The appearance of bulbs is one of the joys of gardening that happens in the spring. For gardeners with four distinct seasons, this form of gardening is just the thing to clue us in that warmer weather is on the way.
Now, for the most part, really great gardening is done in climates that experience a cold winter. In the United States, this would be from about Zones 3 to Zone 7. The southern states really don't get cold enough in the wintertime to have super successful spring bulb gardens (all you southern gardeners prove me wrong if this isn't the case).
One of the neat things to do in the late fall is doing something called forcing. You take daffodils, paperwhites, tulips and amaryllis, put them in the pots that you intend to have them bloom in, and store them in a dark, cold place (like a basement or garage refrigerator) for about 12-16 weeks. Start forcing in November just before Thanksgiving and then pull them out sometime in February.
When you put them in that dark, cold place, they'll think it's winter. When you yank them out and give them some warm water, sunlight and warmth, they'll start to grow.
Timing
For a bountiful spring garden, you'll want to plant bulbs in the fall. That's why you'll see all of the catalogs [affiliate Link] get mailed over the summer so that people can make their selections and plant before first frost.
Now, there are a lot of people who avoid this kind of gardening because of the way they're planted. Bulbs want to be planted eight to 10 inches deep and that's why the hand planters you buy in home centers stand so tall.
Last season, I found a great planter that allows me to plant without having to bend over: it's called a Ground Hog.
It's a three to four foot high planter with a gripping mechanism so I can replace the soil after planting with one, swift motion. No crouching down to pack soil back over the bulb. I tamp down the soil with my foot and move on to the next victim.
What kinds of bulbs are there? Daffodils, tulips, snowdrops, crocus and iris just to name a few.
Bulbs also make great gifts. You can get them in large bags at home and garden centers for a nice housewarming present.
Daffodils
Daffodils are probably one of the most popular spring bulbs around. They come in a variety of colors and textures and can be grown just about anywhere in your garden. You can also grow daffodils successfully in containers.
It's a good idea every few years to dig up your daffodils and separate the babies from the main bulbs. After digging it up, if you see what looks like a little clove of garlic growing on the side, that's a baby bulb and you can separate it from its mama and plant it somewhere else.
My favorite daffodil is called a narcissi. It's one of the most fragrant daffodils and is also the sub-species known as paperwhites.
Tulips
My favorite flower is the tulip. I love the deep, tall red tulips the best. The only problem with planting tulips is that they are a really tasty treat for squirrels, moles and voles.
If these critters were human, bulbs would be their chocolate. Tulips tend to get eaten before they ever have chance to bloom.
So here's the best trick in the business: when you plant tulips, make sure you plant them in the center of a ring of daffodils. Daffodils are not a critter favorite.
Snowdrops and Crocus
Snowdrops are usually the very first harbingers of spring in my February Virginia garden. You'll frequently see these little guys pushing up beautiful purple and yellow petals in the midst of a patch of snow. When you see snowdrops blooming, you'll know you're almost home free for spring.
Iris
In the iris family, there's bearded iris and dwarf iris. Beardeds have a very prominent protrusion in the middle of the bloom that sort of looks like a tongue. Dwarf iris come up very early, stand just a few inches tall and have no beard.
If you'd like a nice spring iris bouquet, go for the tall bearded varieties.
Glads, Dahlias, Lillies and More
Bulbs aren't just for springtime. They're also for summer and fall. A beautiful summer-bloomer is the gladiola. These flowers are quite majestic and stand very tall. They come in a variety of colors for a beautiful summer and fall bouquet.
But here's a word of gladiola warning: If you don't give them some support, you'll find them on the ground after just one hard rain. I've found that most glads also need to be re-planted every year.
There are several species of lilies (canna, tiger, stargazer and calla), which are beautiful in the summer garden.
Dahlias are a gorgeous addition to the summer and fall gardens, coming in a wild array of colors --even black and lime green.
Non-Flowering Bulbs
For foliage only, try growing elephant's ears and caladium in the summer, too. While they don't bloom, their beautiful foliage will enrich any shade garden.
