Outstanding Gardens don't just happen, they are planned out by gardeners who know what to plant and how to plant it!
Now is the Time! Spring Planting must be done in the Fall, for beauty next year when the snow has melted.
Here is the List of Bulbs that I plan on planting this fall, for a radiant, colorful garden. I love to have flowers blooming all the time. So I plan these bulbs accordingly. There are many bulbs that will grow in early spring, mid-spring and late-spring almost summer.
Grammie Olivia's List
- Tulips (some of these will be early, mid-spring and late)
- Daffodils or Narcissus
- Crocus
- Hyacinths (they smell incredible)
- Anemones
- Alliums
- Muscari or Grape Hyacinths
- English Bluebells
- Galanthus or Snow Drops
- Iris
This is just the starters list. From here I will go and pick out the Tulips that will grow at the different times in the spring and I will also decide on what colors I want. I will plan to plant these in groups of 3 or 5 or 7. Always, always plant in odd numbers! Any master gardener that I have spoken to has reiterated that Rule!
Think about that when you are purchasing as well. If you buy a dozen tulips, you will have 4 groups of 3 bulbs to plant. That will also make a nice show in your garden.
Do the same thing with the Daffodils/Narcisus that you plan to purchase.
Figure out how many of each kind you will need to fill the spot in your garden and then try to make it an uneven number. If you can't I would prefer to see 4 planted in the same spot as opposed to 3 in one spot and 1 all alone. Even gardeners will make exceptions to the Rule!
Beautiful Spring Bulbs
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Planting the bulbs is a little more tricky than just plopping them into a hole in the ground. Although that might work with some bulbs, it is not an encouraged practice.
Once you have purchased your bulbs, make sure that you have the time and instructions for how deep these bulbs should go in the ground. A rule of thumb is about 3 to 5 times the size of the bulb is how deep the hole should be!
Now that gives you some playing room too. If you plant tulips 4 to 5 inches deep, then when back filling the hole, you could actually plant some smaller bulbs on top at the three inch level and then fill the hole right up. Doing this will fill in your garden with color as these bulbs start to grow. You can also use this trick if you are planning on using bulbs in containers. Different sized bulbs get planted at different depths. Just remember that 5 times(roughly) the size of the bulb, is how deep you want to plant it.
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Picture courtesy of Pixabay.com
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Bulbs generally are planted with the pointed side up and the more rounded side down into the ground. This picture is just to show you that and not to be used as a guide to depth of planting. These are grown in a greenhouse with totally different conditions than you will have.
As you can see Tulips and Daffodils come in several different colors and combinations. So many plants now are bred for their color and growing characteristics. All of these are beautiful.
Planting bulbs is an activity that the children and grandchildren can easily help you with.
It's even easier if you are doing it in containers. Here are some instructions for you to make it easier! Make sure your planter has drainage holes, bulbs don't mind being cold over the winter months. So plant a container full of bulbs to make your springtime even better. Follow the depth planting chart found here so that you know your bulbs will be planted correctly. Do plan your container in such a way that the bigger bulbs are at the bottom and the smaller ones towards the top. Keep this container in a garden shed or garage in a cooler, or surrounded with a batt of insulation. They don't mind getting really cold, but they don't want to be frozen and thawed and frozen and thawed again. They need to stay dormant, until the days start warming up. When it's the end of February or so, you can un-blanket your container give it a drink and move it into a sheltered spot in the garden. In a few weeks time, you will be rewarded with green sprouts coming out of the planter.
This chart comes from Proflowers.com
It is a comprehensive guide to all kinds of bulbs that I have mentioned here in this post as well as others that you might consider growing.
Planting bulbs is a joy for you and for all your family and friends that will enjoy the fruits of your labor.
If you look at the chart you will see that it is full of information about the differences between bulbs, corms, rhizomes and tubers.
There is a detailed zone map for your particular zone. Just look on the map and co-relate the color to your Hardiness Zone.
If you are in Florida, there will be plants that won't do as well as if you are in Colorado or elsewhere.
It also reiterates what I have told you earlier in how deep to plant all your bulbs.
This chart also takes you through bulbs and corms that can be planted in summer and fall as well as spring.
The only time of year when you do not want to plant anything is in the middle of the winter. By then the ground is frozen and you really don't want to be outside for any length of time anyways.
If you forgot to plant bulbs in the fall and you want to plant them, try planting them in a pot as large as possible and keep them in a garage or some sheltered area. They may just surprise you and grow, or they will die. If they manage to grow you are a winner and if not, you really haven't lost anything more than you would have by not trying.
Please feel free to join me on Pinterest where there is a host of information for gardeners of all levels of expertise. https://www.pinterest.com/haydnsgrammie/weekend-gardener/
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