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Now's the time to plant crocuses, daffodils

Crocuses are ideal bulbs for naturalizing, for rock gardens or for under-planting beneath tall trees. They may be scattered in lawns, but their grasslike foliage must remain intact for at least six weeks before being mowed to a short height for best long-term results. Crocuses, which are planted more shallowly, are easy targets for rabbits and squirrels. These bulbs might require repellent products or chicken wire screen placed directly over them under the soil at planting time. Blood meal sprinkled on the ground after planting may help repel squirrels and chipmunks.

• Warm fall days are great for installing Christmas lights. It is much easier to wrap branches with strings of lights on warm days in mid- to late October than on cold days in late November or early December.

Using LED lights saves on power and allows the use of more strings on each circuit. Buy warm-color white LED lights if you want to match the color of commonly used white incandescent lights. Cool-color white LED lights give off a blue cast. Wrap branches with strings of lights to accent the tree's form.

Chicago Botanic Garden staff starts installing strings of lights in early October.

• If you are planting bulbs for next spring, keep in mind that daffodils are among the hardiest, most adaptable and most pest-resistant bulbs for Chicago-area gardeners. They naturalize beautifully and are available in many sizes and bloom times. Proper selection of varieties will give three to five weeks of constant bloom. Deer, squirrels, chipmunks and rabbits do not eat them. Ornamental onions also will not be eaten by animals. Tulips, on the other hand, are a favorite of deer and rabbits. In my garden, squirrels and chipmunks have left winter aconite and snowdrops alone while eating all of the crocuses!

• Proper placement is important for success with spring-flowering bulbs. They prefer moisture in early spring and fall and dry conditions in the summer when they are dormant. They do not like wet sites or heavy clay soil. If your soils are on the heavy side with high clay content, plant bulbs higher than normally recommended. In general, plant bulbs at three times the diameter of the bulb.

• Tim Johnson is director of horticulture at Chicago Botanic Garden, chicagobotanic.org.

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