Bare Root Plants

Bare root plants I purchased about a month ago and stored in my basement seem to think spring is here and have grown, especially the lilies. I was shocked when I took them out to inspect today to make sure  they were okay. I don't know what to do because of course the ground is snow covered and too cold to plant anything outside. My porch is unheated but I have to do something. I'm thinking of planting them in containers and putting them on my porch in my little greenhouse so this creates sort of a micro climate. 

At night I can keep them even warmer by covering the greenhouse with a blanket. This way they don't die waiting for spring. I don't know when I can do this. Maybe put the green house together tonight and plant the lilies tomorrow. I need to clean my porch and make space for it. Why did I buy them so early. They were in the store and I thought there would be none there in a couple of months which usually happens every year.

What do you do when bare root plants start to grow? The peony are also up. I would hate to loose them. The gladiolas are the only ones dormant still. Black eye Susan roots are growing and healthy. My basement is unheated and should have kept them dormant as are the other bulbs in the basement but they didn't seem to mind the cold. Now I have to worry about the bare root native woodland plants I purchased from the flower show. I have cannas, begonias, elephant ears, and another bare root plant coming from Longfield garden in the spring. They arrive according to your planting zone.

I also bought my favorite since I didn't buy any this fall, hyacints. They were expensive to me though. Five bulbs for $10.50. I think when I'm out on the porch I'll plant them up for this spring instead of forcing them inside the house. I can't wait to smell them. I wanted more in other colors but I can wait till next fall.

I bought these at the Philadelphia Flower Show.

Oxalis Triangulous. I've bought one for the last 3 winters. One summer I put it in the planter on my steps. It did beautiful in partial shade and really multiplied. At that time I didn't know that this was a bulb and I could save them to replant as they are not hardy in zone 7. I love the delicate flowers that open and close. I spent $4.00's on it but should have waited. They are usually cheaper at the produce or supermarket where I usually get them but I haven't seen them yet this winter. They do normally come out around Saint Patrick's Day. Maybe I'll be able to get on of the green ones that have white blooms.

I bought 2 packs of seed from D. Landreth Seed Company. These and a pack of foxgloves. The woodland bare root plants also come from Landreth. Most of the money I spent at the flower show was spent at this vendor.

I fell in love with agapanthus when I went to Mount Cuba Center last Summer. Here's a picture of them there. It's recommended to plant them in containers and I will since they aren't winter hardy in Philly.

These came from Home Depot probably over a month ago. That's a peony on the right hand side.

From Landreth. Trillium (wake robins), Virginia bluebells, shooting stars, ballon flowers, agapanthus blue and white, Christmas fern, and double begonia.

These are the lily bulbs. All growing. They have to be planted now.

These were grown by Medowbrook Farm the store of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society in Abington a county a short ride from Philly.

That's abutilion savitzii. I've seen it at the flower show grown as trees. I hope this lives so I can attempt to train it to just grow straight up with one central stem. That's a geranium (pelargonium) next to it. I bought 2. I wanted the white varigated ones. I saw some at the show last Saturday but they were sold out this past Saturday. There were plenty of scented geraniums. I'll have to leave them alone because I had an allergic reaction at the flower show from them. They were the only plants I picked up and sniffed. I sniffed the lemon, citranella, and another type. Bad decision. I thought my face and neck would fall off from itching. I asked where the first-aid station was but couldn't find it. Thank God my throat didn't close or I didn't get hives.

 I was okay after a while after but I wanted to wash my hands and face. The bathrooms were so crowded. This was the first time I've ever had a reaction to a plant. If hyacinths and paper whites don't bother me I don't know why I had this reaction to the geraniums. I've also had a citranella scented geranium before, handled it but got no reaction. Maybe it was from one of the other scents. I'm going to keep the geraniums as a house plant. I tried this variety before with no success. It's a new year and I've learned more so maybe this time is the charm.