Color-Coordinated Spring Bloom

It's frustrating when your carefully planned spring-bulb plantings don't bloom when you thought they would.

"It's one of the questions we're asked frequently," said Sally Ferguson, director of the Netherlands Flower Bulb Information Center in New York City. "'Will these tulips work together?' I say, yes, two late-season tulips should bloom together, but will they? In nature there are always variables. If you're smart you'll learn to enjoy the inevitable surprises."

When it comes to selecting and scheduling "bloom teams," Ferguson suggests thinking of color in the garden as "building towards a color crescendo" where flowers come into bloom and decline at approximately the same times.

"Don't expect flowers to perform like synchronized swimmers," she says. "They won't bloom together precisely; their bloom times will show a bit more individuality. At best, flower combos overlap over a stretch of time."

To get as close as possible to the color mixes you crave, follow the lead of the experts. A team of Dutch bulb experts put together some colorful combos of bulbs that should — more often than not — bloom together in particularly delightful ways. All are planted in fall.