As you know, spring is absolutely my favorite time of year. As I clean up my garden beds and make them neat and tidy for winter, I dream of what lies below- tulips, hyacinths, daffodils, Grecian windflowers (anemone blanda) and grape hyacinths (muscari). Like any gardener worth her trowel, I can’t help but notice that there’s room for more!
For months the bulb catalogs have been arriving and one had an article about planting bulbs for bees. We need to think about planting early blooming bulbs to help feed the bees until spring bushes, flowers and trees are in bloom. Why should we care? Bees pollinate fruits (apples, peaches, strawberries, etc.) and vegetables (avocado, broccoli, carrots, etc.). Pollinators are needed so that we can enjoy chocolate (cocoa plants), coffee and nuts. This catalog even has a little bee icon next to bulbs that are especially supportive of bees.
And so, I explain to Kent, it’s not that I am weak and can’t resist placing another order for spring bulbs, it’s that WE (the Krueger family) MUST do our part to help the bees.
What will I be planting later this month? Crocus, grape hyacinth, Grecian windflower and hyacinth. A trick I learned from a Naperville Garden Club friend is to plant a few grape hyacinths above other bulbs. They will send up green leaves in the fall to remind you that you have already planted something in that spot. One of my gardening magazines encourages its readers to plant little bulbs at the edges of shrubs to have a little color peeking out around the bushes. Sounds like a great idea!
Plant bulbs in well-draining soil after the first frost and know that you have done a good deed.
The Naperville Garden Club’s meeting on Wed., Oct. 23, will be about houseplants. Please join us!
Also, save the date for the Naperville Garden Club’s major fundraiser, the Cup of Cheer™ House Walk, Holiday Market and Tea slated for Thurs., Dec. 5 and Fri., Dec. 6.
Find details at napervillegardenclub.org, and on the website of this newspaper, positivelynaperville.com.
We hope to see you!
