Thinking (far) ahead in the borders

Right now every gardener with daffodils and hyacinths in bloom is celebrating spring beauty. The color, forms and fragrances are great delights, and every morning holds the promise of new beauties in bud or bloom. Even though living in the moment is a pleasure now, this is also the ideal time to plan ahead for next year?s spring show.

For those new to gardening, it?s a jolt to realize that the blooms of April and May result from planting in the previous October. Bulbs such as tulips and daffodils, as well as the smaller crocuses, snowdrops, and chionodoxa, require the long and cold dormancy of winter to prepare for their period of bloom. Bulbs can be purchased locally in late summer and early fall or ordered from specialty catalogs any time from now through early fall.

To see what you might like to purchase and plant, now is the ideal time to use both eyes and imagination. Draw the layout of your garden, marking in the locations of well-established woody plants and perennials as reference points. The drawing need not be highly detailed or completed to perfect scale ? just reasonably accurate. Then think about the areas that could provide more springtime bloom. Shade those areas in the drawing, and note suggested plantings in the margins. Add reminders of color combinations that you want to aim for or avoid.

While everyone loves tall, stately tulips and trumpet-form daffodils, they aren?t the best choices for every spot in the garden. Tulips need to be kept away from deer trails, and the taller ones can suffer wind damage in very open areas. Somewhat smaller daffodil varieties are well- suited for naturalizing. Consider supplementing traditional favorites with varieties that are less familiar. Species tulips, for example, offer a wonderful range of colors and bloom times in a small package; they are wonderful for naturalizing or for using in rock gardens.

Chionodoxa (also known as Glory-of-the-Snow) is a gorgeous little flower that deer don?t like. Available in shades of white, pink, violet and blue, it is another great choice for naturalizing. (Naturalizing means planting in drifts or clumps, nothing geometric. These plantings can be established in woodlands, in free-form beds, along and under fences ? anywhere that isn?t rigidly defined.)

Daffodils, species tulips, and the smaller bulbs are all more likely than larger tulips to bloom in subsequent years. With that in mind, plan to feed the bulbs after spring bloom and again in the fall. Be sure not to remove foliage until it has yellowed and detaches easily; it is unsightly but necessary for the bulbs? long-term health.

Right now: If you are shopping for large flower pots this spring, be sure that they come equipped with drainage holes, or be prepared to get out a drill. A surprising number of the plastic pots available for sale do not provide drainage holes.

If you hope to enjoy colorful fall-blooming chrysanthemums as perennials, look for the varieties you want now and plant them along with other perennials. Fall-planted chrysanthemums do not winter over very successfully in our area.

Celebrate Earth Day tomorrow!