Hardy bulbs can be planted as long as the ground is not frozen. They are best planted when the soil temperature has cooled off to 60 degrees or they will start to send up shoots.

That said, I plant them whenever I have time to do it or I'll never get it done before it is too cold. :-)

gramkcr:

Welcome to Michigan and the Traverse City area!!! Sue and I live in Manistee, just an hour's plus drive south! FYI - I am also a "transplant"; I grew up and lived on the central Illinois tallgrass prairie until I obtained a Librarian position with the MDOC in the winter of 1997.

Even though we are only 60 miles plus from each other, the climate in Traverse City is slightly different; for one, our climate is a little more modified by Lake Michigan than your area. You'll find the differences will be minor to the point that you can almost ignore them.

With that said, you can plant spring flowering bulbs through the end of October and, depending upon temperatures, probably into the first to second week of November. Last week, I planted a small number of perennials and four lovely peonies that I had ordered from A & D Nursery. This weekend, I am planning on planting a slightly larger array of bulbs with the assistance of a soil auger.

Even though our soil is a mixture of sand and clay with some loam, I decided to go to our local Ace Hardware store to purchase the larger of two soil augers - it's 30 inches in length and 3/4 of an inch in diameter and it will fit an 3/8 inch drill. With a little "swinging" of the soil auger (side to side and front to back) I should be able 'drill' a nice hole and plant the bulbs in a relatively quick fashion. Some organic fertilizer and some soil, if needed, should bring the bulbs up to the proper depth and provide them with nourishment at the same time.

Since you're new to the area, I thought you might enjoy the following information.

One of the more interesting stores to enjoy is The Candle Factory, which is located - on the south side - on U.S. 31 north - not too far from the junction of U.S. 31 and Route 22 - on the bay. If you travel eastward for a short distance, you'll see a Midas Muffler sign on the right side of the road. At the intersection before the sign is a road to the right. The Candle Factory is a old gray building, which one served as the local gas company or works. A sumptuous array of candles and holders, etc. await you.

Within a block or two south - on Front street, I believe - is Folgarelli's - located on the north side - an (Italian) import food store which offers a very wide variety of cheeses, meats, olives, pastas, bulk herbs & rice and many other things much too numerous to enjoy and/or discover.

Perhaps, you've already discovered them obth, but if not, go exploring and enjoy.

With regard to garden centers, you'll a wondrous array of plant material and other garden materials at Crystal Gardens located a mile or two north of Frankfort, MI - south of TC - on Route 22 north. If you have the time, you and yours can enjoy a nice meal at the "Fusion" restaurant in downtown Frankfort. It's a very nice oriental restaurant with a slight American flair. Food is excellent and the prices are moderate to moderately high.

Within TC, there is a small garden center located just south of the Ford dealership on U.S. 31 south. Their much larger garden center is located about 35 or so miles north of Traverse City on U.S. 31 north. Sorry, I can't remember their name, but I am certain that you can find it with a little effort.

If you travel a little further north, you'll come to the fair city of Charlivoix and just a mile or so east of this city is the home and outlet store to the Bull Frog Light Company. Their web address is listed below.

Their candles are very unique by the fact that the candle will glow from top to bottom when lit - as their web site will illustrate. Their sign and road is a little hard to see to the uninitiated so you might wish to take down their phone number and call then en route.

Just a little north beyond the intersection when you would turn east to go to the Bull Frog Light Company is a small little restaurant called "Julierette's (spelling ?). A superb homemade luncheon or breakfast can be hard for less than moderate prices.

Being so close to the Interlochen Center for the Arts, you and yours ought to enjoy the many fine concerts that are offered by both students, faculty, and special winter guests. This Saturday, Sue and I and another couple will be enjoying a nice supper at The Fusion restaurant in Frankfort and then travel north to enjoy a student orchestra concert at Carson auditorium at 8:00. These student presentations are inexensive, last for about an 1.5 hours - give or take a few minutes, and are played at very high professional standards - far better, in my mind - than most medium to large sized cities.

Interlochen Public Radio - 88.7 - is a treasured gem in these parts.

Well, I believe that this is more than enough of a welcome to this neck of the woods.

Best wishes in your retirement and in your gardening endeavors.

Bill

Here is a link that might be useful: Bull Frong Light Company

gramkcr:

Greetings again from northwestern Michigan.

Since I am still planting bulbs, I thought of using a soil or bulb auger to make gardening life a bit easier.

After searching the garden web for recommendations for bulb or soil augers and after looking around the web for a bit, I've decided to order the Pro Gardening Auger System from the link below. For a little less than the often suggested B & B Planter (Brent & Becky's - do a search on google.com), I believe that this set will be the better solution for many projects, especially as one can go to almost any depth up to three feet, can use it in almost any type of soil, it's made of high quality steel, and has a lifetime guarantee.

I had purchased a 1 3/4 diameter X 30 inches bulb auger from our local Ace Hardware store, but will either return it or limit its use to the smaller bulbs, i.e. dutch iris or return it this weekend and patiently wait for the arrival of the new system.

Just thought someone would like to know of this alternative.

Best wishes in your gardening endeavors.

Bill

Here is a link that might be useful: Pro Gardening Auger System

Pitimpinai: Your garden is incredible. It should be against the law to have grass. If there were landscape police, I'd be the first to join the academy. I'm in the 'burb of Crystal Lake (IL) and a Hostaholic with no intention of recovery, but thought I'd check out this forum. Questions: What's underneath plantaginea in your hosta strip photo -- on the lower left -- there is just a little of it and it's chartreuse. It looks like creeping Jenny. Love the lamium on the right lower left -- so perfect for under hosta. One more: I finally convinced him to let me try composting (lifelong argument) but I'm only allowed to do the trench thing, which isn't really composting.. I'm begging him to let me sink a lidded container (with the bottom removed) into the ground a foot or so, so the worms can do their magic. Is this what you're doing? If not, how do you keep the critters away and the funky smell at bay?

Westly,
Thanks for the compliments. As you can see, I hate bare soil, so I stuff anything and everything everywhere.

The chartreuse plant under the plantaginea is another lamium. Lamium maculatum 'Aurea'. Pretty, isn't it? I love it. I love the green and white one too.

My trench compost is really what it is: a trench between the row of hostas and another flower bed. It was actually a walkway between the plants. I thought I would use that spot for a better use, so I just dug a trench and filled it with leaves and any organic materials I could find. I then cover the trench with straw or cardboards. I placed planks over the trench to walk on. It does not smell because I use dry leaves & plant scraps from the garden + fruit & veg scraps from the kitchen.

I bury meat elsewhere in the garden and place bricks over the area so animals cannot dig it up.

The compost or partially decomposed materials is dug up and spread on different beds in spring or fall depending on time and weather. I then refill the trench all over again.

Oh, the garbage cans are my compost bins. They are sitting on top of the filled trench. I kept these bins from getting smelly by mixing the compost well with "brown" and "green" materials. When they are well balanced, the compost does not smell. If it starts to smell, I add shredded paper or dry leaves or straw. Shredded paper is used most of all because it is readily available to me.