Harlequins Gardens

Boulder's specialist in well-adapted plants

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Bulbs

A Hardy Geranium Shows its True Colors

Among our top favorite groundcover plants for low-water, partly-shaded gardens are Cambridge Geranium (Geranium x cantabrigiense) and its best cultivars. They excel as low-maintenance colorful, long-blooming and long-lived, low-growing, spreading evergreen carpets under trees and in east and north exposures.

Right now we have plenty of cultivars ‘Biokovo’(palest blush), ‘Westray’ (pink), ‘St. Ola’ (white flowers from red buds) and ‘Crystal Rose’(unique vivid pink).

Geranium cantabrigiense ‘Biokovo’

Rarely exceeding 12” tall, they provide dense masses of bloom over attractive mid-green foliage that emits a spicy woodland fragrant when rubbed. A second season of color comes in fall and winter, when the foliage turns shades of red and orange.

Cambridge Geraniums are happy in most soil types, including clay, and thrive in USDA zones 4 through 7. They can also be grown in sunnier exposures with more water, and in full shade with less flowering.

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Terrific Bulbs, now 30% off!

Allium ‘Graceful Beauty’

We still have some terrific bulbs that want to go home with you, so we’re discounting them by 30%!

Bulb-planting time is here! Spring-blooming bulbs feed early spring pollinators, and help us cheer up as winter recedes. Remember, nearly all the varieties we choose should last for years, even decades in your garden, and most will naturalize, forming larger clumps with a longer succession of blooms every year! And we always favor tough and reliable flowers with fragrance, unique and artistic form and coloration, and minimal care needs. Planting holes are easy to dig with one of our long-nosed trowels or with a cordless drill and an auger bit. Mark the spot with a discreet name-tag or record it on a garden map.

SMALL BULBS
Allium amplectens ‘Graceful Beauty’: 3” fragrant white globes w/mauve anthers on 1’ stems, NW native
Anemone blanda ‘Blue Shades’: long-blooming 1”+  blue daisies on low spring groundcover
Chionodoxa forbesii (Blue Glory of the Snow): brightens any spot in sun or shade
Corydalis ‘Beth Evans’: great early bloomer for shade, maidenhair fern-like foliage crowned with a mass of coral pink
Ixiolirion tataricum: late spring, elegant 1’ blue-purple and low-water
Muscari azureum: gorgeous early azure blue naturalizer
Scilla sibirica: True blue starry blooms naturalize in beds, lawns, meadows, 3” tall
Tritelia (Brodeia) ‘Rudy’: striking, graceful naturalizing California wildflower, late-spring

Narcissus ‘Altruist’

DAFFODILS – deer and rabbit resistant!
Narcissus ‘Altruist‘: Striking deep orange cup and unique tawny yellow perianth, fragrant
N. ‘Barrett Browning’: Brilliant scarlet cup and crisp white perianth, long-lived naturalizer
N. ‘Cornish King’: Very early, wide lemon frilled cup on white perianth, long-lived naturalizer
N. ‘Delibes’: Short yellow frilled cup edged in vivid orange, yellow perianth
N. ‘Double Poets’: Double the fragrance of standard Pheasant’s Eye!
N  ‘Ferris Wheel’: Large frilled orange cup above yellow perianth
N. ‘Golden Echo’: Vigorous Jonquil, several fragrant blooms per stem, long gold trumpet, creamy perianth
N. ‘Jamestown’
N. ‘Mother & Child mix’
N. ‘Mount Hood’: Classic large white trumpet daffodil, lightly fragrant, tall and tough
N. ‘Pheasant’s Eye’: Very fragrant wildflower, late-season, white with small red-edged cup
N. ‘Yazz’: Lovely soft buff trumpet, cream perianth, several per stem, fragrant

and many beautiful tulips are still available!

 

Don’t forget to pick up some bone meal – this amendment helps all bulbs get established.

Bulbs for Spring Flowering – “Staff Picks”

Pheasant’s Eye Daffodil

Our staff have been restocking bulbs, and a few favorites have emerged! Mid–October to mid-November is the right time to plant them. Come in this weekend as they’re going fast! We have a curated collection of flowering Allium, Narcissus (daffodils), Crocus, Tulips, and more!

Our staff have been restocking bulbs, and a few favorites have emerged! Mid–October to mid-November is the right time to plant them. Come in this weekend as they’re going fast! We have a curated collection of flowering Allium, Narcissus (daffodils), Crocus, Tulips, and more!

These Narcissi (daffodils) like full to partial sun, and well-drained soils. They are very deer and rodent resistant!

Narcissus poeticus v. recurvus ’Pheasant’s Eye’– (pictured here) is a very fragrant, late-spring blooming daffodil, very close to its wild ancestor. This storied plant is also known as the Poet’s Daffodil, famous in ancient Greek literature and among the first cultivated daffodils! Pheasant’s Eye is known for its sweet scent and vigorous, spreading habit. This long-lived heirloom  reliably multiplies and produces numerous blooms year after year.

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Bulbs to Plant Now – “Staff Picks”

Our staff have been restocking bulbs, and a few favorites have emerged! Mid–October to mid-November is the right time to plant them. Come in this weekend as they’re going fast! We have a curated collection of flowering Allium, Narcissus (daffodils), Crocus, Tulips, and more!

These tulips like full to partial sun, and well-drained soils.

Tulipa viridiflora ‘Artist’ – (pictured here) is a late-spring blooming tulip known for its unique “painterly” blooms with golden-orange petals, soft green feathering, and rosy undertones. This compact variety grows about 12″ tall and is a  distinctive choice for borders, pots, and stunning bouquets! Introduced in 1947, it is still considered one of the best of its kind and has been recognized by the Royal Horticultural Society.

[Read More]

Bulbs to Plant Now, for October Blooms!

Colchicum ‘Waterlily’

Autumn brings surprise treats for gardeners and pollinators alike, in the form of fall-planted, fall-blooming bulbs! Plant bulbs like ‘Waterlily’ colchicum (pictured above), Saffron crocus and Autumn crocus NOW to start richly colored colonies of these hardy fall bloomers that will grow larger and longer-blooming each year! You will love their surprise appearance just when you thought there’d be no more flowers, and so will your local bees.[Read More]

Allium amplectens ‘Graceful Beauty’

Circa 1857, this delicate-looking yet easy-growing North American native has composite 3″ globes of star-shaped, sparkling white flowers with pale lavender stamens tipped with purple anthers and sturdy stems.

Bloom time: May/June. 12″ to 16″ tall. Zone 4-8.

Ready, Set, Plant!

What a storm we had last week!  With the windy conditions and record-setting low temps, everyone’s gardens looks very different this week and may need some attention.  If you haven’t already, this is a good time to review our blog about garden cleanup. The good news is that soil temperatures have cooled down to the optimal soil temperature for bulb planting, ~50 degrees.  And, our current mild daytime temps and above-freezing nighttime temps are ideal for planting perennials, and still good for planting roses, shrubs and trees. Inoculating with mycorrhizae and attention to fall and winter watering are the keys to success.

Bulb Planting and Tulipa ‘Paul Scherer’

Starting with bulb planting:  Recommended planting depths are to the bottom of the planting hole where the base of the bulb rests.  Planting depth can vary depending on how light or heavy your soil is – plant deeper in light soils, shallower in heavier soils.  (If you’re in doubt, a general rule is that planting depth is 3 times the height of the bulb.) 

You don’t have to dig a single hole for each bulb!  You can dig a large hole, say 8-14″ wide by 16-24″ long, to accommodate a large grouping, or swath of bulbs.  This is a great way to save time, to create a more naturalized look, and to combine two or three types of bulbs in one grouping. 

Single Early, Triumph, Darwin Hybrid, and Multi-flowering tulips should be planted 8″ deep to perform as perennials, and fertilized each year just after bloom. Be sure to allow the leaves and stems to wither naturally before cutting them down.

You may want to sprinkle bone meal in the bottom of the hole so that it can touch the bulb roots.  We love Root Rally, which is a blend of bone meal and Endo/Ecto mycorrhizae spores and plant nutrients, providing mycorrhizae life support for all plants.  (See more on mycorrhizae, below.)  Refill the hole and water well. 

See Eve’s ideas for ways and places to use bulbs that you may not have thought of!

Peruse our complete list of 2019 bulbs and individual images and descriptions 

Monarda didyma ‘Jacob Cline’

Planting perennials, roses, shrubs and trees:  The fall is a great time to plant perennials, roses and shrubs as they can focus solely on root growth instead of trying to reproduce.  After gently removing its pot, gently swish the root ball in a bucket of unchlorinated water with water-soluble mycorrhizae  (let the water sit overnight to release chlorine and add the mycorrhizae later).   Mycorrhizae is a beneficial fungi that attaches to roots, allowing them to better absorb water and nutrients.  This results in faster plant and root growth, and better transplanting success.  If you only have granular mycorrhizae on-hand, sprinkle it on the roots as you are planting.  Read more about mycorrhizae in Mikl’s article, “Mycorrhizae: The Hidden Marriage of Plants and Fungi”.

By gently swishing the root ball in water, the root mass will loose its pot-shape and individual roots will be lengthened.  This allows the ends of the roots to be planted deeper, helping to ensure long-term drought hardiness. 

After late-season planting, be sure to (hand) water deeply and frequently, at least twice a month for woody plants, throughout the winter. 

For specific info on rose planting, see Eve’s rose planting instructions.

Zauschneria garrettii ‘Orange Carpet’

Finally, a quick additional word on garden clean-up.  Some of our Southwestern plants should not yet be cut-back.  Wait until April to do so, which will give them additional time to gather and store nutrients, and keep the crowns of the plants from getting too cold. These plants include, but aren’t limited to, Agastache, Salvia  (S. lemmonii ‘Desert Rose’, S. reptans, S. x microphyllus ‘Royal Ruby’, S. greggii ‘Furman’s Red’, S. darcyi), Zauschneria (Hummingbird Trumpet), Scrophularia macrantha (Red Birds in a Tree), Scutellaria suffrutescens (Cherry Skullcap), Gaura lindheimeri.

Narcissus poeticus – Double Albo Pleno Odorata

Double Poets Daffodil

Bulb. Z3. 16-18” tall. Blooms late spring. Compost-improved soil. Heirloom.

Full, ruffled, snowy-white blooms are a gorgeous, bright beacon in your spring garden. Highly fragrant, so be sure to place them near paths and patios where you can enjoy them. Blooms are most prolific in cool springs. Deer and rabbit resistant. Lovely combined with columbine, Icelandic poppies and bleeding hearts.

Tulipa ‘Paul Scherer’ Triumph Midseason Tulip – NEW AGAIN!

NEW for 2019!
The darkest Triumph tulip, dramatic purple-black with a straight-sided shape. Earlier than ‘Queen of Night’ but a very similar color. Contrasts wonderfully with any color of tulip, whether your garden plan is classic or goth. Triumph tulips perennialize well in the garden if left uncut and fertilized after blooming. 16–18″ tall. Mid Spring blooms, Z3-7

Bees, Neonics and the Organic Way

Pesticides were never a good idea. They were designed to make money from petroleum, not to benefit the public good. Pesticides, fungicides and herbicides are poisons that were developed to kill life. Not only has this approach poisoned our earth and ourselves, it has failed to control Nature. Our soils are less productive, and weeds and pests have adapted by becoming resistant. Stronger poisons are not the answer.

In the last 20 years, the new “nicotine” pesticides (neonicotinoids) have become the industry standards because they are less toxic to people and animals than the old organophophate pesticides, and that is good. But the neonicotinoids (neonics) are even more toxic to insects; they last 3 months to 5 years; all parts of the plants are poison, and the poison goes into our water.[Read More]

Grow Delicious Grapes!

Got a fence or a pergola waiting for a fast-growing vine? Grow your own table grapes or wine grapes! The grape vines we sell, both table and wine varieties, are the most cold-hardy you will find anywhere. Most of them come from the northern Wisconsin breeding program of the late Elmer Swenson. Remarkably, three of his selections are seedless! All of them have good flavor, all are proven successful in Colorado in Zone 4 and above, and also succeed in high summer heat.

Swenson Red Grape– Very hardy dessert grape with large red to blue fruit with a high sugar content; non slip-skin. Slow growing when young; vigor, crop, and size of fruit improves once established. Bears fruit 2-3 years after planting. Unique flavor with hints of strawberry. Ripens in August, 3-4 week earlier than Concord. Also makes an acceptable white wine. Self-fertile.

Concord Grape– Most common grape in Colorado, very vigorous, hardy and productive. Medium sized, slipskin, blue-black fruit with sweet flesh and tart skin with “Welch’s Grape Juice” flavor for table, pie, juice, jelly, and wine. Ripens late September.

Concord Seedless Grape- Concord Seedless shares the distinctive sweet to sweet-tart flavor of Concords, but ripens earlier and features smaller grape clusters with smaller grapes. This is a woody, deciduous, tendril-climbing vine with clusters of seedless grapes that ripen in September. Excellent grape for juice, jam, jelly, pie, and wine.

Flambeau Seedless Grape– This seedless pink grape has clusters of small to medium-sized berries with a very sweet, low-acid flavor. A great table grape for cold climates as they ripen in early September. It is best grown on a trellis instead of an arbor as the vine has low to medium vigor. Tolerant of alkaline soils.

Saint Theresa Seedless- A superb new table grape for the Rocky Mountain region. This very hardy and mostly seedless purple grape offers abundant large clusters of sweet fruit in early September. These grapes can be eaten out of hand but are best used in jam, jelly, pie, or wine.