Now is the perfect time to start preparing your flower beds for next spring. This year’s late winter has given way to some beautiful flowers well into the fall, but to make sure next spring is even better, it’s time to clean up and get prepped.
October and November at the Park means pulling out the annuals—plants that flower for only one growing season—cleaning the beds, and planting bulbs that will share their beauty next spring.
Bulbs need to be planted in the fall so they can slowly chill and prepare themselves before the first frost. The exact timing for planting bulbs depends on your geographic hardiness zone. Here in northwest Ohio, the Park is in zone 6. Colder zones need to plant bulbs sooner and warmer zones can wait a bit.
Some of the best bulbs to choose for zone 6 include daffodils, tulips, and crocus. Bulbs to avoid for the cooler zones are calla lilies and dahlias.
At Toledo Memorial Park, the grounds crew is diligently cleaning flower beds and planting bulbs. “It’s the best kept secret at the Park because we don’t get to see the beauty until next spring,” said Gina Wells, executive coordinator at the Park.
Another important part of this fall clean up duty is for the team to collect seeds. This is done by seed extraction from the wildflower prairie area of the Park. In bountiful seed years, they are able to package the seeds and provide them to the public. Be sure to follow the Park on Facebook for updates on seed packet availability.
Additional information: