Welcome to Gardening With Confidence™ on WebTalkRadio.net.
MY GUEST THIS WEEK
My guest this week is Kathy Purdy founder of Cold Climate Gardening.
Kathy Purdy joins us this week to talk about Colchicums. Fortunately for me, this very underused bulb has found its way into my southern garden.
Kathy shares tips on growing colchicums in your garden. It’s just perfect for my fall garden, where I’m always searching for great plants to extend the fall season.
Check out Kathy’s Colchicum article in American Gardener Oct 2007 
TIP OF THE WEEK – Gardening thru First Frost
With the weather cooling again after a long, hot summer, the fall is the perfect time to be in the garden again.
We can begin to extend our season by visiting local botanical gardens, going on local garden tours and, of course, visiting our local garden centers.
Have a look around to see what interests you; note the colors, textures, turning foilage, and seed pods. You will be amazed at what all is available.
Garden centers tend to carry plants when they are in their most interesting phase, such as the blooming phase,
but it could also be when the plant is showing off another interesting attribute, such as the peeling bark of a crape mrytle.
This, of course, makes sense from a business perspective since we consumers are not going to get jazzed about buying a plant in its dormant state.
Well, at least we are not as likely to be spontaneous.
But this is OK, I suggest you plan to go the garden center in the fall, and each season, for that matter, to see what is blooming and what’s of interest.
Then purchase what you like. The good news is fall is also the best time to plant trees, shrubs, vines, and perennials.
The watering demands are not as high and the lower temperatures are easier on the plants and the people tending them.
Plan and plant for every season, extending our garden’s full glory for as long as we can.
Helen Yoest is a garden writer and coach through her business Gardening with Confidence™.
Follow Helen on Twitter @HelenYoest and her facebook friend’s page, Helen Yoest or Gardening With Confidence™ Face Book Like Page.
Each week, Helen host’s a garden talk WebTalkRadio.net show called Gardening With Confidence™.
Helen also serves on the board of advisors for the JC Raulston Arboretum
Glad to see others recommending fall planting. I get so exasperated when people stop planting as soon as the bigbox stores close up their ‘garden centres’.
i listened to this today. makes me look forward to fall! keep us posted on how your colchicum do for you helen.
I really need to add some of these to my own garden. Been meaning to for a few years now.
Hi Helen and hi to Kathy Purdy too. It was nice to meet both of you in Buffalo and Helen we should have visited more. I finally got around to adding the links you sent. I’ve been a bit frazzled since getting back. My multi-tasking skills have atrophied in my semi-retirement/sabbatical.
I have mentioned the colchicums to Bulbarella several times, hint, hint. We need some fall blooming bulbs on this mountain.