Bulb Bloomin' Crazy

Jimmy Turner of the Dallas Arboretum explains that we just have to change our way of thinking about the life span of a bulb. In Texas, he treats them as annuals. "Tulips just don’t perennialize in Texas. They won’t come back every year," he says. "So we just put them touching, bulb to bulb, and get as much color as quickly as possible." That way, for six to eight weeks in the spring, he gets a beautiful burst of color that is a real traffic stopper.

When does Jimmy usually plant spring bulbs? Even in Texas, bulbs are planted between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

This same planting procedure will also work for some of the minor bulbs like snowdrops, irises and anemones. And there are plenty of companion plants you can use to fill in the bed until the bulbs bloom, such as pansies, violas and snapdragons.

One final tip: If you’re storing bulbs in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator, take the fruit out. Fruit like apples and oranges emit a gas that can damage the bulb's flower.