Now’s the time to bury bulbs in your garden

With October comes peak spring bulb planting season. October is the best time to plant as the soils are beginning to cool and the bulbs are readily available. Be sure to get your selection now, either from a local garden center or online. There are so many wonderful, colorful, delightful bulbs to tempt gardeners that are planted now for an amazing spring showcase of bloom.

Many garden centers are filled with a huge selection of colorful bulbs. Fall planted bulbs for spring color include such traditional varieties as tulips, daffodils, allium, hyacinth, fritillaria and others.

Of course, tulips and daffodils are well-known and come in a variety of different styles and bloom times. Some of the other bulbs are lesser-known, but equally dramatic and charismatic in the garden during the spring season.

Here are some tips for planting bulbs this fall for an amazing display come spring:

Plant a variety of different bulbs for the best display. You can mix and match them, almost like a wild flower garden, or keep them in their own colorful drifts and masses of bloom.

When shopping for tulips and daffodils, be aware that, with each of these, you can select bulbs that bloom early in the season, mid-season and late in the season. For example, there are tulips that bloom early (April), tulips that bloom in the middle of the season (early to mid-May) and tulips that bloom late in the season (sometimes into June). These bloom times should be indicated on the package. For the longest bloom season, select a variety from each of these three bloom periods. That way, you will have bulbs in bloom from April into June.

Plant bulbs in masses for the best showcase. Instead of using a bulb planter and digging single holes in straight rows, use a shovel and dig out a hole 1 to 3 feet wide and stuff it full of spring bulbs. Whether you use all the same bulb or a variety of different types, you will create a more vivacious and lively display in the spring by planting in masses. Experiment with different shapes, as well. Plant in a large oval or teardrop shape for a drift of stunning beautiful color in spring.

Take advantage of pre-mixed color combinations and blends for an amazing effect. Many bulb companies now offer bulb mixtures or blends in color combinations that are easy to plant and come up looking beautiful in spring. For example, there are combinations of pink and purple, red white and blue, red and white, purple and white, and all different mixtures. Some of these mix bulbs of different types together.

These blends allow you to mix it up without having to spend a lot of time or money sorting through individual varieties. Many of these blends, like the pink lemonade mix of pink tulips and yellow daffodils, are simply beautiful.

Many gardeners plant bulbs in and among their perennials, so that when the perennials begin to leaf out in May and June, they will hide the leftover foliage of the bulbs. Sometimes, daffodil foliage and tulip foliage can look unsightly for a few weeks, but it is necessary to allow the foliage to continue to feed the bulb. Planting bulbs among hostas, daylilies and other perennials can help hide this unsightly foliage until it withers away.

Try specialty bulbs this season, too. While everyone goes for the tulips and daffodils, there are a number of amazing specialty bulbs as well. Checkered lilies, crown imperials, Spanish blue bells, chocolate bells, as well as many varieties of ornamental onion, or allium, make for a great show. Combine these all together into a big bulb bed for a beautiful, natural, wildflower look in the spring season.

Mix and match colorful bulbs this fall for a beautiful spring display that will be so welcomed during March and April when they begin to emerge and bloom and brighten the garden with the season’s first color.

Rob Zimmer is a nature and garden author, public speaker and radio show host on WHBY. Readers can find him on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RobZimmerOutdoors.