Time to Plant Spring Bulbs!

After a long, dreary winter, colorful spring bulbs are a welcome site. They lift our spirits just as we are starting to fear that winter will never end. Planting bulbs is like planting a little piece of spring. The best part of all is that they are some of the easiest plants to grow. As long as you have good light and good drainage, bulbs grow with little to no maintenance. Any bulb planting must first begin with bulb selection. You must consider what colors you prefer, when each type of bulb will flower, what sizes they will attain, and if you have any pests in the area that might damage or destroy your bulbs.

Bulb gardens tend to look most beautiful and dramatic when they are planted in swaths of color. For example, if you planted an entire bed with red tulips, it would look much more stunning than a bed with a mix of five or six colors. Also consider the height of each bulb when planting. Ideally you want to plant the shorter bulbs in front of taller bulbs so that you get layers of flowers. One neat idea is to choose bulbs with different heights and colors, but within the same hue e.g., various shades of blue. The result would be a texturally rich visual scheme but with a unified theme.

Another thing to consider is that bulbs do not all flower at the same time. Therefore it is possible to extend your bloom period for several months. Choose early bloomers like snowdrops and crocus to get blooms in March. Daffodils and tulips bloom through April and May, while alliums and some fritillarias bloom in late May to June.

 

Finally, when selecting bulbs, make sure that there are no bulb devouring pests in your yard. Bulb pests include deer, rabbits, squirrels, and voles. Fortunately there are bulbs that are less likely to be attacked. Therefore, if these creatures do live in your immediate vicinity, make sure to choose the following types of bulbs: daffodils, camas, bluebells, glory of the snow, fritillaria, snowdrops, anemone, allium, and crocus. By avoiding planting things like tulips, hyacinths and muscari, you will ultimately save yourself a lot of heart break when these pests attack. 

Once you have selected the bulbs you wish to plant, the rest is easy. Simply dig a hole, place some bulb food in there, and drop the bulbs in. The ideal planting depth depends on the size of the bulb. The general rule is to plant three times as deep as the bulb is wide. That means about 4 to 6 inches deep for small bulbs like snowdrops, crocuses, and scillas, and about 8 inches deep for large bulbs like hybrid tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths. You can follow the recommended spacing on the packages or place them closer together for a bigger impact. Once they are planted, sit back, relax, and enjoy the show come spring!