Project time: 10 hours Tools:
Standard garden tools
Bulb planter
Garden stakes
Railroad ties
Bulb-starting medium
Mulch
Plant material
Garden art (optional) Everyone knows that tulips and daffodils are considered the harbingers of the spring gardening season, but there are also a wide variety of tender summer bulbs that offer a broad range of color choices and bloom styles for every garden zone. When combined with perennial plants, an endless variety of midsummer cutting gardens and borders is possible. In this episode of Weekend Gardening, host Maureen Gilmer uses design software as she plants a driveway border garden, suitable for a Midwestern climate, in which the bulbs will need to be lifted for the winter but the perennials are cold hardy. Check with your local nurseries and garden centers and the DIY listings for plants suitable for your region's climate.
Ground Preparation Preparing the planting area is the first step to a successful garden. - The junipers that form the back border are trimmed to allow maximum sunlight to the perennial border. When trimming junipers, cut the leggy branches back close to the trunk to prevent stubby ends from being visible (figure A).
- Dig up and relocate existing plants that are not compatible with the new garden plan.
- The planting bed is raised to the preferred level using railroad ties (figure B), which are chemically treated to prevent decomposition.
- A nutritious topsoil mixture is then added to desired levels. When raising a soil line (figure C), be careful to prevent the soil from accumulating at the base of existing trees and shrubs. Soil in contact with the bark of the tree or shrub can cause the bark to rot and produce crown rot, which will cause the plant to die back.
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