Garden Notes

Fall is the perfect time to be thinking about planting bulbs. Come spring, you can have a dazzling display. Tulips, Narcissus (daffodils, jonquils, etc.) and hyacinth all true bulbs, are just some of the possibilities. For the best selection, choose plump, firm bulbs that feel heavy for their size.

A Plant Lover's Guide to Dahlias by Andy Vernon 2014. Timber Press, Hardcover 256 p. This beautifully illustrated book is a great acquisition for the Dahlia lover, the wannabe Dahlia lover, or any lover of beautiful flowers.

Fall soil remains warm enough for planting trees, shrubs, most ornamentals, and cool season edibles. If we are fortunate, rain will provide all the water gardens need over the next few months. Working in our gardens can provide serenity, exercise, produce, and beauty that changes with the seasons.

All mushrooms are fungi, but not all fungi are mushrooms. Indeed, the fundamental difference between mushrooms and fungi is that the mushrooms are fruiting bodies of specific fungi that are part of the order Agaricales of phylum Basidiomycota.

When I first started flower gardening, I planted mostly annuals. I would look at the perennial bed diagrams in books, which plot out perennials for successive bloom periods, and it seemed too complex and geared towards East Coast flowers.