Bulbs for Shady Places -- Part 2
Read the article this discussion is about
- Barb_Dorsett
- Cottage_Garden
- Marge_Talt
- Marge_Talt
- Cottage_Garden
- Marge_Talt
- Cottage_Garden
- Marge_Talt
This archived discussion is "read only".
For the corresponding "live" discussions, post in the active topic forum here.
» Barb_Dorsett - Marge, I don't know whether to thank you for the reminder or.
Marge,I don't know whether to thank you for the reminder or...
I forgot to get some feather hyacinths again They are lovely, but I'll only get to enjoy them in other, too distant, gardens at this rate.
Barb in Southern Indiana Midwest Gardener
-- posted by Barb_Dorsett
» Cottage_Garden - How damp is damp when it comes to winter aconite? I have a low
How damp is damp when it comes to winter aconite? I have a low lying patch of damp woods -- also have areas with winter springs or seasonal seeps?I grew the white grape hyacinths once and they were sort of gray rather than white. NOT what I expected! 
Barbara Martin
Eco-Gardens Editor
-- posted by Cottage_Garden
» Marge_Talt - Barb, Don't feel like the Lone Ranger! I forgot to order the
Barb,Don't feel like the Lone Ranger! I forgot to order them again this year, myself. I could kick myself around the barn sometimes. It's that old brain disorder...age...I think. :-)
Marge
Gardening in Shade
-- posted by Marge_Talt
» Marge_Talt - Barbara, I wish I knew! What I read didn't say anything abou
Barbara,I wish I knew! What I read didn't say anything about the degree of dampness wanted, just that they liked it damp. Now, where I've tried them has been under oak trees and the areas get pretty dry in summer.
For a wild guess, I'd say your damp woods spots rather than the seeps and spring areas. The only reason for this is I've never read that they were bog type plants and I'd think continually wet ground, rather than just damp -- as in doesn't dry out -- might rot them.
Interesting your comment about the white muscari...I've never seen them in the flesh. Is the "grey" caused by underlying blue pigment do you think? Might be interesting as part of a "grey" garden...hmmm...
Marge
Gardening in Shade
-- posted by Marge_Talt
» Cottage_Garden - Marge, it was a long time ago, but I think they were a purplish
Marge, it was a long time ago, but I think they were a purplish sort of gray. I was expecting clean white (I said it was a long time ago! way back when before I realized white could mean many different things in a plant catalog, sort of like pink, blue and a few other words can mean almost anything) or at least not gray and was disappointed. We have moved several times since then and I have never tried them again. Maybe I should! These days I might be pleasnatly surprised!The seasonal damp spots do dry off in summer. I was wondering if it meant they didn't like that dry dormant period and would do better in a more evenly moist (not boggy) soil. The damp woods wood be about like that. Although they are pretty wet in spring the daffodils and grape hyacinths planted on hillocks don't seem to mind....which brings me to another point. As an experiment I planted some daffodils in my ditch garden. They have thrived for two years now. I always read that daffs need good drainage. Any ideas?
Barbara Martin
Eco-Gardens Editor
-- posted by Cottage_Garden
» Marge_Talt - Barbara, Hmmm...sounds like the underlying muscari color (pur
Barbara,Hmmm...sounds like the underlying muscari color (purplish blue) is a dominant gene. I think we both need to get some -- you to see if they are more interesting that the first time and me to see them for the first time.
Really wish I knew the answer on the Winter Aconite / damp issue. I just know that the times I've tried them (and that has been a few years now) they bloomed for a year or two and disappeared. At first, I thought they were just not hardy. Now, I know I must have just given them the wrong conditions. When I read they liked 'damp' conditions, the light bulb in my brain went off and I deduced that it got too dry under the oaks. But, just what they really *do* like is something I don't know...yet. I'd still opt for your damp woods. If daffs and muscari like it, it can't be so wet it would rot anybody else.
The daffs in your ditch are interesting. I always thought that they -- like most bulbs -- had to have good drainage. I've got them in heavy clay, where they thrive, so I know they don't require "sharp" drainage, but I never realized they'd grow in really wet spots. Learn something new every day! Does your ditch hold water for long or does it fill up and drain away fairly quickly???
Marge
Gardening in Shade
-- posted by Marge_Talt
» Cottage_Garden - It fills up and drains away but stays soggy at times. The secon
It fills up and drains away but stays soggy at times. The second year they were there it was WET as in way too slurpy muddy to dig all spring and then continued to stay muddy all summer -- that was the summer of 96 when it rained and rained. They bloomed again spring 97 .... I was sure they would be rotten away. Barbara MartinEco-Gardens Editor
-- posted by Cottage_Garden
» Marge_Talt - Barbara, Veerrryy interesting! I would have thought they'd h
Barbara,Veerrryy interesting! I would have thought they'd have rotted, too, under those circs. Just goes to show you. Now, I bet if I tried to put some in a really soggy spot, they'd rot in a flash :-) Wonder if anyone else has planted daffs in a soggy spot and had them come back???
Marge
Gardening in Shade
-- posted by Marge_Talt
Please follow the guidelines set forth in the Suite101 Posting Etiquette when adding to the discussion.