Bulb Planting Time and a Coupon Code From Longfield Gardens to Get You Started!

I didn't even realize it was Columbus Day! During all my years of working for the federal government I always knew when those federal holidays came around and I always looked forward to them. Now that I am retired I spend most days doing the same thing-working in my garden and I simply forgot it was a holiday. Happy Columbus Day! 

Right now I have been busy getting ready for spring. Spring you say? Fall has barely begun so you should be getting ready for winter. Yes and no. Surely there are many things to do to our gardens to get them ready for their winter dormancy-but even if you don't do them-the plants and most of the garden will still go dormant. Spring, now that is another matter. If you wish for spring color (and who doesn't) you must prepare for it now or you will not have much of a garden come spring. I am talking about bulbs. It's time to plant those bulbs. In the part of Tennessee I live in (on the border with Kentucky and in the middle part of the state) bulb planting season begins in September and can extend all the way up to December. Prime time for bulb planting is right now though! Early October through early November are actually ideal times for planting bulbs. To help you (and me) get started the fine folks at Longfield Gardens have offered up a coupon code for you all. This code expires October 18th-so hurry and place your order! It will give you 25% off!!! That is a pretty good deal!  Here is the code:

 InTheGarden25 

As you can see by the above picture I have been busy planting my tulip bulbs I received from Longfield. Now you are not limited to only tulips. Some fantastic bulbs you may wish to purchase and plant now include: narcissus, scilla, camassia, alliums, muscari, crocuses, fritillaria, irises, snowflakes, dogtooth violets, and hyacinths to name but a few. 

One very important tip you should think about it to mass your bulbs. Bulbs, and most all plants unless they are specimen type plants, look better and will make a bigger impact if they are planted enmasse. Forty of fifty bulbs planted together will make a bigger statement then 10 groups of 4 or 5 bulbs scattered around your garden. Trust me on this one. Take a look at my post this past spring on my color changing bulbs from Longfield Gardens to help you get some ideas and so you can see how nice massed bulbs look in a garden setting

in the garden....

Words and Photos Property of In the Garden Blog Team, In the Garden

Tulips 'Flaming Purissima' from Longfield Gardens

Spring is here! When I think of the many flowers that represent spring, tulips always come to mind. None more so than these new 'Flaming Purissima' tulips I received last spring from Longfield Gardens. These tulips were newly planted last fall after I received them from Longfield Gardens, and I must say I am quite impressed with these tulips. Things are still kind of bare at Tiger Way Gardens but if you look closely from more than 100 feet away you can clearly see those pretty tulips sparkling in the garden.

An up close picture shows just how impressive the 'Flaming Purissima' tulips are. No two are exactly alike. If that were not enough the color of these particular tulips is a color that is very easy to fit into any garden. Trust me, as a lover of bright red tulips that simply don't match anything (especially redbuds) these tulips are a delight to my eyes. They are subdued yet have a wow factor.

My bulbs are all massed in my new rock garden located out on the land. These tulips really help the garden to step into its spring colors. While not all of the 100 tulips are in bloom right now they will be soon! The buds are all there and I am enjoying the show.




I received 100 of these lovely tulips along with 100 muscari (grape hyacinths). The pink and white of the 'Flaming Purissima' goes quite nicely with the blue of the muscari. I chose 'Flaming Purissima' because it is a Fosteriana type tulip. Some tulips grow better in the south than others and the Fosteriana tulips are one of those that grows well down here. Plus, 100 of these beautiful tulips fit in nicely with my new rock garden.

To show the variation in the colors of these tulips I snapped three shots of three different blooms. These blooms are all within 6" of each other and are all growing in the exact same conditions.

I am smitten with the color variations and subtle changes in all of the tulips. The tones make for an interesting display.

Pollinators also like these tulips. I am not sure what type of bees these were that were visiting this bloom but it was nice to see....

in the garden....

Don't forget about my giveaway found here. There are some nice things there. And no, I do not keep your email and will not market to you at all so don't worry about that!

Words and Photos Property of In the Garden Blog Team, In the Garden