All About Bulbs

After you've made your selections, there are three things to consider when designing your planting. The first is color, and there are many to choose from. Ask yourself these questions: Where will the bulbs be--up against the house or centered in a landscape bed? Will the color contrast or complement nearby plants, the house color or other hardscape features?

Second, consider the height of your plants. Bulbs grow into to flowers that reach six inches tall and up. Where will the bulb be placed, and how will it affect the plants around it?

The third consideration--when do you want the bulbs to bloom? Some flower in early spring, others mid-spring, and still others are late-season bloomers.

When host Rebecca Kolls visited Holland, she learned to plant bulbs in drifts to make a dramatic impact in the garden, grouping the same colors and varieties together. This method is much more effective than scattering a few bulbs here and there. The bottom line? You're going to need a lot of bulbs in order to have this type of planting. Some people buy hundreds at a time. But keep in mind that the more you buy, the more you save on each bulb because you're buying in bulk.

Once you have the proper depth, sprinkle in some bulb fertilizer then insert the bulbs into the hole, spacing them two to three inches apart. Make sure the points are "looking up" at you (figure C). Once they're planted, give them a good soaking and continue watering periodically until the ground freezes hard. Once this happens, add a thick layer of mulch.

Lawn Décor

Did you know you can plant bulbs in the lawn as well? When planted like this, you'll have a blooming carpet of color. Tiny bulbs will naturalize quickly, so the show will get better every year. It's important to select the right blooms for your lawn. They must be early-blooming, so they can come up before the lawn starts growing. Plus they need to be short, typically less than six inches.

To create your own naturalized planting, you'll need a sharp spade, a garden fork and some good friends to help you out. First, use the spade to cut a three-sided rectangle into the lawn. Make sure you just scalp the grass. Carefully lift the sod like a flap, and score the soil below with the garden fork. Next, toss in the bulbs with their points up, and lay the flap back on top. Repeat the process randomly around your lawn.

Of course, you don't want your bulbs to be eaten by critters. There are some bulbs that the critters won't go near, including Fritillaria, Narcissus, Muscari, Hyacinthus, Camassia and Allium.

If you can't wait until spring, plant some fall-blooming bulbs, such as Colchicum and Crocus. Make sure to read the packaging to be certain you're purchasing a fall-bloomer. The beauty of these varieties is you can plant them and three weeks later, they offer beautiful blooms.