Fall is prime planting time on Whidbey Island. October is the best time to get plants in the soil — well before the ground freezes — to ensure color in late winter, spring and into summer.
Fall planting gives bulbs necessary chill time and establishes shrubs and trees before their spring growth spurt.
Selecting bulbs and plants early lets gardeners map out color that flows from early snowdrops and hellebores to summer’s Asiatic and Oriental lilies.
“Every year, we get tempted with new colors and shapes of bulbs,” Sally Clifton of Sally’s Garden in Coupeville said. In late August, Clifton spent four days in Portland, Ore., at the Farwest Garden Show. She saw everything new and great along with heirloom flowers and rock-steady favorites. “It’s a great show to get ideas and get excited for spring — all year actually,” she said before leaving for the show. She now has her order from the show , including all sorts of bulbs, in her shop.
“I always see something new that’s great. The show is full of gorgeous colors and scents,” Clifton said.
Clifton explained that good planning allows gardeners to theme plantings for fragrance, shape, color. It also allows time to avoid and “outwit” problems: slugs, deer, fungus. “I always feature a deer-resistant area in my store,” Clifton said. Deer don’t like the tastes and textures of certain bulbs, herbs and shrubs.
Early planting also allows gardeners to try new techniques to deter slugs like banding planters with copper wiring or mulching with special slug-scraping yet environmentally-friendly materials.
In Oak Harbor, Greenhouse Nursery’s Barbara Hornbaker also highlights deer-resistant plantings like alliums, hyacinth and fritillaria which are often called “snake-head lilies.”
“This year, we are expecting to see some great new tulips, Dutch iris, freesias and scillas,” Hornbaker said.
For earlier color, she recommends planting camellias — some bloom in late December depending on weather — forsythias and witchhazels.
“The Chinese is probably the most fragrant and it glows in yellows with maybe a bit of red,” she said. Camellias offer punchy bits of pinks, white and reds against glossy green leaves.
“Don’t wait too late to get blueberries planted,” Hornbaker cautioned. “You want the most berries you can get next summer.”
She said fall is the best time to plant any shrub from lilac to hydrangea.
Now is the time for gardeners to plan spring planting while they pick their last dahlias.
Look for local colors
Local farmers markets or plant sales often feature homegrown plants and shrubs at spectacular prices. Since the plants were raised on Whidbey Island, they should flourish here with care.
Coupeville Market: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturdays through Oct. 11, N. Main Street, Coupeville.
Bayview Market: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturdays through Dec. 20, Bayview Rd. and Highway 525.
Greenbank Farm Market: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Sundays through Oct. 12, Highway 525 and Wonn Road.
South Whidbey Tilth Market: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturdays through Oct. 25, Highway 525 and Thompson Road.
Meerkerk Gardens: Saturday, Oct. 11, the gardens hosts its autumn hybrid test garden sale. From 9 a.m. to noon select rhododendrons from choice mature hybrids. The gardens are on Meerkerk Lane off Resort Road. Turn off Highway 525, Greenbank.
