Did you know that your bulb garden doesn't have to be high-maintenance? One of my earliest memories is my mom planting what felt like endless tulip bulbs—500 of them, in fact. She was a young mom with three kids, no spare time, and definitely not a person who could fuss over plants every day, but somehow, she always had color! Bulbs showed up for her, and she did not have to slave over her garden to get them. That’s why I know it is possible to create a low‑maintenance garden with bulbs. So I invited Jenny Rose Carey on the show to walk us through it. She gardens on a 4.5‑acre property called Northview, filled with thousands of bulbs that bloom from late winter through fall. She’s a horticulturist, a biologist, a teacher at heart, and the author of The Essential Guide to Bulbs. She shares how bulbs actually work, which ones are worth planting, and how to plant them so they don’t rot or disappear after one season! Let's begin!

In this episode, we learn:

[04:04] Meet Jenny Rose Carey
[07:05] What’s the history behind her 4-acre garden called Northview?
[09:57] What a full season of bulbs actually looks like at Northview
[11:30] What counts as a bulb? (Are dahlias bulbs?)
[12:43] How the bulb cycle works
[14:25] Designing a wedding garden with dahlias, raised beds, and containers full of flowers!
[15:44] Manukora Honey
[17:30] How to understand the seasonal lifecycle & dormancy of bulbs (spring bulb vs summer bulb)
[22:12] How bulbs can create a lower-maintenance garden
[23:37] What are the best summer bulbs?
[26:55] Summer bulbs Jenny loves most for flowers and cutting gardens!
[29:48] Bulb planting 101
[33:20] How do you know which way is up when planting a bulb?
[34:32] Why some bulbs seem to “fail” the first year
[37:16] The drainage rule to avoid bulb rot
[39:28] In-ground vs. containers for bulbs
[41:42] How lasagna planting works for bulbs
[44:39] The best places in your garden to plant bulbs
[45:52] What are Jenny’s favorite fragrant bulbs for summer?
[48:03] The biggest mistakes people make when planting bulbs
[49:15] How to use store-bought bulbs for instant gratification
[50:28] Where to find Jenny, her book The Essential Guide to Bulbs, and her garden at Northview!

Mentioned in our conversation:

Growing Joy 150: Bulb Basics with Jenks Farmer
The Essential Guide to Bulbs by Jenny Rose Carey
Northview Gardens

For Jenny's complete bulb tutorial,

check out the full show notes and blog here!

Follow Jenny:

Website
Northview Garden
Instagram
Facebook
YouTube
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Thank you to our episode sponsor:

Manukora

Go to manukora.com/bloom to get up to 31% off the starter kit that includes their 850+ Manukora honey jar, 5 honey travel sticks, a wooden spoon, and a guidebook, PLUS $25 worth of free gifts!

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