It’s always hard for me to think "fall bulbs" in August. It’s 90 degrees and our perennial lot is in full bloom. The thought of bulbs pushing through the cold, wet landscape of spring is exciting, however that payoff is so long off! Hmmm, so how to wrap my mind around summer blooms, fall plantings, and springtime? I came up with a “genius” idea. Alliums! Bulb Alliums, perennial Alliums. One family blending together for a full season of color, texture, and beauty.

Then the perennial Alliums. As those showy blooms from the fall-planted Alliums die off, the summer Alliums take charge. Allium 'Summer Beauty' blooms mid-June-July with 1 1/2” lavender flowers and shiny dark green foliage. The rosy-purple 'Millennium' kicks in July-August with an average height of 15”-18”. August and September follows up with 'Blue Eddy', which has lavender-pink flowers, it is the shortest with a height of less than a foot. Although Alliums prefer full sun they will take light shade, and they are pest and deer resistant.

There are hundreds of varieties of Alliums. I have showcased seven, ranging from deep purple to lavender to blue. All in different heights and textures. For a soft palette you can add light yellows, pinks, and whites and for a strong, vivid, more contrasting look, choose reds and brighter yellows. But whatever your color choices you can’t go wrong with a plan that lasts all season.

Don’t forget your Bulb Tone! This is a great fertilizer to include when planting any bulb. For details on our Early Order Bulb program, click on the graphic above!

Our industry introduces new plants every year, and it's hard to keep up with them. Here are a few recent cultivars that you may want to check out for your next landscape project.

First is the Proven Winners Aronia Low Scape® Mound chokeberry. Aronia has been receiving a lot of interest lately as it is a native plant, and this one is nice because it only gets to about 24" and grows in a neat mound. Its white flowers bloom in late spring, and it also gives you a beautiful fall color. This plant is also quite deer resistant.

Third is the Physocarpus Tiny Wine®. This is another Proven Winner, smaller than other varieties of ninebark commonly available. It grows to a height and width of just 3 to 4 feet. It blooms with tiny pink flowers in the spring, and keeps a nice fine-textured maroon foliage all season long.

WATER, WATER, EVERY WHERE
And all the boards did shrink;
Water, water, every where,
Nor any drop to drink.

Some may recognize these verses from Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.” Even if one does not, it is worth noting this work, now approaching 200 years since it was written, was one of the first works advocating a more responsible use of our natural resources. The mariner’s senseless killing of an albatross leads us to question how we use and treat the fauna of this planet. Much of what is written could be applied to the flora as well.

If we remember back to this spring, days of rain created saturated soils and standing water. This did not bode well for some plants. In Coleridge’s story the sailors had no fresh water to drink, but here our trees and evergreens had more than enough fresh water, yet still could not absorb that water. Why not?

When a plant is too wet it will begin to wilt only to have the apical branches turn reddish -brown but not separate from the plant.

How can one prepare for weather extremes? First, there is more than one way to plant a tree. Common sense goes a long way! Planting depth, the type of planting media, and choosing plants that will tolerate different soils are basic questions any landscaper should be considering for every site. It isn’t rocket science, but there is a lot more to landscaping than digging a hole and throwing the plant in!

If heavy plant losses are “an albatross around your neck,” be a “sadder and wiser man,” and question practices and losses. Remember “the best gardeners have killed just about everything!” Becoming a more responsible contractor and pursuing best planting practices Will reduce losses and increase the bottom line. It pays to care!

“...but this I tell to thee…
He prayeth well, who loveth well
Both man and bird and beast.

He prayeth best, who loveth best
All things both great and small;
For the dear God who loveth us,
He made and loveth all.”

Barring tornadoes and earthquakes, few weather occurrences strike fear into the hearts of the avid gardener, landscaper, and nurseryman like a late frost. We have no control over Mother Nature, if she decides she wants to paint everything white on a chilly spring morning. But there are things we can do to protect our plants.

Frost occurs on clear still nights. In late spring a light frost (28-32 F) can harm tender plants, magnolia blooms, and can kill annuals. A hard frost (25-28 F) can kill root hardy perennials and harm new leaves on woody plants. Below 25 F can harm many plants in late spring, mainly due to desiccation. Since temperatures can vary a few feet off the ground, smaller plants can be affected by a frost even if your thermometer reads above freezing. Most weather stations and apps will report a frost advisory, so pay special attention if you have vulnerable plants. Making sure to select plants that are suitable to the Hardiness Zone where they are being planted will reduce the risk of damage, and reduce anxiety over frost.

Types of frost include Hoarfrost (feathery white frost crystals), Rime (fog or dew frozen into a glaze), and Black Frost which is when there is no actual frost formed but the low temperatures are still harmful to the plants.

When is it safe to stop worrying about frost in Michigan? That depends on where you live. According to the Climactic Data Center website, in Ypsilanti it’s May 5th, in Detroit and Ann Arbor it’s May 10th, in Flint and East Lansing it’s May 28^th, and if you live in Tahquamenon Falls it’s July 9^th. Unfortunately nature doesn’t consult the Climactic Data Center website and can easily send a harmful frost your way beyond these dates, so be vigilant in late spring.

Some trees that are susceptible are early budding evergreens such as Black Hills spruce and Concolor fir, and deciduous trees including Sycamore, Lilacs, and Honeylocust.

So what can you do to protect your plants during a late frost? If you haven’t planted them yet and you have the space, bring them indoors (a garage, shed, or enclosed porch will do). Smaller plants can be covered with overturned pots or buckets, and larger plants can be covered with fabric, old bed sheets, or burlap (be prepared and have these items on hand before you need them). Another good method is to use your irrigation system. Watering your plants before and during below freezing temperatures helps prevent desiccation, and the water has and insulating effect on the plants and soil.

What if your plants are damaged by frost? If they are annuals or garden vegetables, they are probably toast. The effects on most landscape plants is cosmetic and plant survivability is good. The healthier the plant is, the more reserves it has to push new growth, so it is important that the plant is in the right environment and is well fed and watered.

Hopefully we don’t have to fret much longer about frost as the warmer months head our way, but don’t let your guard down yet. The Late Frost will get you if you do.