Plant Bulbs in the Fall for Spring:
The ocean sun is bright and clear. There is a bit of a chill in the air. The winter rain hasn’t set in yet. This is the time when fall speaks its promises. For some, these are of holidays, family gatherings, cooking, baking and fresh harvest eating. For gardeners, thoughts turn putting in bulbs for a spring floral display. Catalogs begin to fill mailboxes bringing pictures of lovely flowers and luscious landscapes, to sharpen dreams of the success of next season.
But in Ocean Shores, thoughts of the next year’s spring also turn to hungry little Bambies gobbling up all those promising buds. Ever notice that there don’t seem to be many flowers around here? When I first moved here, my gardening friends warned me that gardening in Ocean Shores is all about subverting the deer!
If you ask experienced gardeners here how to do that, you often won’t find much agreement. Deer eat the same plant from some gardens and not others. Shasta daisies are usually a pretty good bet, but one of my neighbors woke up to find every one of hers gone for the first time ever, AND not a single one of the patch next door had even a little nibble. What’s wrong with our deer?
So then, are fence-less gardens hopeless? Not entirely. One option is to think of everything you try as an experiment. If it works, you got lucky; at least for that season.
Let’s consider what bulbs might be a good bet while there is still time to order them. Daffodils (also called narcissus or jonquils) will form the mainstay of any of our flower gardens. There are many varieties available now: early, middle, and late bloomers; lots of shades of white, yellow, orange, pink or multicolored; single or double trumpeted; with or without scent. All varieties are great pollinator plants, attracting bees and later bloomers attracting butterflies as well. Choose a wide variety, especially of bloom time, so you will have flowers as long as possible.
Select heavy, solid bulbs, without damage. “Double nosed” bulbs (those with more than one apparent stem site) will provide the best blooms their first season. Place where plants will get full sun and wait until late fall to plant, when the soil has begun to cool. Daffodils are adaptable to most soils, as long as they have good drainage. For the greatest impact, plant in groups or drifts of the same variety and color. Dig each hole two or three times as deep as the bulb is high and place about 5 or 6 inches apart. A light covering of mulch is helpful, but not necessary. Keep well watered until the winter rain sets in.
For very early blooms, just as winter is giving way to spring, try Snowdrops (several species of Galanthus.) These are small bulbs that can be planted the same time as daffodils, although they need more humus and can get by with less sunlight. Plant about 3-4 inches deep. Don’t forget to watch for them at the end of winter. I have missed mine some seasons.
Crocus are the typical early season bloomer, showing themselves after snowdrops have just about gone. I had good luck with them my first year here and they are listed on the deer resistant lists produced by the Master Gardeners of North Beach. Word of mouth is that they sometimes appear before too many baby deer are around so they might be worth a try.
Checkered or Chocolate Lilies (Fritillaria meleagris) are a bit unusual in that they are actually checkered, just like a brownish-purple checker-board. A native of the Pacific Coast, they are a delicate flower that is usually deer resistant. I’ve had good luck with them elsewhere, and since they are some of my favorites, I’m going to give them a try here. They need a porous, well-drained, humus rich soil along with some winter chill. They sometimes need a year of rest just after planting or between bloom years. You might forget about them and be surprised when they decide to show up.
Hyacinths are on most deer resistant lists. These can be planted now. I’ve seen them in neighboring gardens, but again word-of-mouth is inconsistent. Tulips are a lost cause though, so don’t even try. Deer love their new buds.
Just keep thinking: Experiment! You never know when and with what you’ll get lucky!
This article was originally printed in The Ocean Observer, September 2018.
