Butterfly collection Growing Guide
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Planting Butterfly collection
- Dahlia:
- Plant in spring after the last frost.
- If you cannot plant your bulbs and perennials right away, store them in a cool, dry, darklocation, like a basement.
- Plant the Dahlia with the crown 5 cm (2 in) below the soil surface and 50 to 60 cm (20 to 24 in) apart.
- Water thoroughly after planting.
- Lilium:
- Keep bulbs cool until planting and be careful that they do not dry out.
- Plant these bulbs about 15 cm (6 in) deep because they also grow roots from their stems and 15 to 20 cm (6 to 8 in) apart.
- These bulbs can be planted in full sun to partial shade but prefer “cold feet” (shaded root area, under plant or plant amidst low-growing perennial
- Hemerocallis:
- Keep plants cool until planting and be careful that they do not dry out.
- Choose a planting spot in full sun to partial shade and well-drained, loose soil.
- Plant with the top of the crown 3 cm (1 in) below soil level and space 30 to 40 cm (12 to 16 in) apart.
- The roots should not be showing after planting and watering them in lightly.
- Liatris:
- If you cannot plant your bulbs and perennials right away, store them in a cool, dry, dark location, like a basement.
- Plant the bulbs with the flat root plate facing down into the soil and the eyes, or crown, facing upwards about 13 cm (5 in) deep and space 15 to 20 cm (6 to 8 in) apart.
- Liatris will grow in full sun to partial shade but it will require 6 hours of sunshine a day for best results.
Growing Butterfly collection
- Pinch shoot tips twice to encourage fullness, first after 2 or 3 sets of leaves have developed, and again after a few weeks.
- These bulbs like a lot of water.
- Dahlias love to be fed. Fertilize your Dahlia regularly.
- Plant different lily species together for long- lasting colour and fragrance.
- Grow them where there will be some shade during the hottest part of the day so that flowers will hold their colour.
- These bulbs can be combined beautifully with all kinds of ferns; another natural spot for them is among shrubs.
- These plants prefer a slightly dry start if they are planted in spring. Once they are actively growing it is alright to give them supplemental water once a week, as needed, and enjoy a light application of fertilizer each spring.
- They make excellent mass plantings where other plants may have trouble growing such as steep hills or in below average soil, or they even work well with trees and shrubs.
- These bulbs thrives in a range of soils from slightly acidic to slightly alkaline, so soil amendments are rarely needed.
- Water as needed during active growth periods, but allow the soil to become dry between watering.
Care Butterfly collection
- Dahlias will bloom the entire summer.
- Remove all spent flowers with clippers to boost further flower production. The more you cut, the more they bloom.
- Stake taller varieties.
- After flowering, the leaves should be allowed to die down.The leaves will gather sunlight and provide nourishment for next year’s show.
- Water regularly throughout the growing and flowering period.
- Keep the plants healthy by removing dead flowers, leaves and stems.
- These flowers attract hummingbirds and butterflies.
- Although each flower lasts only one day the blooms follow each other day after day for weeks and you can extend the bloom season by combining early, mid and late blooming varieties.
- Remove faded flowers promptly for continuous blooming.
- Whether in the garden as a specimen plant, en masse as foundation plantings or in a cutting garden, this is a consistent and colourful performer.
- When in bloom, feel free to cut some flowers for bouquets.
Winterizing Butterfly collection
- Hardy in zones 8 to 10, elsewhere lift or protect over-winter.
- After first fall frost has blackened the foliage, or the foliage begins to wither, cut stems back to 10 to 15 cm (4 to 6 in).
- Lift the roots: gently dig up rhizome and allow to dry off.
- Store in slightly moistened vermiculite or peat moss in a cool 5 °C to 10 °C (40 °F to 50 °F) location.
- At the end of the season, allow the foliage to turn yellow and die back. After a frost, clip back the stems near ground level and apply a mulch cover to ensure the bulbs make it through the winter months.
- Hardy in USDA zones 4 to 9.
- Foliage should be cut back in the fall.
- For new plants, provide a winter mulch of evergreen boughs or salt marsh hay after the ground freezes to help prevent heaving.
- After flowering, the leaves should be allowed to die down. The leaves will gather sunlight and provide nourishment for next year’s show.
- You should be able to grow them right up into a USDA zone 4 with no problem outdoors. This is a cold-hardy bulb that does not require any winter protection in colder gardens
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