Keep Wimberley Beautiful

It might seem early to talk about planting bulbs this fall for spring blooms, however, the plant catalogs are arriving. This week I sent off my order for bulbs that will be mailed to me in the fall. The process of early bulb ordering reminds me of Northerners dreaming of spring in the dead of winter when the plant catalogs arrive after Christmas.

When deciding what to order, determine the zone of Central Texas in your publication. Most catalogs put us in Zone 8, but with the warmer weather we have been experiencing the last few years, I look for plants that can tolerate Zone 9. You should also note the water requirements of plants you consider purchasing.

As we have often declared in this column, native plants will do best as they are adapted to this climate. However, there are also many other plants that are well adapted to Central Texas. I will list below some bulbs commonly found in catalogs that I have enjoyed over the years.

Hyacinths reappear every spring but get weaker with time. Their strong fragrance keep deer away. The lilies will rebloom for a couple of seasons. Day lilies do very well and although they will die back in the heat, they will reappear when given sufficient moisture. Rain lilies bloom repeatedly with the rains. Mature Bearded Iris bloom each spring and this year I am trying Dutch Iris which are reported to do well here.

Narcissus (group daffodils belong to) in the tazette group are best for regular spring blooms. I like Grand Primo, Campernelle, Texas Star, Soleil’dOr, and Erlicheer. Other gardeners have reported success with Dutch Master, Unsurpassable and Ice Follies.

All of the bulbs listed above should be kept in the house until it is time to plant them in November. They all should be planted in protected areas as only the Hyacinths are deer resistant. Stay cool while you dream of fall weather.

Written by Jackie Mattice, Hays County Master Naturalist