I was walking in the garden a few days ago and thoroughly taking joy in the profusion of day lilies and the colors they put up. They seem to just keep going in spite of what Mother Nature might throw at them. Anyway, this little jaunt reminded me that it is August and there are some chores that need to be tended or, at the very least, put on the upcoming schedule.

The time is now to page through those catalogs if you want special bulbs to plant for next spring. By the time you figure out what you want, get them ordered and they get shipped – well, it will be just about time to plant them. Planting is best at the end of September or first of October for bulbs.

I tend to think of bulbs and day lilies together a great deal because I use day lilies to over-plant bulbs. The day lilies take their time “growing up” in the spring, which makes them perfect companions for spring-blooming bulbs.

The bulbs come up and bloom and then begin to fade. Since you must leave the foliage to brown for the bulbs to gain energy for next year, it can be unsightly. But the day lilies are just perfect to cover the mess. When the foliage is browning, the lily leaves are unfurling right over that mess. They are excellent companions.

Try a triangle

When you get ready to plant bulbs, plan the sets of bulbs in sets of threes. As an example, three different kinds of tulips, no less than six or eight bulbs of each kind and of similar heights and blooming time. Plant them like points on a triangle and leave the space in the middle – that’s where the day lily goes. The only caution, when you buy the day lily don’t buy one of the new miniature ones or it won’t cover up anything. Go for a plant that says it will grow from 24 to 36 inches.

This all works out well because in five or six years when the bulbs begin to tire out and need to be replaced, it will probably be time to divide the day lily as well and they like to be divided in the fall. It has been my experience that daffodils just don’t wear out, and there are some really new doubles and wonderful colors out there, so you might choose those instead of tulips. If you do, don’t worry about the day lily, I have some that are 15 years old and have never been divided and they do just fine.

Also, if you are ordering bulbs, don’t forget about layering. You can put tulips, daffodils, hyacinths and crocus (and a bunch more) all in the same bed. You just put the biggest bulbs at the bottom, add an inch or two of soil, put in the next biggest so they are not directly over but offset between the bulbs on the bottom layer and add more soil etc. No matter what kind of bulb I am planting, I always throw in a few daffodils around the other bulbs. Moles do not like daffodils and tend to shy away from the area and when the plants come up, the deer don’t like them either. A twofold critter deterrent – and, as a bonus, they look pretty.

The day lily trick works well with other spring bloomers as well. If you are a pansy or viola fan, you know they look pretty bad by the end of June, or earlier if it is hot. The day lilies will cover them when you cut them back and keep them cool so they are more likely to re-bloom in the fall. The same is true for Oriental poppies, which die back and look ugly. But in this case, make sure you have a tall day lily, like one 48 inches high. You can plant three Oriental poppies and put the day lily in the middle. Great camouflage.

If you are buying bulbs at the local nursery or garden center, select only firm, solid bulbs. Avoid ones that are shriveled or lightweight, and don’t buy bulbs that have soft spots or are moldy. Size matters – the bigger the bulb, the better the flower display next spring.

Perennial plant sales have already begun in some places. So if you are going to do bulbs this fall, look for those day lilies on sale now. Figure out where the bulbs are going and plant the day lily. That will give it a head start to get roots put down since the end of September, when the bulbs need to go in, will make that a little more difficult.

Until next time, if you have not deadheaded all the lupines, daisies and brown-eyed Susans, gather the seed pods and sprinkle them in an empty place by your house or along a country road. They will make a nice gift for someone to see next summer. Watch out for the big yellow buses coming to a road near you soon and the little ones who will be getting off and on, hope for more sunshine, start cutting flowers to dry and enjoy the blackberries and peaches!

Happy gardening!

Jody Goodwin has been gardening for more than 20 years. She lives in Turner with her husband, Ike, her two dogs and two cats. She can be reached by writing to her in care of the Sun Journal, 104 Park St., Lewiston, Maine, 04243-4400 or by e-mail at [email protected].