Late autumn is a grand time to plant spring-blooming bulbs such as daffodils, tulips, and crocuses. If this observation sounds familiar, that’s because these three are obvious suggestions, bordering on cliché.
True, they all can certainly light up the spring garden, but there are many other bulbous beauties to try, including one of my favorites — that is, if you are ready to get wild.
No, slam dances and mosh pits are not involved. Instead, why not grow wild with camassia (Camassia spp.)? This is a “Made-in-America” native beauty that frequents the meadows and fields of our country with its 2- to 3-foot stems rising above skinny leaves to show off star-like flowers.
From the several native species that exist, many popular cultivars have been developed, with ‘Caerulea’ and ‘Blue Danube’ being the ones I spot most often locally during the bulb buying/planting season. Both sport a signature camassia hue that is a pleasing, yet hard-to-describe, bluish-purple. I gave up years ago trying to nail the color down, so now I simply call it “blurple.”
If you prefer camassias with more conventional sounding hues, white is an option, and the bright ‘Alba’ is a common cultivar. Like stripes with white? ‘Sacajawea’ flaunts variegated foliage to complement its pale flowers. And for blooms with more blush, ‘Pink Star’ is a good choice, but, like ‘Alba’ and ‘Sacajawea,’ it is usually easier to find online at e-nurseries such as Van Engelen’s (vanengelen.com) or Brent and Becky’s Bulbs (brentandbeckysbulbs.com).
Full sun will please these pretties, and they certainly won’t mind being planted in a rich, well-worked site. These tough native beauties will also do well in heavier soil — I have two separate clumps in lightly amended red clay areas that have come back pretty for years. As an additional bonus, camassias are deer resistant.
After they settle in for a year or two, don’t be surprised if the plants slowly begin to spread. This will be done either by new bulbs that develop off the original batch or seeds that drop about from spent flowers.
Both of my camassia colonies are ‘Caerulea,’ and if I decide to plant more, I’ll probably stick with this cultivar, not only because it is a tested, dependable choice, but especially because I do like seeing the expressions on garden visitors’ faces when they quizzically ask, “Blurple?”
State Fair fun: Yes, it’s a garden water fountain.
The NC State Fair is rolling into Raleigh for a 10-day stay starting on October 16. Overdoing the rides and overeating is required, of course, but, as a dedicated gardener, you owe it to yourself to also visit the Flower and Garden Exhibit, located just a stone’s throw from the Village of Yesteryear. Sure, you’ll be able to see the biggest and best in competitions that include vegetables, fruits, cut flowers, houseplants, floral arrangements, bonsai, and more, but also take time to study the display gardens. There could be an interesting layout or even crazy idea that would be fun to try in your own garden!
To Do in the Garden
October
- Thinking about morphing your Halloween pumpkin into a Thanksgiving decoration as well? A pumpkin will retain its color and shape longer if the rind is intact — in other words, no carving. Also, an extra 2- to 3-inch bit of stem still attached will help preserve a pumpkin, so keep that in mind while you are hunting at your local pickin’ patch.
- Spent herbaceous perennials starting to look raggedy and scraggly? Begin cutting them down for the season, but don’t be so quick to whack back echinaceas and black-eyed Susans. Their seedheads are welcomed fall food for birds such as cardinals, chickadees, sparrows, and goldfinches.
- If you are still mowing the lawn as autumn leaves begin tumblin’ down, use a bagger attachment to collect clippings of both. This mix of “dry” and “wet” organic material is the perfect all-natural fuel to start a compost pile.
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