The Chinook Short Season Yard: Quick and Beautiful in the Calgary Region by Lyndon Penner

Author:Lyndon Penner [Penner, Lyndon]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
ISBN: 9781550595420
Publisher: Brush Education
Published: 2014-04-08T04:00:00+00:00

Squills If you aren’t growing squills, you need to be. These are fabulous little plants in the lily family that require virtually nothing and offer so much as to be considered extraordinary. They come up very early in the spring and often flower when there is still snow on the ground. The striped squill (Puschkinia libanotica) grows only about 5 centimetres or so tall and does this neat little magic trick wherein up close, the flowers are white with blue veining but from a distance appear as a sort of pale glacier blue. The blooms are fragrant and make charming, tiny bouquets. Plant them in mass to best enjoy them; they will come up every year and multiply.

The Siberian squill (Scilla siberica) is slightly taller and has beautiful blue flowers quite early. There are also white- and pink-flowered forms, but they are inferior so forget them. Blue Siberian squill will flower for several weeks in early spring and will multiply.

Squills are great things to plant under deciduous trees such as birch or ash because they flower before these trees leaf out, taking advantage of early spring sunshine. When they are done blooming, they quickly and quietly go to sleep. They are also very inexpensive: you can buy several dozen of them for next to nothing, yet they provide so much. Just plant them in a sunny area with good drainage and off they go.

Tulipa spp. (tulips) Tulips are fabulous. They come in all different heights, sizes, colours, and so on, and they can be early, mid-season, or late blooming, though all flower at some point in spring. Try to plant a mix of them to extend your tulip season. It is very important to buy bulbs as soon as they are available, which usually means late August or the beginning of September. Bulbs dry out and desiccate (die) on store shelves. The best place for them to be is in the ground, getting their roots growing before winter comes. If possible, plant them the day you buy them.

The packages always have nonsensical instructions like “plant bulbs six inches deep.” Ignore that. Use the size of the bulb as your gauge. If the bulb stands 3 centimetres tall, plant it 3 to 5 centimetres deep. If the bulb stands 6 centimetres tall, plant it 6 to 10 centimetres deep. After planting, water them in well. Keep them well watered, in fact, until the ground freezes. I also recommend mulching them. Squirrels are notorious for digging up bulbs and eating them, so keep a close eye out for these vermin.

As soon as they are planted, the bulbs will begin to root. In spring, they will magically soar out of the ground, flower magnificently, and if you have planted en masse, your neighbours will be tremendously thrilled with your suddenly acquired gardening talent. Tulips are seriously idiot-proof, with no experience or skills required. Most people don’t know that, but it’s true.

Tulips are perennial, if you want to be very technical. They can last for years.

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