm glad you brought that up, because we talked 148 00:08:36.960 --> 00:08:43.039 about marketing taglines for the Netherlands Bulb Institute or that organization. 149 00:08:43.200 --> 00:08:47.000 For a long time they had the tagline dig Drop Done. 150 00:08:47.080 --> 00:08:49.039 I liked that, so you know, and I like that too. 151 00:08:49.120 --> 00:08:52.080 I think it's great also to your point, Stacy, about 152 00:08:52.120 --> 00:08:55.080 the bulbs that you find in stores wherever you live 153 00:08:55.240 --> 00:08:57.759 at this time of the year. Great example of that 154 00:08:57.879 --> 00:09:02.279 is freezi's now cut flower gardening is very, very popular, 155 00:09:02.360 --> 00:09:07.039 and we love freezias. In the deep South Florida, you're 156 00:09:07.120 --> 00:09:10.759 going to be planting freezias and find them in fall, 157 00:09:10.799 --> 00:09:13.720 whereas here in the north or Midwest, you're going to 158 00:09:13.799 --> 00:09:16.480 find those in garden centers in spring and would be 159 00:09:16.559 --> 00:09:20.159 planting them in spring. So freezias are a good example 160 00:09:20.279 --> 00:09:24.440 of that. Also, here's a little limb a rick for you. 161 00:09:24.639 --> 00:09:28.960 It's bulb planting time. Whoopee, use your tulips and speak 162 00:09:29.000 --> 00:09:31.840 to me. They'll sleep in the ground and then spring 163 00:09:31.879 --> 00:09:37.120 will abound with blooms. I guarantee, and they will, they will. 164 00:09:37.200 --> 00:09:41.320 Although I do have to mention again that in the past, 165 00:09:41.360 --> 00:09:43.840 when I planted bulbs, usually what I would do is 166 00:09:43.879 --> 00:09:47.320 have some old screens around, and after I planted them 167 00:09:47.399 --> 00:09:50.440 backfilled the soil. I'd throw the screens on the soil 168 00:09:50.480 --> 00:09:53.159 to keep squirrels from digging because they see that freshly 169 00:09:53.240 --> 00:09:56.480 dug soil. But you're better off using chicken wire digging 170 00:09:56.519 --> 00:09:59.080 your hole, putting the chicken wire in plant the bulbs, 171 00:09:59.639 --> 00:10:03.840 peel the rather wrap the chicken wire around the bulbs, 172 00:10:04.080 --> 00:10:08.360 then fill with soil. That will work well for you 173 00:10:08.960 --> 00:10:10.159 when you're planting. 174 00:10:10.120 --> 00:10:12.720 If you have that issue. You know, surprisingly, despite having 175 00:10:12.759 --> 00:10:15.240 a number of squirrels in walnut trees around my neighborhood, 176 00:10:15.759 --> 00:10:18.279 I don't typically have a huge issue with squirrels digging 177 00:10:18.320 --> 00:10:21.039 them up. Now when things come up, you know, that's 178 00:10:21.039 --> 00:10:23.480 another issue. I have long since given up growing tulips 179 00:10:23.919 --> 00:10:27.279 living surrounded by deer. But yeah, that's I mean, that's 180 00:10:27.320 --> 00:10:31.000 an easy way to make sure that they don't dig 181 00:10:31.039 --> 00:10:32.480 them up and mess with them, because you know they're 182 00:10:32.480 --> 00:10:35.000 probably like, hey, another squirrel buried a walnut around here, 183 00:10:35.039 --> 00:10:37.720 I better get that walnut. Oh crap, it's just a 184 00:10:37.720 --> 00:10:38.600 bunch of crocuses. 185 00:10:40.320 --> 00:10:41.200 But they'll eat them in it. 186 00:10:41.279 --> 00:10:43.120 But they will potentially eat them anyway. 187 00:10:43.159 --> 00:10:46.279 Yes, a couple of other quick things. First of all, 188 00:10:46.320 --> 00:10:50.879 as far as deer resistance is concerned, remember iris, daffodils, aliums, 189 00:10:50.960 --> 00:10:54.720 fritile area. They're great, they're beautiful, and the deer tend 190 00:10:54.840 --> 00:10:58.919 to leave them alone. Also, I love to naturalize with 191 00:10:59.039 --> 00:11:02.759 bulbs and drifts and grow them through groundcovers. So if 192 00:11:02.840 --> 00:11:05.919 you have a groundcover of sweet woodruffer, let's say this 193 00:11:06.000 --> 00:11:10.120 fall you plant some pansies that will be blooming next spring. 194 00:11:10.480 --> 00:11:13.679 Plant those bulbs right in with those groundcovers, and then 195 00:11:13.720 --> 00:11:17.120 when they grow through them in spring, they'll be really pretty. 196 00:11:17.200 --> 00:11:18.519 They'll be gorgeous, you bet you. 197 00:11:19.039 --> 00:11:21.600 Let's find out what Stacy has on her mind for 198 00:11:21.720 --> 00:11:25.120 plants on trial that's coming up next here on the 199 00:11:25.159 --> 00:11:27.000 Gardening Simplified Show. 200 00:11:31.799 --> 00:11:34.960 Prooven Winners Colored Choice Shrubs cares about your success in 201 00:11:34.960 --> 00:11:37.440 the garden. That's why we trial and test all of 202 00:11:37.440 --> 00:11:40.080 our shrubs for eight to ten years, making sure they 203 00:11:40.080 --> 00:11:42.799 outperform everything else on the market. Look for them and 204 00:11:42.840 --> 00:11:47.960 the distinctive white container at your local garden center. Greeting's 205 00:11:48.000 --> 00:11:51.600 gardening friends, and welcome back to the Gardening Simplified Show, 206 00:11:51.799 --> 00:11:54.360 where I am going to give you a little bit 207 00:11:54.399 --> 00:11:57.039 more on bulbs. But first I do want to say 208 00:11:57.480 --> 00:12:00.559 Halloween is about a month away and we would love 209 00:12:00.679 --> 00:12:04.600 to feature your garden horror stories on our Halloween show. 210 00:12:05.240 --> 00:12:08.480 It's going to be airing right after Halloween. If you 211 00:12:08.559 --> 00:12:11.159 have a garden horror story, it doesn't have to be 212 00:12:11.200 --> 00:12:13.679 truly scary. It could be something that was merely alarming 213 00:12:13.720 --> 00:12:16.840 to you personally or just funny out of the ordinary. 214 00:12:17.720 --> 00:12:19.600 We all have them sometimes we need a little time 215 00:12:19.600 --> 00:12:21.600 to think of and we would love to hear that 216 00:12:21.639 --> 00:12:23.720 from you and be able to read that on the 217 00:12:23.759 --> 00:12:26.000 air and share it with our other listeners. If you 218 00:12:26.000 --> 00:12:28.320 have a garden horror story, you can reach us at 219 00:12:28.360 --> 00:12:31.559 Gardeningsimplified on air dot com. There's a contact form right there. 220 00:12:31.600 --> 00:12:33.600 You can just type it all in and we will 221 00:12:33.600 --> 00:12:35.720 add it to our list and share it with our listeners. 222 00:12:36.200 --> 00:12:40.399 It could be anything from you know, animal related, pest related. 223 00:12:40.440 --> 00:12:43.000 I had said that I once heard from a listener 224 00:12:43.000 --> 00:12:45.360 on my previous show who went to put her garden 225 00:12:45.360 --> 00:12:48.919 glove on and found a mouse was inside it. Yes, stacular, 226 00:12:49.080 --> 00:12:53.279 you know, unexpected snake sightings, so many possible things. My 227 00:12:53.279 --> 00:12:55.320 brother wants threw a slug into my hair that was 228 00:12:55.519 --> 00:12:57.559 very traumatic for me as a child. 229 00:12:59.080 --> 00:13:01.360 I got up one morning in my entire lawn was 230 00:13:01.399 --> 00:13:03.519 full of plastic forks. I got forked. 231 00:13:04.039 --> 00:13:05.399 What Yeah, someone did that to you. 232 00:13:05.519 --> 00:13:07.120 Somebody comes along. It's a prank. 233 00:13:07.440 --> 00:13:08.080 It's a prank. 234 00:13:08.240 --> 00:13:10.279 Yeah, plastic forks, thousands of them. 235 00:13:10.320 --> 00:13:17.120 That sounds like a real pain. So anyway, whatever you're 236 00:13:17.240 --> 00:13:19.120 the nature of your garden ho ror story, please do 237 00:13:19.440 --> 00:13:21.480 reach out to us a Gardening Simplified on your dot com. 238 00:13:21.519 --> 00:13:24.600 We would love to hear from you. Now, before I 239 00:13:24.639 --> 00:13:27.440 get to today's plant on Trial, I do just want 240 00:13:27.480 --> 00:13:33.639 to say something. My pet peeve about bulbs, okay, is quantity? 241 00:13:34.279 --> 00:13:37.440 You know, because you like go out, you buy a 242 00:13:37.480 --> 00:13:40.399 package of bulbs and you're like, whoa twenty five bulbs? 243 00:13:41.039 --> 00:13:44.879 And you know that scares some people away and not 244 00:13:45.039 --> 00:13:47.639 and it shouldn't it shouldn't. This is not like I 245 00:13:47.679 --> 00:13:49.919 show up to your house and say, here's twenty five shrubs. 246 00:13:49.919 --> 00:13:51.840 You have to find spots for them and plant them. 247 00:13:51.879 --> 00:13:56.120 It's not like that. Bulbs are very easy to fit 248 00:13:56.240 --> 00:13:59.240 in anywhere. And I will tell you what I have 249 00:13:59.279 --> 00:14:01.919 learned from working in gardens and what I do in 250 00:14:01.919 --> 00:14:05.200 my own garden. I don't dig twenty five holes. That 251 00:14:05.240 --> 00:14:07.759 would be ridiculous. Not only would it be more work 252 00:14:07.799 --> 00:14:10.000 than is necessary, but you're not going to get the 253 00:14:10.080 --> 00:14:12.440 display that you want because all you have is little 254 00:14:12.440 --> 00:14:15.519 tiny flowers spread out over like you know, one hundred 255 00:14:15.519 --> 00:14:18.159 square feet, and that doesn't have the impact. So what 256 00:14:18.240 --> 00:14:21.399 I do is I will dig one slightly larger hole, 257 00:14:21.840 --> 00:14:24.919 and I will pack that with all sorts of bulbs. 258 00:14:25.519 --> 00:14:28.360 Usually i'm looking for things. I tend personally to go 259 00:14:28.440 --> 00:14:31.320 more with what's known as the minor bulbs, so smaller, 260 00:14:31.840 --> 00:14:36.039 more unusual things. I do love daffodils. Those are bigger 261 00:14:36.080 --> 00:14:37.840 and they need a lot more space. You need to 262 00:14:37.840 --> 00:14:39.919 dig a lot deeper for them. But even if I 263 00:14:39.960 --> 00:14:41.720 plant a daffodil, you know, I'll dig that hole for 264 00:14:41.720 --> 00:14:44.240 the daffodils, put in some soil, and then just put 265 00:14:44.279 --> 00:14:46.840 a handful of mixed minor bulbs, So that could be 266 00:14:46.879 --> 00:14:53.519 great hyacinth, crocuses, kyona, doxa, pushkinia, I mean so many 267 00:14:53.559 --> 00:14:56.240 different things. I'll just mix them all up and just 268 00:14:56.279 --> 00:14:58.360 take a handful and PLoP it right in that hole. 269 00:14:58.759 --> 00:15:00.799 You know, as I've said before, like is too short 270 00:15:00.840 --> 00:15:02.879 for proper spacing by and large, and that is no 271 00:15:03.000 --> 00:15:06.720 more that's no more so true than with bulbs. So 272 00:15:06.840 --> 00:15:10.799 don't be intimidated by that quantity. You know, there have 273 00:15:10.879 --> 00:15:14.080 been many years where I have finished up planting bulbs 274 00:15:14.080 --> 00:15:16.480 and said, okay, I planted about seven hundred and fifty 275 00:15:16.480 --> 00:15:19.200 bulbs this year, and that seems insane to a lot 276 00:15:19.200 --> 00:15:22.960 of people. But it's actually a lot faster and a 277 00:15:23.000 --> 00:15:26.039 lot easier. And as long as you are picking bulbs 278 00:15:26.039 --> 00:15:28.679 that are appropriate for your area, that are going to 279 00:15:28.720 --> 00:15:32.159 resist the challenges of your yard, whether that's moist soil 280 00:15:32.320 --> 00:15:36.159 or deer or whatever, that little investment in time and 281 00:15:36.240 --> 00:15:39.279 money will last two decades. Yes, you know, a lot 282 00:15:39.320 --> 00:15:41.320 of those minor bulbs are great for naturalizing. And that's 283 00:15:41.360 --> 00:15:41.799 what I love. 284 00:15:41.840 --> 00:15:45.000 That's the look that I'm Mascari's snowdrops. You bet they'll 285 00:15:45.080 --> 00:15:46.159 keep coming back year. 286 00:15:46.039 --> 00:15:48.960 After year, So don't be intimidated by the fact that 287 00:15:49.000 --> 00:15:52.759 bulbs are sold by multiples of twenty five. It's not 288 00:15:53.159 --> 00:15:56.720 like trying to plant twenty five shrubs or perennials. Just 289 00:15:56.759 --> 00:16:00.840 go for it. You will never regret planting bulbs. Now, 290 00:16:01.120 --> 00:16:03.200 all that said, I do love bulbs. You and I 291 00:16:03.240 --> 00:16:08.879 both love bulbs, but they do have one little liability, 292 00:16:08.919 --> 00:16:13.759 because of course nothing's perfect, right, and the liability that 293 00:16:13.840 --> 00:16:17.879 bulbs have is that they do not make their exit gracefully. 294 00:16:18.440 --> 00:16:21.360 You know. They it's they're very easy to plant, they're 295 00:16:21.480 --> 00:16:24.679 very easy to maintain, They require almost no work, and 296 00:16:24.720 --> 00:16:27.200 they come up in spring and they look amazing. You 297 00:16:27.240 --> 00:16:30.320 get that fresh growth of green right when the snow 298 00:16:30.360 --> 00:16:32.360 starts to melt, and you're getting super psyched to see 299 00:16:32.399 --> 00:16:36.120 your bulbs and they bloom and that was great. And 300 00:16:36.159 --> 00:16:38.120 now all the rest of your garden is coming alive, 301 00:16:38.360 --> 00:16:42.440 and there is that bulb foliage looking like that dog's 302 00:16:42.480 --> 00:16:49.360 breakfast and it's yellow and streaky, and it's kind of 303 00:16:49.759 --> 00:16:52.879 sad really, because you know, again, the rest of the 304 00:16:52.919 --> 00:16:55.600 garden is just starting to get going and is looking 305 00:16:55.840 --> 00:16:59.399 fabulous and fresh and beautiful, and here's this foliage just 306 00:16:59.440 --> 00:17:03.879 like no I'm gonna die now, And it's kind of depressing. 307 00:17:03.600 --> 00:17:06.160 And you feel guilty chopping it back because you're told 308 00:17:06.200 --> 00:17:07.400 you're not supposed to do that. 309 00:17:07.440 --> 00:17:09.480 Well, you shouldn't do that, and I have certainly seen 310 00:17:09.599 --> 00:17:12.119 bulbs not come back. The reason that you have to 311 00:17:12.119 --> 00:17:15.880 tolerate this long slope, painful death of the bulb foliage 312 00:17:16.160 --> 00:17:19.599 is because all of that is photosynthesizing, and photosynthesizing is 313 00:17:19.640 --> 00:17:22.960 making energy for the plant, and because bulbs do have 314 00:17:23.000 --> 00:17:26.240 this very very short window in which they are actively growing, 315 00:17:26.960 --> 00:17:32.079 they need that time to photosynthesize in that foliage translocate 316 00:17:32.240 --> 00:17:35.480 all of the energy that they're making through the chlorophyll 317 00:17:35.599 --> 00:17:38.240 in their leaves, and that's why they turn yellow. So 318 00:17:38.359 --> 00:17:42.000 it's super crucial. Now, some bulbs can withstand it once 319 00:17:42.079 --> 00:17:44.519 or twice, but if you were to repeatedly cut back 320 00:17:44.599 --> 00:17:46.920 your bulbs every single year because you're like, I can't 321 00:17:46.920 --> 00:17:49.200 look at that yellow foliage, you will not have bulbs 322 00:17:49.240 --> 00:17:51.799 for are very long. They really truly do need that period, 323 00:17:51.839 --> 00:17:53.960 so you do have to to put up with it. Now. 324 00:17:54.680 --> 00:17:58.319 Over the years, gardeners have found many interesting ways to 325 00:17:58.680 --> 00:18:02.359 kind of deal with this little life ability ponytails. The 326 00:18:02.440 --> 00:18:04.359 people will put them in a little ponytail, gather them 327 00:18:04.400 --> 00:18:09.000 all up raiding famously, as Martha Stewart did, And those 328 00:18:09.039 --> 00:18:11.000 are okay. First of all, I think their life is 329 00:18:11.039 --> 00:18:15.000 too short to probably sit around braiding your daffodil foliage. 330 00:18:15.119 --> 00:18:18.240 But even if you did want to do that, you know, 331 00:18:18.279 --> 00:18:20.799 the issue is that that hides a lot of those 332 00:18:20.920 --> 00:18:24.039 photosynthetic surfaces from the sun so that they're not able 333 00:18:24.079 --> 00:18:27.119 to fully, you know, make create all the energy that 334 00:18:27.160 --> 00:18:30.240 they need through this process. So one thing that some 335 00:18:30.279 --> 00:18:32.880 people do is pair their bulbs with a plant that 336 00:18:32.960 --> 00:18:37.119 will kind of either grow up to cover the dying 337 00:18:37.119 --> 00:18:41.680 foliage or distract from it. So daffodils and hostas are 338 00:18:41.720 --> 00:18:45.039 two very popular choices for doing just that, because the 339 00:18:45.079 --> 00:18:48.119 foliage is small when the bulbs are active, so it's 340 00:18:48.160 --> 00:18:51.240 not shading them out or anything like that. And then 341 00:18:51.480 --> 00:18:53.799 as the bulb foliage starts to die back, their foliage 342 00:18:53.839 --> 00:18:57.640 is really expanding. But I wanted to propose another idea, 343 00:18:57.799 --> 00:19:01.519 and that is today's plant on trial. Cody fresh Drvilla 344 00:19:02.359 --> 00:19:06.079 and so Durvilla is a native shrub North American native. 345 00:19:06.119 --> 00:19:08.319 It's native here to Michigan. In fact, you find it 346 00:19:08.359 --> 00:19:10.720 in many many places, but all over Mackinaw Island if 347 00:19:10.759 --> 00:19:14.880 you are familiar with that, and it's a relatively plain 348 00:19:15.000 --> 00:19:18.119 but tidy shrub. It has nice, high quality foliage. And 349 00:19:18.160 --> 00:19:20.160 what we have been doing here at proven Winter's Color 350 00:19:20.279 --> 00:19:24.519 Choice Shrubs with Durvilla is trying to capitalize on its 351 00:19:24.519 --> 00:19:28.880 tendency to have some quite nice color, especially in its 352 00:19:28.920 --> 00:19:30.960 new growth. And so we have been working with Durvilla 353 00:19:31.359 --> 00:19:34.359 for a number of years now, and we have Kodiac 354 00:19:34.480 --> 00:19:37.039 Red Durvilla, which has red foliage. We have Kodiak Orange, 355 00:19:37.039 --> 00:19:39.400 which has orange. We have Kodiak Black which has nice 356 00:19:39.440 --> 00:19:42.920 beautiful purple black foliage, and Kodiak Fresh is kind of 357 00:19:42.920 --> 00:19:46.480 a mix of most of these. So Kodiak Fresh Dravilla 358 00:19:46.559 --> 00:19:51.359 has chartruse foliage that emerges in shades of red and 359 00:19:51.559 --> 00:19:54.680 orange and yellow, and it just really lives up to 360 00:19:54.720 --> 00:20:00.039 its name and has this pretty vivid fresh look. And 361 00:20:00.160 --> 00:20:02.640 if you were to plant a Kodiak Orange or a 362 00:20:02.680 --> 00:20:06.720 Kodiak Fresh Terravilla next to your bulb planting, I think 363 00:20:06.759 --> 00:20:10.240 that you would genuinely find that as this starts to 364 00:20:10.359 --> 00:20:13.279 come out for spring, and it is so much more colorful, 365 00:20:13.799 --> 00:20:16.440 even if it is not directly covering your bulb foliage. 366 00:20:16.480 --> 00:20:19.440 It is easily distracting enough from them because it does 367 00:20:19.480 --> 00:20:22.039 bring so much color and life that you can kind 368 00:20:22.039 --> 00:20:24.960 of forget about all of the sadness going on just 369 00:20:25.039 --> 00:20:26.400 over there with your daff at all. 370 00:20:26.400 --> 00:20:27.920 Would you call it dogs breakfast? 371 00:20:28.039 --> 00:20:31.039 I called it the dog's breakfast, Yeah, because it's you know, 372 00:20:31.160 --> 00:20:34.039 it's like I wouldn't mind so much, like if it happened now. 373 00:20:34.319 --> 00:20:36.279 And there are some bulbs that actually put their foliage 374 00:20:36.279 --> 00:20:39.000 out in fall, right and then go on to bloom 375 00:20:39.039 --> 00:20:40.920 and spring. But you know, it's just kind of like 376 00:20:41.200 --> 00:20:44.799 insulting that, like here's spring and everything's livening up, and 377 00:20:44.799 --> 00:20:47.000 the bulbs are like, nope, I'm done. You know, it's 378 00:20:47.039 --> 00:20:50.039 it's it's a weird thing. So I don't know, I 379 00:20:50.039 --> 00:20:52.000 feel I guess I kind I find it kind of depressing. 380 00:20:52.680 --> 00:20:55.519 But I think Kodiak freshtervilla is a great way to 381 00:20:55.880 --> 00:20:59.559 lighten up the area and forget about that dying foliage. 382 00:20:59.599 --> 00:21:02.799 And Kodiak dur villas are so incredibly easy to grow. 383 00:21:02.839 --> 00:21:05.400 Like I said, they are native. There are very very 384 00:21:05.480 --> 00:21:09.119 durable shrubs. They kind of just grow as a natural 385 00:21:09.279 --> 00:21:11.400 sort of rounded habit, so you can let them be, 386 00:21:12.119 --> 00:21:13.960 or if you prefer to have something with a little 387 00:21:13.960 --> 00:21:17.720 bit more shape. They're very easy to trim and maintain into. 388 00:21:17.759 --> 00:21:19.559 You wouldn't want to put them into like a tight 389 00:21:19.559 --> 00:21:21.920 shape like you would a boxwood, but you can easily 390 00:21:22.000 --> 00:21:23.599 give it like a light trim to give it a 391 00:21:23.599 --> 00:21:28.839 more rounded, sculpted shape. In summer, it puts out tons 392 00:21:28.920 --> 00:21:35.519 of yellow flowers, and those attract native pollinators, especially bumblebees. Now, 393 00:21:35.640 --> 00:21:38.039 one name that you might hear sometimes as a common 394 00:21:38.119 --> 00:21:41.480 name for durvilla is bush honeysuckle. Now we don't like 395 00:21:41.519 --> 00:21:43.599 to use that term because it is not a honeysuckle, 396 00:21:43.599 --> 00:21:46.160 and of course people think honeysuckle and they think wow, invasive, 397 00:21:46.759 --> 00:21:48.720 even though they are in the same family. You don't 398 00:21:48.720 --> 00:21:51.359 have to worry about CoDIAK dri villa's being invasive or 399 00:21:51.400 --> 00:21:54.839 making a pestive themselves in your garden. They will tolerate 400 00:21:54.920 --> 00:21:58.279 just about any soil. Kodiak fresh is hardy down to 401 00:21:58.359 --> 00:22:01.599