Also, any beginner resources for bulbs would be appreciated! If there are any big box stores close to you, (Walmart, Lowe's, Home Depot, Menards, etc) I'd check those out for hopefully some reduced priced Daffodils, or Hyacinths, or muscari (grape hyacinth), or crocuses. I would not recommend any tulips from the big box stores as most varieties sold that way are not the perennial ones. Some of the on-line sources have quit shipping for the season. The link below appears to still be shipping and even has a 'mix' on sale. Earlier in the season I would have recommended Brent and Becky's or Buggy Crazy for on line bulbs. Sue Here is a link that might be useful: Van Bourgondien

I'm using Tulle as row covers for this purpose. I don't think it will have the humidity problem you're worried about. We don't ususally have the mildew issue until late July early August. I'm just worried about the second wave of SVB. Last year I was able to surgically remove the first wave of borers and only lost one plant. But I didn't know there was going to be a second wave and I lost a few more that way... This year my raised beds look like a bridal store threw up on them. Tulle covers everything! But soon enough the plants will be big enough that I'm going to have to expose them to the world in order to get pollination. Then I'm going to try the wrapping panty hose around the bottom of the stem trick to see if that will stop the second wave... We'll see how it all goes. Fight the good fight! Susan

hi 1sst I just finished planting here in Baltimore County. I don't think you are too late in SC.

In USDA 7 this should still be prime autumn planting time. (In my part of USDA 8 the curtain drops in November - the stormiest month of the year - and December is the coldest month of the year. Nevertheless landscape contractors and others who work in the rain may transplant etc. right through the winter, whenever the ground is not frozen). The only thing is you will have missed the chance to have new plantings root well out into the new site right after planting in any cases where particular kinds have already extended their roots (60% of root elongation for the whole year occurs in fall, after the overwintering stem (or crown, in the case of perennials that do this, such as peonies) buds have been set. But any hardy plants you already have on hand should still go into the ground now instead of being kept trapped in pots until next year. Also any root-bound woody plants - these are very frequent on the market, unfortunately - should have their roots cut and/or pulled open at planting time anyway; any circling roots that have been cut will not elongate to the same extent again until the following autumn. Spring: Winter buds open, causing new roots to form - but emphasis is on new shoot growth, flowering Summer: Top still gets most of the energy Autumn: Winter buds mature, causing existing roots to elongate - the only time of the year when plant's energy is concentrated on root growth Winter: Plant effectively hibernates, except for minimal root growth which may happen when soil temp. in 40s F. or above