What's up in the Garden for Fall/Winter

In Vancouver, we generally get our first frost in early November.  I generally start to dig up my dahlia tubers and do my general garden clean up (cut back perennials, pull up annuals and mulch shrubs.

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The weather and the lack of flowers makes this a bit of sad time for me in the garden, but I make a point of journaling about what worked and what we will forgo next year.  For me, it will be lisianthus. They are a great cut flower with long vase life, but one must start them in late December and despite having healthy seedlings, my stem length was far too short.  

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It's also time to plant up your tulips and daffodils.  This is easy work and makes for a beautiful flush of blooms comes April. I would recommend that you toss a handful of bulbs into a planter, cover with soil, give a good drink of water and be impressed with yourself come spring.  I'm pictured here planting up bulbs for forcing - stay tuned!  With any luck, we will have a crop ready for Valentine's Day!

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