Parkway Tulips Spring Show - April 2024

The pink tulip bulbs that are planted down close to the sidewalk IB2DWs are up and showing out this week with blooms that are opening up.  This area was grass until September of 2021, when I declared this a 'hard-to-grow' spot that wasn't supporting turf.  Between the poor soil conditions (clay + gravel from the driveway and sidewalk installation) plus the heat that radiates from those during the Summer made this an inhospitable spot that held Kentucky Bluegrass turf that ALWAYS went dormant during the heat of the Summer.  Look back here for a photo of this section when it was grass. 

In the Fall of 2021, I planted a number of tulip bulbs down by the sidewalk and they had their first Spring in 2022.  That makes this (2024), their third year of blooms. That same Fall (2021), I added an ornamental grass - Panicum Shaenandoah Red Switchgrass in that same bed that has come back each season.  Last Fall, I planted a pair of variegated sedums - Sedum Kamtschaticum Variegatum in the same bed that came back for their first Spring (after some Rabbit damage this Winter) this month.  Lastly, I planted a small Royal Purple Smoke Tree along the property line that sort-of extends this small sidewalk-side bed to the conifer garden IB2DWs.

I know the soil conditions down here haven't been great, so over the Winter, I spread some biosolids as topdressing over the top, hoping they'll improve the conditions just a little bit.  If you look at the photo below, you'll note that the turf along the bed is MUCH thicker/greener.  Why?  Biosolids applied to beds have fed the border turf.

This bed needs Spring mulch and a proper clean-up/edge, so that's what will happen next.  

Here's what the tulips and sedum and smokebush look like in early April:

There are a few things that I'm thinking about down here:

First...companion planting with tulips.  I'll admit that I've learned that I've been using tulips wrong.  They NEED to be interplanted with other perennials that emerge as the tulip bulbs die back.  The foliage of the tulips need to remain to allow the bulb to collect energy for next season, but that foliage - as it dies back - is not attractive.  Ideally....it needs to be 'hidden' by something else that is emerging at that same time.  Currently...these tulips live in isolation.  There's nothing else coming up here to 'hide' them.  So, that's something I should be considering to change this year.

Second, more soil amendments are needed down here if I want to plant anything.  Another layer of biosolids BEFORE mulch would be ideal.  

Lastly...I've been wanting (and getting to know) to try planting sun-tolerant coleus in mass.  One of the red-colored varieties.  This bed - and perhaps with a little bit more turf removal - is the spot that I'm thinking about this season.  That will be on my 2024 to-do list.  The other thing will be thinking about doing some Fall bulb planting in spots WHERE those companions already exist.  I skipped Fall bulbs in 2023, I shouldn't do that again in 2024.