Dig up a bit of summer for next year

After the recent cold snap, saving summer seems like an excellent idea.

While it isn't possible to store away the warm air and sunshine, it is possible to store some of summer's choice flowers, which will bloom again next year.

These types of flowers are referred to collectively as summer bulbs. However, most are not true bulbs but a collection of tubers, rhizomes and corms.

Before grabbing your shovel and digging up your summer blossoms, mentally separate your plants into two categories according to their temperature requirements. They are either hardy — meaning they will survive the winter out of doors — or they are tender — meaning they need special care to survive winter.

Many summer flowering bulbs need no particular care to survive winter. Asiatic lilies, liatris, Japanese anemones and peonies are summer bulbs that are cold hardy. They can be left in in the soil over the winter.

Daylilies and iris can be left in the ground as well. About the only winter care they need is to top-dress them with a little compost or soil. This protects them and keeps the small roots from drying out. This also allows the plants to grow larger and produce better blooms.

The tender group includes cannas, dahlias, tuberous begonias and gladiolus, as well as caladiums, elephant ears, agapanthus, freesias and ranunculus.

Gladioli are the easiest to store. After the foliage dies back, dig up the corms and let them dry for several days. Remove the tops, put them in a mesh onion bag and hang them in a cool, dry place until planting time next spring.

Cannas, which grow from rhizomes, are a little bit trickier. Start by carefully digging the plants. I prefer to use a digging fork because it lets you get under the clusters and lift them up while gently shaking off the soil. Dig several inches back from the base of the plants so you do not cut the rhizomes.

Handle the plants carefully to avoid cutting, breaking or "skinning" the fleshy structure. Diseases can readily enter through cuts and bruises, and this can cause rotting and severe losses in storage, which means you have nothing left to grow next season.

After digging, let the plants dry or cure in a frost-free area out of the weather for a few days. Cut off the large leaves and shred them for compost. Leave about 4 inches of stem to dry back during storage. Put them in a place out of the weather where they can dry for a few days. After that, knock off most of the soil.