October 7, 2020
Inspired Ideas for Tending Your Home and Garden
Editor's Note
With so much going on in the world right now, I wanted this week's issue to highlight easy things you can do to embrace fall and spur a little creativity, too. From bountiful autumn wreaths to tips for choosing your spring-flowering bulbs, I hope this edition of The Cultivation will leave you feeling inspired and energized.
Yours,
3 Wreaths for an Autumnal Entryway
I'm a wreath person. I love how the simple act of hanging one on the front door feels like a celebration of the season. And fall wreaths, which generally mix dried flowers, herbs, and other botanicals in harvest hues, are invariably my favorites. Below I've selected three autumnal options that will carry you from now through Thanksgiving.
Pops of burgundy, yellow, and orange from the flowers combined with the neutral tones of the grasses make this wreath particularly versatile. It will work for just about any style of home.
Stark and stunning, this golden dried-wheat wreath is an ode to color and texture. It would look smashing on the front door of a more contemporary home.
This wreath's bright orange, dried Japanese lanterns really pop against the gray-green eucalyptus and beige sorghum wheat. Pair it with some pumpkins nearby to complete the look.
Planning Your Springtime Bulb Program
In all of the excitement of moving into our new home and with fall upon us, I've recently accumulated an absolutely absurd number of spring-flowering bulbs for our garden. They are so simple to plant — nothing more than digging a hole and plopping in a bulb — but so splendid when they bloom that the whole exercise almost feels indulgent. Such a huge payoff for so little work. And putting them in now means you're essentially adding another mini season of flowers to your garden with no additional care, minimal planting effort up front, and almost no need for extra space. That said, selecting bulbs can feel a bit overwhelming. The following tips should help you make the right selections for your space.
Aim For Staggered Bloom Times
Snowdrops and crocuses are among the earliest bloomers, sometimes popping up while there's still snow on the ground (thus the name "Snowdrops"). Tulips tend to offer mid-to-late spring color and alliums come along in early summer amidst the perennials. Knowing this bloom-time information (always available on bulb packaging) can help you create a gorgeous bulb program that provides weeks and weeks of color.
Be Mindful of Sunlight
Just like other plants, bulbs do have preferred light conditions for optimal flowering and success. Earlier blooming bulbs will be emerging before the leaves come out on the trees, so an area that you're accustomed to thinking of as shady in summer may have ample sunlight in March or April.
Know Your Heights
Spring bulbs come in an enormous array of heights. From 4-inch tall crocuses to 3-foot high alliums, there's a perfectly sized bulb for every space. Think about size when selecting which bulbs to buy and where to plant them. Pick a spot where they won't be blocked by the emergent growth of surrounding plantings, or visa versa.
Book Club: Autumn Edition
I adore anything and everything related to plant lore and etymology so I've indulged in three new books to feed my obsession. Here's a rundown of my latest selection:
This book offers exactly what it promises: Quick but detailed explanations of both common and eccentric plants — think entries in Encyclopedia Britannica, if you are old enough to remember those leather-bound bookshelf staples.
Writer, artist, and nature-lover Ruth Binney strikes a lighter tone that reads more like a fairytale or a bit of Greek mythology than a science book. A great choice for when you want to escape into nature without leaving your home.
Calling all history and trivia buffs! This book chronicles 50 plants that have made some of the biggest impacts in world history. The descriptions of these game-changers are thorough but succinct and paired with images to present a complete package of information to wow any Zoom gathering.
We hope you enjoyed issue 20 of The Cultivation. If there is a garden you love and want to know how it was done, let us know by emailing us here. Want to catch up on previous issues? Click here to read through all of our prior editions. And remember to follow us on Instagram @staghorn_living!
See you next week.