Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Summer blooming bulb planting
While some of you may have already done this…. Gladiolas, dahlias and cannas are bulbs we in cold climates can plant now for summer bloom! Alliums, oriental lilies, begonias and bulbs I can’t pronounce are also on that list.
I made an impulse purchase a couple of years ago and bought some pretty gladioli called ‘Vista’, a pretty purple and white glad with a red center.
They really add some pop to the perennial garden as they grow 40 inches tall and bloom from July to September. Glads need to be dug up after the first hard frost in the Fall when the plants are done!
Cannas are the same way. But they’re so lovely. Their large tropical leaves really make a statement against a fence or standing sentry in sunny areas.
The one caution is that, very quickly, you’ll have way more of canna rhizomes than you need!! I’m lumping them into the bulb category.
Begonias are outstanding for the shaded areas of your landscape. Click on this link for how to plant begonia tubers
There’s a little technique to it. Personally I buy them at the local nursery for my hanging baskets and leave it at that.
Oh, and then there’s the crazy beautiful dahlias! Oh, so many choices it’s ridiculous. A new one for 2021 is ‘Kelsey Aria’.
It is stunning to look at but odds of finding it in stock are pretty slim already! It’s pink and yellow and in a shape I’ve not seen before. Dahlias bloom from July into October in some areas, they are not winter hardy.