Well, you definitely need to plant them ASAP. Without a doubt, it was not the best idea to dig them up as they were beginning to make their major growth for the year. The best time to do this is after bloom, when the foliage is going dormant by turning yellow and flopping over. Lots of bulbs can be moved "in the green" (which is what you began to do) if you lift the bulbs and entire root system with a goodly sized ball of soil around the roots and immediately replant it in good soil. But before you try this again, be sure you have time to lift and replant them on the very same day. Okay, so you haven't done it well. Join the big club. But, that doesn't mean all is lost. Replant all of the bulbs, ornithogalum and freesias, right away where you want them, and dig some good stuff into the ground before you plant them, just as an apology to the bulbs for treating them so badly :) I would suggest some composted manure or compost. Do not fertilize them with a commercial fertilizer, though if you have some fish emulsion, you could mix it at half strength and pour it on after you have planted the bulbs. Try to set the bulbs in the ground at the same depth they were originally planted. If you cannot plant them where you want them, put them in pots. Then hope for the best. With a bit of luck, they'll emerge with foliage and bloom next year. With alot of luck, they may bloom this year. If you go the pot route, get your soil ready early and then move the bulbs after their foliage dies back. It will be easy to find them in a pot.

Can I store them and replant in the fall, That too is a possibility. If you were planning to plant them in an area where you are growing things that require watering throughout the summer this year, that might be best anyway. If you move and plant them now, they 'could' rot (bake) with warm moist soil this summer. They 'might' also do just fine. In your zone, I'd probably just store them with the foliage attached until it dried, and then store them in a dry airy place until the soil temps have cooled in your area and it is their 'proper' planting time. chemocurl...aka Sue

Hi Bev, I am also a first time Clematis grower. I have about 40 potted clemmies on my deck. They all are pretty healthy. About one third of them are turning yellow and brown now. I guess it is just the right time for them to do so. We had our first light frost already, my baby clems in small pots are doing just fine. I am planning to bring them inside into unheated garage if we will have heavier frosts. Some of my tiny babies died to the ground after showing some growth. They seem to be much weaker than plants with good root system. I am not giving up on them though. I keep them moist and protected and hope for the best. Since your baby clems obviously do not have well developed root balls yet, I would give them extra protection this winter. If your basement is cold but frost free, that would work. Just keep them moist all the time. Alternatively, you can wrap pots in a bubble wrap, put a layer of mulch on the soil and leave them outside. Keeping them under the table sounds like a good idea to me, because heavy rains are somewhat damaging for the small plants. Just my two cents :-) I hope our experts will provide you with more info. Good luck! Alina.

Your landscapers did the right thing. You do NOT want to till that up. If you do, it will not level out again unless you bring someone back in to do exactly what your landscapers already did, DO NOT till, aerate, power rake, etc. Now, your options for the fall planting are extremely limited. I don't think you want it to be barren because of erosion. You need to get some type of roots in there. Your best bet right now is laying down some sod because it's already established. It just needs roots to dig in. If you really want to grow grass from seed... it's really really late. You might be able to do ryegrass right now, if you kiss and pray. I don't know how cold it is there now, or how cold it will get, but you should be able to get some of it to grow. Your chances, however, will be much greater if you plant the seed, use a roller to push the seed into the soil, throw a thin layer of compost (NOT topsoil) over it, give it a good watering, and then cover it with a germination blanket (or, a clear plastic sheet) over it for few days. This will trap the heat and moisture in there to help the seeds germinate. Check on it every couple of days. Once you seed seeds germinating, it's time to remove the germination blanket. Give it a gentle watering after you remove the blanket and keep it moist for at least a couple weeks. Again, its really late in the season for seed. Personally, I'd go with cheap annual ryegrass for a temporary lawn --- knowing that I would be planning to seed a more permanent lawn next year. Annual ryegrass germinates faster than perennial and the seedlings mature quicker than perennial, and if it all dies in a cold snap, you won't be down much. Nothing is guaranteed to survive the winter, but it's the only shot you've got for seeding right now.